Call your doctor and ask for altitude sickness medications. Medications need to be taken before you ascend so that your body is ready. Continued taking medication throughout the duration of your trip. While medication isn't a requirement, some people are more sensitive to changes in altitude. If you wait until you arrive to assess the situation and you have severe altitude sickness, your only option at that point is to descend to a lower elevation.
Avoid certain medications, or switch to safer alternatives during the trip. Ask your doctor about any current prescribed medications that can exacerbate problems. For example, many sleep and allergy medications worsen side effects at higher altitudes. If you have headaches, avoid aspirin and take an alternative, such as acetaminophen.
Drink one and a half to two times your normal water intake during the first 36 hours of your trip. The air at higher altitudes is much drier and dehydrates you at a higher rate. Continue hydrating yourself during the trip as the dry air plus physical exertion can be a dangerous combination.
Eat well during your stay, and don't skip meals. Many people lose their appetite at higher altitudes, but not eating is counterproductive for your body. The colder air and exercise mean your body needs more calories than normal.
Sleep a full eight to 10 hours a day. The thin air forces your body to overcompensate, making it work extra hard to process oxygen. That is why you feel more exhausted than usual, even if you haven't done much physical activity. Get enough sleep to increase recovery and charge your battery for the next day.
Avoid other strenuous exercise, such as sprinting and working out. Everyone has different fitness levels, so the amount of rest your body needs depends on your own lung capacity and your body's efficiency in using oxygen. Regardless of the shape you are in, the lack of oxygen at Vail's altitude causes everyone shortness of breath. Take it easy the first day upon arrival to let your body adjust, and rest between ski runs or hiking excursion to allow your body to recover.
