CLIMATE
MANALI : Manali is predominantly cold. The months of April & May have clear skies with day temperatures ranging from 20-25 degrees Celsius. Night temperature can drop to 8-10 degrees.
June/July signals the onset of monsoons and by August, it rains heavily. Temperatures range between 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.
September has clear crisp skies and temperature ranges between 15-20 degrees Celsius.
October starts to get chilly as autumn sets in.
It can snow any time December onwards and January & February can receive 3-4 feet of Snow.
LADAKH : Ladakh is a high altitude cold desert. Summer temperature ranges from 15-25 degrees during the day to about 10-15 at night.
It starts to get chilly from September. Although Ladakh is a desert, in recent years, it has received a lot of rainfall during the months of August.
ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS
Acute mountain sickness or AMS is caused due to a lack of oxygen at higher altitudes. Headache, nausea, disorientation & breathlessness are symptoms of AMS. AMS can affect anyone regardless of age or fitness. The only cure for AMS is to descend to a lower altitude or to inhale oxygen from a cylinder.
There are various ways to try and prevent AMS. The best advice is to rest in Manali for 2 days to be able to acclimatise to a higher altitude. Shanag Village, Manali is at an altitude of 2200 meters which is a good altitude to acclimatise at before going further up.
Make sure you are well rested and have enough warm clothes. Drink a lot of water as the climate is extremely dry and could lead to dehydration which in turn could lead to AMS. Avoid consuming alcohol and smoking. Avoid exertion at high altitudes. Take a medicine like Diamox to lower your chances of getting AMS. However, it has side effects such as numbing of fingers and toes and tingling sensations.
