Emergency services airlift climber to safety after he suffered altitude sickness on Teide

[Janet]

A 57-year-old Polish walker had to be rescued by helicopter shortly before 2.30 this afternoon after being overcome by altitude sickness when climbing Teide at just over 3,000 metres. He was airlifted to the helipad at the Adeje fire station, and then transferred by ambulance to Hospiten Sur. I've seen people plan to climb to the top of Teide with the slightest amount of preparation, and even go up with clothing suitable for the coast. It's important to remember that it's not just a case of low temperatures on a mountain of this size, but of altitude sickness too. No-one would climb Kilimanjaro, which is the highest free-standing mountain in the world, without significant mountaineering preparation, and it's only 2,000 metres higher than Teide. Teide is 3,718m, and altitude sickness kicks in around 2,400m. Please be careful. JA

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Possibly his once a year exercise on hols?

[Guanche]

I have been amazed at what some people go up there dressed in, flip flops shorts and a tee shirt! Just because you go to the gym and think your fit does not exclude you from the effects of altitude.

Question. I have seen someone go up dresses as I described, but what if something happened to him while he was up there. Effects of cold or slipping and injuring him self. I have never seen any warning signs about correct dress or foot wear at the base of the cable car, it's quite possible I may have missed it, Would the cable car company be liable?

[Michael]

I'm not allowed up Teidi. 

[Janet]

Absolutely! Any heart conditions cannot deal with altitude!

In reply to Guanche, I think that under the new regime whereby people are charged for rescue if they've been reckless, the responsibility is personal. Who in their right mind would go up Teide without being appropriately attired and trained? It might well be that this person was, but it could also be, as the turtle says, that this was the first exercise of the year! The ones I've known planning to go up were planning to do so in what was, really, the equivalent of flipflops and T-shirt. I think the Government is absolutely right to hold them responsible ... responsible for being bloody idiots!

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

No, I've never seen any signs about what is appropriate, other than to state that those with a heart condition should not ascend.  We always giggle our heads off at the beach attire people go up in.  Mostly they huddle near the station in the sun waiting to go down.

The last time we walked up from the cable car station to the summit, there was a guy leading a group of Japanese students (female) back down, and one of them was in high heels! 

We always take warm windproof clothing even if it does not seem to be called for.  I've been up there in October with -3.5. 

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[Nova]

Maybe the tour companies and even the cable car should provide fleece blankets for tourists to wrap themselves in while they're up there.  There's a bar in LG that keeps a selection of fleece throws available for customers to throw round their shoulders so it shouldn't be hard for the cable car station to do the same.  They're cheap, versatile and easily laundered.  I mean, parka, hat, scarf and snow boots won't make it into the suitcase of most tourists coming to Tenerife for a holiday, yet those tourists are the Teide tours' primary target market!

[Perikles]

yet those tourists are the Teide tours' primary target market!

They only go up Teide once, and after they have paid, who cares if any die of pneumonia?

[Michael]

They only go up Teide once, and after they have paid, who cares if any die of pneumonia?

Absolutely. Cleansing the gene pool. 

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Meanies.