Many women trekkers ask us this — is it okay to trek during my periods? The concern is real because the thought of being out in the wild during your periods can be uncomfortable. 

But much of this discomfort stems from false assumptions. The reality of trekking during periods is different. 

Sandhya UC, co-founder of Indiahikes, has been trekking for more than a decade, says, “Periods are very normal. If you are okay in your daily life with periods, you will be okay on the trek too. It’s no big deal. You don’t need to worry about that.” 

But it’s important to be mentally prepared for it. For that, here are 7 things you should know while trekking during your periods:

1. Physical exertion can cause bad cramps (Not true) 

It’s a big myth that exertion makes your cramps worse during periods. And it’s this misconception that keeps women from doing physically intensive activities during their periods. 

“Extreme exertion may not be advisable. But going for walks, treks; leading an active life during periods could help in easing the cramps,” says Dr Shreelakshmi. 

Nivedita Siddharthan who recently trekked to Nag Tibba during her periods says, “I usually have very painful periods. But I realized that the more physically active I am, the fewer cramps I get.”

Reality is, long hikes and fresh mountain air makes you feel better. 

But it is also true that some women suffer painful periods while in the city. So what do you do if your periods are painful and you are going to be on a trek. We asked this question to Dr Shreelakshmi, consulting physician of Indiahikes. She said, “If you have a lot of pain during your periods, you can do the same thing on your trek that you do in the city. Lie down in your tent with a hot water bottle near your back. This will alleviate the cramps. If the pain is too severe then you may take a painkiller like Ibuprofen or Meftal Spas.”

On another note, your trek leaders are trained and equipped to assist you during your periods. “Your trek leader always carries emergency sanitary napkins, painkillers, and even a hot water bottle to ease your cramps,” says Lakshmi Selvakumaran, Head of Experience at Indiahikes.

2. Reality check: Trekking could alter/advance your period dates 

Never be too sure of not getting your periods on a trek. “Even if your period dates don’t coincide with your trek dates, it’s wise to be prepared for it,” says Nandana Kamasani, Head of Experience Coordination at Indiahikes.

The reality is that the exertion and experience of a high-altitude trek could trigger your periods. This may result in getting your periods earlier or later than usual. “Many times it takes trekkers by surprise because they are not expecting to get their periods on the trek. And this un-preparedness adds to the discomfort,” Nandana adds. 

But even in the face of this unpredictability, periods are nothing to be concerned about. Your flow is not going to increase on a trek. They are just as manageable as they are in the city.

3. Managing sanitary waste is hassle-free  

Perhaps the biggest question on your mind while trekking during periods is — what to do with the sanitary waste?

“Sanitary napkins are non-biodegradable. So if you are using napkins or tampons, they must not be left behind in the mountains at any cost,” says Sandhya. 

The easiest thing to do is pack sanitary napkins or tampons in the newspaper, put it in a plastic/ziplock bag, and bring it back to the city with you. Yes, it does require the foresight to keep some sheets of an old newspaper folded in a remote corner of your backpack. 

“Wrapping it well and putting it in a ziplock ensures there is no sight or smell. This is what most of us do on our treks,” says Sandhya UC. 

Watch this video in which Indiahikes Team Member Neha Satheesan shows the right way of managing sanitary waste on a trek. 

4. Menstrual cups are the future of trekking (and even otherwise)

At Indiahikes, we have discovered how magical a menstrual cup can be. Not only is it totally hassle free, they are environmentally sustainable, zero cost and don't make us feel as if we are in our periods.

“A menstrual cup can hold blood longer on average as compared to tampons. Despite my heavier flow, I still feel that I need to change less often as compared to tampons. If you are confident with the cup, you might have less things to carry as compared to pads and tampons,” shares trekker Tanja Mathias. 

Menstrual cups are the easiest to clean. All you need to do is rinse it with water — something that is easily available on trek.  

Menstrual cups create far less trash compared to tampons and pads. There’s no plastic, no wrapping paper, no non-biodegradable material. It saves the environment and our treks. There is nothing to dispose of. For trekkers it is the biggest boon.  

5. It's easy to stay clean and infection-free without taking bath

“Changing pads / tampons / menstrual cups is pretty easy on a trek. If you feel like changing while on the trail, you can follow a process that’s similar to what you follow during nature’s call. Go behind a bush/tree/boulder that offers you some privacy. Inform your teammates beforehand so that they can keep an eye. Finish your business and resume your trek. It is as simple as that,” shares Sandhya.

“At the campsite, you can request your tent mates to leave your tent for a while. Change in the tent. Or if you are more comfortable, go into the toilet tent and change. Carry tissue paper that you can dampen to wipe yourself while you are changing. This will help you feel fresh,” shares Sandhya.

Warning: Ensure you do not use wet wipes in this process. Wet wipes are not biodegradable, and are a nuisance to the environment since they are full of chemicals. Just use regular tissue paper by wetting it with a few drops of water. 

6. Extra change of undergarments is important 

Staining is a real concern during periods. But you don’t need to carry extra clothes to address that. “Instead, carry extra sanitary products and extra undergarments. This enables you to change often, thereby preventing staining,” says Sandhya. 

While keeping extra undergarments, make sure you keep the cotton ones that allow your skin to breathe. This prevents sweating and infection in the nether regions. 

Tip: It’s a great idea to use cloth pads / cloth liners along with your underwear when you’re using menstrual cups / tampons. They will avoid any leaks and are easier to wrap, pack and bring back. 

7. It's not worth it to pop a pill to postpone your periods

Taking hormonal pills to alter your period dates is not healthy for you. “These pills can wreak havoc on your cycles. They not only affect your current cycle but also future ones,” says Dr Sreelakshmi. And tampering with your cycles can lead to hormonal imbalances. 

It is easier to manage trekking with your periods. All you need to do is keep all the above points in mind and prepare accordingly.

Trekking during your periods could get slightly overwhelming if it’s your first time. And that’s why it’s important to talk about it, seek advice, and share your concerns. 

The reality remains that it is not a big issue to trek during your periods. Most women do it successfully, without much hassle. 

“If you are too fussy and finicky about having the comfort of your home on a trek during periods, then be ready for slight discomfort. Be open and don’t worry too much about it. Periods are a normal part of life, and it’s okay to have them on a trek,” reassures Sandhya. 

If you have trekked during your periods I’d love to hear about your experience. Was it easy? Overwhelming? Write to me to share your experience.

Cramps. Mood swings. Anxiety. Bleeding. Doesn’t matter if the idiot box blares with products that promise to keep you happy and dry all day long. Keep checking for stain-freeness every now and then. Tedious.

Why Trekking During Your Periods Is NOT A Bad Idea

7 Things You Should Know While Trekking During Periods

Sometimes an unnecessary debate is on between purists and non-purists about acclimatization on a high altitude trek.

The purists feel that using drugs like Diamox to accelerate acclimatization goes against the spirit of trekking. They feel it is better to acclimatize naturally and ascend slowly with breaks – giving the body sufficient time to get used to the higher altitude.

On the other hand the non purists think it is better to be safe than suffer from high altitude sickness. They feel being on a course of Acetazolamide (Diamox) would give them maximum chance of success on a high altitude trek. So they start on a course of Diamox even before they begin their trek.

Now what is the right thing to do? Before I answer this question, a quick background on Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) would help.

As one climbs above 8,000 feet, the atmospheric pressure starts to fall noticeably. As a result with every breath you take less oxygen reaches your blood. You must work harder to get the oxygen. Your body copes by breathing harder and longer. When you are climbing uphill, this is more acute. Persistent increased breathing builds up carbon dioxide in the blood.

The good news is as you climb higher your body acclimatizes naturally to the decreasing oxygen. Your body builds up a ‘zone of tolerance’ – where it can function normally even with the decreased oxygen. This zone of tolerance moves up as your body acclimatizes to the higher altitudes. However, when the build up of carbon dioxide is beyond your zone of tolerance your body reacts and you fall sick. This is AMS. You get high altitude sickness.

AMS is when along with headache you display the following symptoms:

Video debunking 5 Common Myths About AMS | Altitude Sickness

I find it strange when at 11,000 feet trekkers complain of headache, and others around him say this is normal. It is not. A headache at an altitude is not normal. When you get a headache, drink one liter of water, pop a Disprin and watch for an hour (dehydration is a very common cause of headache). If your headache hasn’t totally disappeared within an hour then you are suffering from AMS. Do not stay at this altitude and begin your descent to the altitude where you last felt comfortable.

This brings me around to the use of Acetazolamide (Diamox) to assist acclimatization and prevent high altitude sickness.

The question is really not whether to use Diamox or not. The deciding factor to guide a trekker should always be the duration and the altitude gain of the trek. If you are doing a 6 day trek and going to high altitude (above 14,000 feet) then your body does not have enough time to acclimatize – even though you may have factored in a rest/acclimatization day. It is best to start on a course of Diamox before you start the trek. If on the other hand you are on a 12-14 days trek, then you have sufficient time to allow your body to acclimatize to the altitude. You don’t need Diamox to help acclimatization.

Generally, you need to allow your body to acclimatize 24-48 hours at an altitude (above 10,000 feet) before going higher. Modern day trekking, unfortunately, does not allow us this time. We usually arrive at a camp at around 2 pm and then have to move to the next higher camp early next morning, giving us less than 16-18 hours to acclimatize. This is usually not enough. Trekkers are prone to AMS under such conditions.

Follow this guide on your trek: if your trek schedule is short and does not allow you more than 24 hours at an altitude, then you are better off being on a course of Diamox.

I often get calls from trekkers telling me that they have been on several high altitude treks and that they have never had to use Diamox. I find this logic baffling. Anyone can get AMS. There is no significant effect of age, gender, physical fitness, or previous altitude experience on AMS. You may get AMS on any trek and it would be terrible if you have to give up on a trek because you did not take this elementary precaution.

90% of the blood’s carbon dioxide exists in a chemical called bicarbonate. This carbon dioxide after travelling through your blood is exhaled by your lungs. Diamox forces the kidneys to excrete bicarbonate from your body (when you urinate).

Your body doesn’t like that. It needs the bicarbonate to exhale carbon dioxide through your lungs.

When Diamox forces you to excrete biocarbonates, your blood, which is used to a certain level of acidity, becomes more acidic. When the blood gets acidic it believes that it has more carbon dioxide in it. So the body gets rid of this excess carbon dioxide in a simple way. It starts to breathe deeper and faster, getting rid of the carbon dioxide, and also taking in more oxygen.

In effect, the increased oxygen speeds up the acclimatisation process. It also greatly reduces you of any symptoms of altitude sickness. Which is why Diamox works best when you start on it a day or two before you get to high altitudes. 

In a recent conversation with Dr Venkatesh Thuppil, the leading expert in India on high altitude hypoxia and the co-inventor of the HAPO bag, he told me that the best step that a trekker could take to prevent any high altitude sickness was to be on a course of Diamox prior to the start of the trek. He said more lives could be saved and more treks successful if the trekkers were on a course of Diamox than without.

Remember, Diamox accelerates acclimatization. It does not cure anything. If you have headache with any of the above symptoms, even after taking Diamox, it means your acclimatization is not complete and you must descend. Under no circumstances should you climb higher if your symptoms still persists.

Start on a dosage of 125 mg every 12 hours 2 days prior to your trek (or when you arrive at Delhi). Increase it to 250 mg every 12 hours from the day you get to the base camp and continue until you complete the trek.

While Diamox is harmless for most people, please check with your doctor whether you are allergic to sulphides. Also check with your doctor if you have high/low blood pressure or diabetes.

Diamox is a sulfa-based drug. So if you’re allergic to sulphides, avoid Diamox.

At Indiahikes, earlier, we used Diamox only in emergencies – however, now we have reviewed our stand and we suggest participants start on Diamox two days before they start the trek. The chances of a successful and stress free trek is much higher if participants start on a course of Diamox on arrival at Delhi.

While Diamox reduces your chances of getting any high altitude sickness, it is important to prepare your lungs to be ready to work with less oxygen. The best way to do that is to prepare for a trek. A good altitude training program must include cardio-vascular, strength and flexibility training. I would recommend a run of half an hour and covering a distance of 4.5 km as good preparatory altitude training.

Here are the benefits of using Acetazolamide (Diamox) to deal with Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

How Diamox Deals With Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

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