Regular hydration is important while hiking in the high mountains. Physical exertion means loss of body fluids which need to be replenished. Regular hydration also reduces chances on acute mountain sickness. Do remember that water is HEAVY and there is no point carrying 3 liters of water while crossing regular streams with flowing, drinkable water.
Similar to food, water ration should be optimized in order to minimize your weight on your alpine style journey. More water means more weight means slower pace means longer duration means you’ll have to carry more food resulting in still more weight. A vicious circle…
Water Sources
I usually carry NO water with me on my long Himalayan journeys. I hydrate myself plenty when crossing a stream with drinkable water which allows me to go on for several hours to the next stream. Flowing (drinkable) water in the mountains depends on several factors.
First of all it’s seasonal – you’ll find plenty of water in the stream during summers while they usually run dry during winter. Water is more plentiful in the lower valleys, as you climb higher towards the ridgelines / passes you will find less presence of water. This means you usually hydrate well before you climb higher up.
During winter you can also extract water from snow. You can fill up your bottle with snow and shake it to strongly to melt it. At the campsite you can start a fire to boil and melt snow. This will be a slow process – it takes a lot of energy to melt snow and the resulting quantity of water will be less than the initial volume of snow.
A good scale topographic map will show you side-valleys and gullies where you can expect flowing water (depending on season). Hydrate well whenever you cross a stream. Drink from smaller streams and gullies with clear flowing water. Avoid drinking from the rivers in the main valleys which might be less clear / contaminated. Whenever you cross villages, drink from fountains and springs. While having food in a dhaba drink plenty of fluids.
Water Management
I always carry an empty 500ml water bottle with me. This is extremely handy to drink from (cold) Himalayan streams. Scooping up freezing water with hands can be difficult. A small bottle is also handy to collect water from smaller water flows, springs impossible to scoop up with your bare hands.
Before you settle down for the night ensure you hydrate well and fill up your bottle. This allows you to drink after dinner (or cook dinner) and through the night without having to venture out in the cold night. Drink enough water at the end of the day will make you feel better hydrated the next morning.
Assignment
Acknowledge your understanding of the importance of hydration and the plentiful presence of drinkable water in the mountains (streams) allowing you to minimize the volume / weight of water to carry.
