Preparation & first-aid kit

Medical preparation week by week

6–8 weeks out (by 19 Sep)

Medical check-up for chronic, cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions; especially important with hypertension, coronary disease, arrhythmias, lung disease, anaemia, diabetes, migraine or marked obesity
40+ or risk factors — ECG; stress test and a cardiologist if indicated
Blood panel: haemoglobin, haematocrit, red cells, ferritin, transferrin, iron, vitamin D, B12, folate, TSH, CRP
Ferritin: target ≥50 µg/L for altitude; above 100 µg/L take no extra iron. If low, discuss 50–100 mg elemental iron every other day with your doctor: bisglycinate (better tolerated) or sulfate. On an empty stomach with vitamin C; keep 2 hours away from coffee, tea, dairy and calcium
Start the supplement set: omega-3, coenzyme Q10, astaxanthin, resveratrol
With varicose veins — a check-up and advice from your doctor

4 weeks out (by 3 Oct)

Repeat the blood count + ferritin if you were correcting iron deficiency

2–3 weeks out (by 17 Oct)

In the morning — a glass of water with 1/3 teaspoon of sea salt
Start panangin, vinpocetine and piracetam for heart and brain support — with your doctor’s approval

💉 Yellow fever — where to get vaccinated in Moscow

Immunity counts from day 10 after the shot, hence the 16 Oct deadline. One dose is enough and the certificate is valid for life. It is a live vaccine: over-60s and people with chronic conditions only after a doctor’s check. Bring your passport (the certificate is filled in Latin script) and your OMS policy — free for Moscow residents at city clinics.

City Polyclinic No. 5, branch 2 — Trubnaya St. 19, bldg 1 · +7 495 621-94-65
Infectious Diseases Hospital No. 1 — Volokolamskoye Hwy 63 · +7 495 190-01-01
Centre for Medical Prevention — Marshala Biryuzova St. 39 · +7 499 194-03-83
Central Research Institute of Epidemiology — Novogireevskaya 3A; Kosmodamianskaya Emb. 22
FMBA Medical Unit No. 165 — Kashirskoye Hwy 13G · vaccination room +7 499 506-69-68, +7 499 611-23-83 · Mon–Fri 8–20, Sat 9–16
Polyclinic No. 1 of the Presidential Administration — Sivtsev Vrazhek 26/28 · +7 499 241-12-62
Medincentre (GlavUpDK) — 4th Dobryninsky Lane 4 · +7 499 237-83-83
EMC (private, paid) — Shchepkina St. 35 · +7 495 933-66-55

Rospotrebnadzor (Moscow) list dated 21 Mar 2025.

📖 How to prepare for 5,000 m — a deep dive

The article “Preparing for 5,000 metres from sea level: what works and what is just sold” — ascent rate, the Lake Louise score, acetazolamide vs dexamethasone, ferritin, hypoxic tents and a 12–16-week fitness plan. Read on 1trainer.ru (in Russian)

🏔 Your first days at 4,000 m — what to do on the ground

The article “Your first days at 4,000 m: what to do on the ground” — the 500-metre rule for sleeping altitude, telling acclimatisation from altitude sickness, why the pulse oximeter trend matters more than the number, and the first-days routine: 3–4 litres of water, no alcohol, spare days and descent points. Read on 1trainer.ru (in Russian)

Medical preparation week by week

6–8 weeks out (by 19 Sep)

4 weeks out (by 3 Oct)

2–3 weeks out (by 17 Oct)

Personal first-aid kit

Essentials

Additional, as recommended

Group kit — carried by the guide