It’s up to us to solve the problem of altitude sickness, which can have tragic consequences.
Recently, at the Vallot Observatory near Mont Blanc, three tonnes of material and equipment were parachuted in by helicopter. This was a delicate operation, where the slightest gust of wind was unforgiving, and difficult for the men, who had to work so hard at altitude. For a month, Doctor Rivollier and his companions used meticulous experiments and psychological tests to define the causes and effects of an illness that most of them were suffering from. Getting used to altitude varied from person to person. For some, it was immediate, for others slower, and one of them showed signs of acute failure.
He had to be taken back to the valley immediately. As the helicopter descended, it came up against a curtain of impassable clouds. But it had to go down… The fuel was running out. At last, a faint ray of light. The patient was saved.