Altitude camps: worth it for the recreational rider?
Pros head to Tenerife or Livigno to sleep "at altitude". Does it help if you mostly ride for fun? A level-headed take.
Dieter D'Haene
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The idea is appealing: sleep at 2,000 m for a few weeks, produce more red blood cells, come back as an upgraded version of yourself. For elite athletes with perfect timing and support, that's roughly true. For the average cyclo-tourist it's more nuanced.
What you can realistically expect
- A noticeable effect needs at least 3 weeks at sufficient altitude — a week of skiing doesn't count.
- The first days you ride worse, not better: you're still acclimatising.
- The effect largely fades within 2–4 weeks of coming home.
Our take: an altitude camp is no magic bullet for the recreational rider, but our mountain weeks do have a useful side effect. By spending a few days around 1,500–2,000 m and ramping up gradually, you feel distinctly better by the end of the week — more from acclimatisation than from blood values. Just plan an easy first day.