What SpO2 should I expect at Chamonix, France?

A healthy adult arriving from low altitude typically reads about 96% at rest, usually between 94 and 98%, in the first day or two at 1,035 m. The same person typically reads about 97% at sea level.

Will my reading be lower at night at Chamonix, France?

Usually, yes. Breathing slows in sleep, so overnight readings commonly sit a few points under a daytime reading at the same height.

How long does it take to acclimatise?

Breathing gets faster and deeper within hours. Resting SpO2 at a given height usually climbs by a few points across the first week, and red blood cell production rises over the following weeks.

Does a low reading mean altitude sickness?

No single number shows it. Altitude illness is judged on symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness and breathlessness at rest. If you feel unwell, stop going higher and get medical help, whatever the oximeter says.

France

Blood oxygen at Chamonix, France

The valley town below Mont Blanc. It is at 1,035 m (3,396 ft), where each breath delivers about 88% of the oxygen it does at sea level. Below are the air figures for that height and the SpO2 range a healthy visitor can expect. Add your own reading to see where it sits.

At 1,035 m / 3,396 ft

96% typical resting SpO2, usually 94 to 98%

For a healthy adult from low altitude, awake and at rest, in the first day or two. The same person at sea level typically reads 97%, usually 95 to 99%.

Air pressure: 895 hPa671 mmHg
Oxygen reaching the lungs: 131 mmHgvs 149 at sea level
Oxygen per breath: 88%of sea level

Elevation source: Wikipedia: Chamonix

Check your own reading

The calculator is set to Chamonix, France. Type the SpO2 your oximeter shows, or change the elevation if you are staying higher or lower.

How high?

Elevation (m)Or pick a placeYour SpO2 reading there (%) - optional

At 1,035 m / 3,396 ft

96% typical resting SpO2, usually 94 to 98%

For a healthy adult from low altitude, at rest, in the first day or two. Overnight readings commonly sit a few points lower still, and dip further during the periodic breathing that is common above about 2,500 m.

Air pressure: 895 hPa671 mmHg
Oxygen reaching the lungs: 131 mmHgvs 149 at sea level
Oxygen per breath: 88%of sea level

The nights are the part to watch

A daytime spot check misses the lowest oxygen of the trip, which almost always happens while you are asleep. Recording a night with a pulse oximeter shows whether your overnight oxygen is climbing back as you acclimatise, and our free viewer will read the file without an account.

Analyse a night for free Blood oxygen at altitude

What 1,035 m does to a reading

At this height most healthy visitors read within a point or two of their figure at home, and many see no change at all.

For comparison, an airliner cabin at cruise is usually held between about 6,000 and 8,000 ft (2,438 m), which is higher than here. The oxygen on a plane tool estimates the cabin altitude for your flight.

Sleeping height and skiing height

The 1,035 m figure is the published elevation of the resort. Lifts and runs go higher, and your accommodation may sit above or below it. For an overnight recording, the height you sleep at matters more than the highest point you skied that day. Enter your own sleeping elevation in the calculator above if it differs.

Tracking it across the trip

Record a night at home before you leave, so you know your own starting figure.
Record each night at Chamonix, France and open the file in the free session viewer. It shows the lowest SpO2 and how much of the night was under 90%.
Put the first night next to a later one in compare nights to see whether your overnight oxygen is rising.
A finger sensor can be off by a few points, more so with cold hands. The oximeter accuracy tool shows the range a reading could really be.

Blood oxygen at altitude covers what to expect night by night.

Common questions

What SpO2 should I expect at Chamonix, France?: A healthy adult arriving from low altitude typically reads about 96% at rest, usually between 94 and 98%, in the first day or two at 1,035 m. The same person typically reads about 97% at sea level.
How much less oxygen is there at 1,035 m?: Standard air pressure at 1,035 m is about 895 hPa, against 1,013 hPa at sea level. Each breath delivers about 88% of the oxygen it does at sea level. The share of oxygen in the air stays at about 21% at any height; it is the pressure that falls.
Will my reading be lower at night at Chamonix, France?: Usually, yes. Breathing slows in sleep, so overnight readings commonly sit a few points under a daytime reading at the same height.
How long does it take to acclimatise?: Breathing gets faster and deeper within hours. Resting SpO2 at a given height usually climbs by a few points across the first week, and red blood cell production rises over the following weeks.
Does a low reading mean altitude sickness?: No single number shows it. Altitude illness is judged on symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness and breathlessness at rest. If you feel unwell, stop going higher and get medical help, whatever the oximeter says.

Places at a similar height

More in France

All destinations Altitude oxygen calculator

Sources

Elevation: Wikipedia: Chamonix.
Air pressure: International Standard Atmosphere (ICAO Doc 7488).
Expected SpO2: the reference table behind the altitude oxygen calculator, which explains how the figures are worked out.

Log every night of the trip

An account keeps each night you record, at home and at altitude, so you can line the nights up and see how your overnight oxygen changes from one to the next.

Every recording saved and searchable
Compare any nights, any time
ODI, T90 and CVHR trends over time
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See which habits line up with your numbers
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