All mysteries
Mystery #4Tier 2-3body / lungs

Why is it harder to breathe high up a mountain?

Climbers high on a tall mountain gasp for breath and sometimes carry oxygen tanks, yet the air around them still looks perfectly normal. There's air to breathe, so why isn't it enough?

A climber on a high, snowy mountain ridge where the air is thin.
Photo: Adha65 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Your guess

What's your hunch about why it's hard to breathe high up, even though there's still air?

There's no single magic word to type, have a go in your own words, then reveal the answer to see how close you got.

Make a guess to unlock the hints and the answer.