A paper in the June 2002 issue of the American Journal of Kidney Disease described the phenomenon of gout flares developing in some people when they move to a higher altitude. The relationship is the reduction of oxygen in the blood causing the cells to generate excess uric acid, plus making the blood more acidic so that it can hold less uric acid in solution. It's the same reason that sleep apnea causes gout, which is the reason for gout occurring in at least half of the gout sufferers.