Riociguat is a stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase that bypasses the NO pathway and is currently approved by the FDA for treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Riociguat exhibits a dual mode of action that i.) stabilizes the reduced form of the nitrosyl-heme complex, enhancing the NO-cGMP signaling pathway in the absence of endogenous NO and ii.) acts in synergy with endogenous NO by increasing sGC sensitivity to NO. Essentially, riociguat stimulates sGC to produce cGMP in the absence of NO, and it is a mechanism by which pulmonary vascular resistance could be attenuated during altitude-induced pulmonary hypertension. It has recently been shown to augment exercise performance and decrease pulmonary artery pressure in both primary pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) due to chronic thromboembolic disease. Lowering pulmonary artery pressure could improve pulmonary gas exchange and performance at altitude, which has significant implications for those living at altitude, conducting military operations, altitude trekkers and high-altitude rescue teams. Direct stimulation of sGC also represents a promising alternative therapeutic strategy for those susceptible to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) when current treatment modalities of nifedipine and sildenafil are ineffective and oxygen is unavailable. By itself or in combination with sildenafil, riociguat could produce a significant advance in exercise performance during altitude exposure and provide a substantial improvement over the current therapeutic options in the prevention and treatment of HAPE.