PART ONE (PHYSICAL)
Whether you are climbing Kilimanjaro or trekking the Tibetian Trail, training for your adventure should become a daily routine. Any trekking venture is within reach for most people with normal fitness levels, but the more physically fit and mentally prepared that you are the more you’re likely to enjoy the journey (instead of being totally focused on your sore legs and feet). You’ll hardly ever hear a returning Kili climber say, “I wish I had trained less for that.”
Walk, its what you’ll be doing.
Running, bicycling, swimming, elliptical trainers, and so on are great for training your aerobic fitness, but remember that on the trail you will be walking. By all means do the other activities but be sure to include walking in your fitness routine too, as muscular fitness is very activity specific. Every December I remember this when my legs are sore, not from the biking and running that I have been doing as cross training, but from the return to skiing.
HIKING BOOTS
Wear the hiking boots you will be wearing on the trail. If you have got full leather boots, they will require some breaking in before the climb. Walking in your boots will also help to toughen up your feet, and you’ll learn if there are any spots that cause blisters or pain. You don’t want to find out on day two of a 10-day Kilimanjaro climb that your new boots give you agonizing blisters!
Challenge yourself to walk whenever you can.
An hour long evening stroll through your neighborhood is good training, but a full day hike is better, and best of all is to do long walks on consecutive days. On a typical Kilimanjaro trek, you might be averaging about six hours a day of walking for seven days in a row, with one grueling summit day of 12+ hours. Your training should include a few walks or hikes of at least 4-6 hours to know what you’re in for.
I know it can be hard to fit full-day or multi-day hikes into a busy schedule, so try to make walking a part of your daily life. Try walking to work or school, and when you have errands to accomplish ask yourself, “Can I walk there?” It may take longer than driving but overall you’ll save time (for example 1 hour walking to the store, vs. 20 minutes driving + a separate 1 hour training walk), plus you’ll save money, gas and improve your carbon footprint.
The mall is good, but hills are better.
Remember how muscular training is very activity specific, and cycling doesn’t prevent sore legs on the first day of skiing? That also applies to walking on the flats vs. walking up and down hills. If at all possible, you should include hikes in hilly terrain in your trekking fitness plan. Best of all is to do sustained climbs and descents on other (smaller) mountains, but I get by with walking laps up and down a steep section of a local hiking trail. Other climbers have trained by climbing the stairs in a multilevel condo building or office towers.
Don’t forget that descending is as much a part of the trek as climbing. I actually found the descent from the summit to Millennium camp on Kilimanjaro (around 2,743 metres / 9,000 feet of descent in one day) to be the toughest part of the trek. Hiking poles are helpful for balance when descending, and to take a bit of the strain off your knees.
Remember, your trekking fitness-training plan doesn’t need to be complicated, walking lots is key, getting hills in is better. Make sure you start at least three months before your trek (earlier than this is even better), as it will be too late if you wait until a week or two before departure to start training.
Sleep Training – you’ll be happy you did.
We’ve found that there are a lot of other things that you can do to prepare for trekking that most people overlook. Sleep is the first thing to consider. The amount of rest that you are getting directly relates to how your mind and body will handle the stress of altitude and exercise. Rest and good sleep aid in muscle recovery and oxygen usage. Thus you want to be getting the most rest that you can.
How many of you sleep on an air mattress over rocks at home versus a nice cozy bed? Come on now – be honest. While on the trek you’ll hopefully be sleeping on a 3” deluxe air mattress (with foam core) that will soften the blow, but it won’t be what you are used to – so do some training with this as well. Practice sleeping outside on the mattress that you’ll be using on the hard ground – throw some small rocks under it for good measure. Try to sleep outside on cold nights if you can. That brings us to the next bit of training, sleeping in the cold.
Use the sleeping bag that is rated for -1`C / 30`F colder than what the temperatures are expected at night. This may or may not be the bag that you’ll be using on the trek, but it doesn’t matter. Pick the coldest nights that you can to simulate conditions on the trek. Get used to being a bit more confined than the cozy nest that you usually snooze in. Wear a warm hat if you’re a cold sleeper, and other suggestions too that I’ll cover in another blog sometime.
How often/much do you need to work on your sleep training? Do it until you like it: two nights in a row as a minimum.
Drink water and lots of it.
At altitude you will be fighting dehydration and it’s a good fight. Get used to drinking lots of water now so that you are mentally and physically habituated to this fine act of health. Proper hydration minimizes headaches, helps your blood flow and increases hematocrit levels, and has many other health benefits. There is evidence that the occurrence of kidney stones being passed at altitude increases severely due to dehydration (I had friends who was lucky enough to experience this at 4,572meters /15,500 feet and he didn’t recommend the experience for anyone). Most medical sources also recommend increasing your iron, vitamin C, and B6/B12 supplementation to help your body absorb iron. This helps to get the oxygen from your lungs out to the tissues that need it, including your brain.
Get a leash on your ego.
Think about your reasons for the joining the adventure that you are embarking on. What are your goals? What are your limitations? Are you ready to move at slower speeds to reach greater altitudes? Will you be able to live with yourself if the weather prevents you from reaching your goal? Or worse yet, what if your own poor decisions prevent you from acclimatizing properly? Communicate with the rest of your team members prior to the trip and start building good relationships. By envisioning how you can be a productive member of the team you will increase your chance of a successful adventure. Be a team player, support the rest of the group and think positively.
Lastly, physical training is just one part of getting in shape. If you have an unhealthy lifestyle, use the climb as your motivation to change. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Reduce your red meat consumption. Don't drink or smoke. Get eight hours of sleep per night. Don't worry. Be happy.
Whether it’s high altitude trekking or hiking at lower altitudes, the following will help in your trek training, too.
1) Do aerobic exercises. Work on getting your heart muscle strengthened and your lungs used to breathing deep, especially if you’ll be at altitude like in the Himalayas. Running, climbing stairs and high impact group classes will all help. Consider doing these 3 to 4 times per week.
2) Work on strength training. Get your thigh and calf muscles good and strong so that when you’re climbing those mountains, it’ll feel like less work. It won’t hurt to work on your arm and stomach muscle strength as well by doing pushups and situps or stomach crunches.
3) Take the stairs. Any time you have a choice, skip the elevator and escalator and take the stairs. This is an easy way to build up your leg muscles little by little.
4) Take long walks and, whenever possible, incorporate hills and stairs into those walks. You’ll likely be on trails for extended periods of time on a trek – getting used to walking for hours at a time will help you endure once you’re on the trek.
5) Hike at altitude. If you’re trekking, you’ll likely be at some level of altitude. By spending your weekends hiking in the mountains, it will help you get used to the altitude at your destination.
6) Carry some added weight. During at least some of your workouts, walks or hikes, carry a backpack that has the approximate weight you’ll be carrying with you on the trek.
7) Trek in hiking boots that are well broken in. Whether you need heavy duty boots or those that are light hikers, don’t wait until the last minute to make sure they fit well and are comfortable. Also, by building up some callouses prior to your trek, it’ll ensure fewer problems in the mountains.
The bottom line ?
The better shape you’re in prior to departure, the better the experience will be once you’re on the trail.
PART TWO (BREATHING)
At higher altitudes, the air is thinner, there is less available oxygen and it becomes more difficult to breathe. There are serious risks involved with high-altitude hiking, including altitude sickness, acute mountain syndrome and pulmonary edema, all of which can result in death. Before you go on a high-altitude hike, you need to train your body to work efficiently and effectively in environments with less oxygen.
STEP 1
Begin training at least two months in advance. This is especially important if you plan to hike at altitudes of more than 3,962 meters / 13,000 feet.
STEP 2
See a doctor for a medical checkup in the early stages of training to ensure that high-altitude hiking is a safe and recommended activity for your age and physical condition.
STEP 3
Hike as often as possible. The best thing you can do to prepare for higher-altitude hikes is to hike as often as possible and at higher altitudes, if available. Start gradually, increasing the distance and altitude of your hikes with each week of training so that your body and lungs can become accustomed to functioning at increasing levels of altitude.
STEP 4
Participate in interval training. Interval training is a method of training the cardiovascular system by elevating the heart rate significantly and then allowing it to recover for a period before elevating it again. This prepares the cardiovascular system to deal with the stress of of limited oxygen levels at higher altitudes. Interval training could consist of running sprints, running hills or using the interval setting on a treadmill or exercise bike. Choose one day a week for interval training and doing six repetitions of whatever exercise you have chosen. Each week, increase the intensity by running a faster sprint or a steeper hill. You also can train with a pack to add weight and simulate the weight that you might be carrying during the high-altitude hike.
STEP 5
Work on developing a breathing rhythm and deep breathing. Your ability to control and conserve your breath and expand your breathing capacity will come in handy when the oxygen supply is reduced. Developing a breathing/stepping rhythm that will prevent you from overexerting yourself at higher elevations. It is recommended practicing deep breathing on training hikes. Whenever you begin to feel breathless, concentrate on taking deep breaths and smaller steps until a more normal breathing pattern returns.
