Meet Rowan Smith

Founder

Hi, I’m Rowan, and I specialise in getting hikers strong and pain-free so they can conquer every adventure. 

My whole life, I have chased the adventurous spirit. From my early days in Scouts, tearing through the local bushlands to my teenage years as a die-hard bodyboarder, living and breathing the eternal search for that perfect wave. Then I spent years in my twenties tramping the globe, always at my happiest when I had a pack on my back and a new language to learn.
 
I have never been more clear-sighted, more determined and more excited than when I had an adventure at my feet and a challenge in my sights.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to have my career and my passion collide. I had just returned to Australia and got a personal training job at an Altitude Gym. Here I was exposed to hikers, mountaineers and adventure athletes of all shapes; who were out exploring the world, challenging themselves and crushing their bucket list goals. 

But I quickly realised there was one major issue for these adventurers. All the training information available to them was written by amateurs, not experts. So I set out to change this.

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I began to apply the principles of Sport Science and Strength and Conditioning that I had cut my teeth with for years at university, into the very specific demands of the trail to create a training for hiking service. We began to see some amazing results.

Not only were my hikers feeling more confident and more capable on the mountain; but time and time again, I heard that they were leading the pack! (And I know, hiking is an experience, not a race. But it is good to know you could if you needed.)

Since then I have helped hundreds of hikers complete their dream adventures; from the legendary Everest Base Camp to the snowy peak of Mt Elbrus, from the cross-country journey of the Pacific Crest Trail to the volcanic slopes of Kilimanjaro. Each and every one has trained, prepared and conquered!

These days I have one mission in life: to become the best in the world at preparing everyday people for their own hiking adventures. 

So when you finally decide the time has come to tackle that bucket list goal you have always dreamed about, or if you simply want to improve your comfort, confidence and performance for your regular adventures, I will be ready to provide the most comprehensive training, the most thorough education and all the support you need.

​So you can have the best chance possible of having a safe, enjoyable and ultimately successful adventure!

Rowan Smith

BAppSc(Ex&SpSc)

Meet Andrea Bayliss

Adventure coach

Hi! I’m Andrea. I’m probably not your typical hiker. I didn’t grow up in a family of bushwalkers, and I didn’t get into it as a young adult either.  
 
Back around 2016, I was really into powerlifting at my local gym. I also loved learning about fitness; the theory and the science. So much so that I was studying my certifications in fitness with the plan to become a personal trainer. But then I sustained a significant injury which put a halt to all of that. Even my studies suffered, and I dropped out of the course. I literally fell into hiking by accident!
 
I needed to find something else to do. I liked walking and am lucky enough to live near the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne. I went for a walk there early one morning whilst it was still dark, and the forest was shrouded in mist. I saw a lyrebird! I’d never experienced such peace and tranquillity! I was hooked on hiking from that moment. 
 
I was 54 years old with no hiking experience at all, but hiking soon became an obsession!

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Fast forward to April 2020. I had signed up to hike eight days with a full pack on the Overland Track in Tasmania in Feb 2021. I’d barely hiked more than a couple of hours with a light daypack! Over the last few years, I’d become overweight, unfit and struggled with much over 10kms. And hills! Forget it! I’d struggle so much. And I had been carrying a dodgy knee for the best part of a decade. I needed to DO something, and NOW!
 
I discovered Summit Strength and was intrigued by their 5-day Hikers Knee taster program. I gave it a go. It got me wanting more. I completed the 12-week program. I saw not only improvements in my hiking but a significant reduction in my knee pain. 
 
I ended up training with Summit Strength for around eight months. The Overland? Loved it! I even climbed Tasmania’s highest peak, Mt Ossa, with a wonderful bunch of supportive women and still pinch myself that I was able to do it. I discovered that climbing hills are now what I love doing. 
 
My hiking has taken on a whole new level of challenge, and I sometimes wonder why I waited so long to take my life back. Feeling strong and capable is something that I treasure, and I found it again through my training. So much so that I have felt inspired to pick up the study again.​

Personal training is something I really want to be doing, particularly for older women, as I’ve lived the health and fitness journey many of them are travelling on. I understand and can empathise; the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves can prevent so many women from living their best lives. I want to help change that.   

Meet Lavinia Kava

Enrollment Specialist

I started getting outdoors and hiking when the world shut down and I got to explore the local trails and tracks where I live in rural NSW.  

I have a background of sport and fitness and enjoy pushing my comfort zones! I love being up early and am usually out of the house and awake by 5am each morning on a walk or a run with my head torch on.

Working remotely can be a challenge which is why I have gravitated towards being outdoors now than inside the gym. I am passionate about helping others achieve their goals.

The most challenging summit I have ever done was Mount Bogong, VIC my toenail took 12 months to recover! Ha! ​

The 4 Success Factors

1. Expertise

The issue with the current advice available on the internet, is that it is written by amateurs, not experts. Everything we do is backed in with rock solid evidence and years of experience. 

2. Training

Being 'trail fit' goes beyond random hikes on the weekend. By designing a structured and personalised program we will prepare your body for all possibilities on the trail and not just the best case scenario.

3. Accountability

A great plan is not enough, you will need to stay on track and take accountability for completing each milestone before you can fly. Keep your eyes on the prize.

4. Mindset

By mastering all your concerns and doubts before you step onto the trail, you can begin your adventure feeling 100% comfortable, capable and confident in your success.

About Summit Strength

Summit Strength was founded on my belief that hikers and mountaineers deserve a specialised training service, not simply another cookie-cutter program which will fail them halfway up the mountain.

Based on years of experience applying and testing the Summit Success Method on real-life adventurers, I am fully confident that we can work together to get you, fitter, stronger and more resilient then you have in years. So you can be prepared and ready to conquer anything that the trail might throw at you, from joint pain to high altitude, from elevation gains to uneven terrain and even simple exhaustion.

Because I firmly believe that right training, support and education can be the difference between conquering your dream and turning back halfway.

And I do all this so that in years from now, you can look back fondly on a safe, enjoyable and successful bucket list adventure.