In this episode, I interview Summit Strength graduates Karen and Charles, who have just come back from 10 days and a successful summit of Kilimanjaro's northern circuit. Inside, they talk about their training, preparation and experience on this amazing mountain.
For women in their 60s managing joint pain, arthritis, and years of stop-start training, Jenny's story will feel familiar. At 62, with two knee replacements and significant arthritis throughout her body, she had all but accepted that her best hiking days were behind her.
Then she booked 12 days at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, signed up to Summit Strength with a six-week lead-in, and completed every single activity on her itinerary, including three grade four hikes, four swims with whale sharks, and getting herself back into a kayak from the open ocean for the first time in her life. In this episode of the Training For Trekking Podcast, Jenny joins Rowan to talk through her training, what surprised her on the trip, and how she managed it all without needing a single anti-inflammatory the entire time. 
In this episode of the Training for Trekking podcast, I chat with Mark, a Summit Strength graduate from Melbourne, about his training and experience thru-hiking the Bibbulmun Track - a 1,000 kilometre walk through Western Australia.
Inside we chat about the strength and conditioning he used from this long distance hike, managing a calf strain early in training, the mental grind of weeks on trail, and practical advice for anyone planning a thru-hike. 
You've booked the trip. Or maybe you're close to booking it. And somewhere in the back of your mind, a question keeps surfacing: am I actually going to be ready for this?
That question is completely normal. And if you've got an ache or a niggle on top of it, or if your last hike left you wiped out for a week, that question can start to feel pretty loud. Here's a simple way to work through it. Rather than guessing, run yourself through these check-ins. They'll show you pretty quickly whether you're on track, or whether something needs to change. 
Training for Everest is no small undertaking. It requires months of structured preparation, the ability to manage setbacks without burning out, and the kind of personalised support that generic fitness programs simply cannot provide.
In this episode of the Training For Mountaineering podcast, we are joined by Summit Strength client Shika, a Sydney-based climber who recently stood on top of Mount Everest. Shika has been climbing in South America and the Himalayas for eight years, with Everest always in the back of her mind as the ultimate goal. Following a successful ascent of Ama Dablam in late 2025, she spent four months building toward Everest with a personalised strength and conditioning program designed around the specific demands of high-altitude mountaineering. In this conversation, Shika shares exactly how she trained, how she managed the competing pressures of work, and a budy life, and what it felt like to finally stand on the summit after years of preparation. She also speaks candidly about the physical and emotional challenges on the mountain, and what advice she would give to anyone else dreaming of a serious adventure. This is a fantastic conversation about confidence, consistency, and the value of having the right people in your corner. |
AuthorRowan is an online personal trainer who specialises in training for hiking and mountaineering. He helps get them fit, strong and resilient so they can conquer every adventure. Archives
July 2026
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AboutSummit Strength is a personal training for hiking service created specifically to help hikers have the best chance of a safe, enjoyable and successful adventure.
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