TRAINING FOR HIKING TIPS

One of the most underappreciated and versatile training tools for a mountaineer is the humble sled.

It can be used to develop muscular endurance, strength, conditioning and even aid your recovery. And today, I share how to use it best:

In this episode, I chat to Summit Strength client Mark about his recent attempt at an unsupported 'fasted known time', where he aimed to hike 130 miles over five days.

Inside, we explore how he planned, prepared and trained for this challenge, his journey with online personal training and his experiences during while on the trail.

Learn how he used the Online Summit Program to overcome knee and ankle pain while hiking, and successfully post a Fastest Known Time on a 130 mile hiking trail.

Muscular endurance is incredibly important for a mountaineer. And so is muscular strength. And while these two things do build off each other, they are not the same thing.

And to get the best benefits for the mountain, a mountaineer needs to be developing both.

Today I share a really common problem I see from mountaineers with their training...

Injury prevention and risk minimisation should be the number one priority for any mountaineers training plan.

Why?

Well, you can't train when injured. And you certainly can't hit the mountain when you are carrying an injury either.

If there’s a bigger jump to take than day hikes to overnight hikes, it would have to be jumping from overnight hikes to multi-day pack carry hikes.
 
In my opinion, the mindset shift is without a doubt the biggest hurdle to overcome.
 
Day hiking involves, as the name suggests, hiking a trail for a day with a small day pack carrying only what you absolutely need.
 
Overnight hikes, for most, start off with driving to a campsite, finding a basecamp & pitching your tent, and then heading off somewhere for a day hike and returning to your campsite at days end.
 
You’re going to eat mostly different food to what you might eat during a day hike, but you do have the safety net of having your car nearby.
 
Furthermore, the biggest difference is that you’ll be sleeping in a tent.
 
But, multi-day hikes are a different kettle of fish.
 
With that in mind, this blog will go through how I believe you should plan for your first multi-day hike.

Today, I want to share a few unique things about me, which you might not be aware of...