How To Train For High Altitude Hiking (Without Any Mountains)

Many of the world's most magnificent hikes are at high altitudes. Adventures like Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro and the Inca Trail are on many hikers' bucket lists.

Unfortunately, most hikers out there don't have easy access to mountains or high altitudes to train in. Which can lead to a lot of stress, worry and anxiety leading into these adventures...
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So, in today's article and video, we explore a range of different training topics for preparing for high-altitude hiking.

Inside, we cover:

• The major challenges hikers face in a high-altitude environment
• The biggest mistake I see from hikers who are training for high-altitude
• How to best approach your cardio training when training for high altitude
• The effectiveness and use of simulated altitude training for high-elevation hikes
• Three effective approaches to breathing training for high-altitude hikers
• A few extra considerations for anyone going to an altitude

Training For High Altitude Hiking (Even If You Live At Sea Level)

​High altitude adventures like Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, or the Inca Trail are bucket list goals for so many hikers. The catch is that most people do not have access to mountains to prepare.

Where I live in Australia, even our tallest mountain does not qualify as high altitude. Most countries are similar.

This means many hikers spend months anxious about whether they will survive the altitude and the physical demands. And the advice they find online does not help because it is often confusing, misleading, or written by people who do not understand what they are talking about.

You have probably seen these types of'helpful' advice in forums or online groups:

• "Do nothing. I climbed Kilimanjaro with no training, and I was fine:
• "Just run more and drink lots of water"
• "Just go to HIIT classes"
• "Just hike whenever you can, and you will be ok"
  
  

None of this is great advice...

So the intention here is to cut through the noise and give you a clear, simple process to follow.

But first two things must be said upfront.

1) Natural altitude exposure is the gold standard. Nothing replaces the mountains.

*I understand not everyone can have access to this in their training and preparations - but if you do have access, this is the best thing you can do

2) Nothing in this advice replaces a proper acclimatisation schedule.​

Your training can help support you for a high-altitude adventure. But no matter how well you train, this is never meant to replace (or shorten) a proper acclimatisation schedule. 

The Challenges Of Hiking High Altitude

​There are two main categories of 'challenge' which high altitude brings:

1. Altitude Sickness
2. Physical Performance Challenges
   
   

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness (in its various forms) is the big, scary problem everyone hears about.

If your body fails to acclimatise properly, you run into issues. Ranging from some mild symptoms all the way up to some serious (and life-threatening) medical situations.

The main direct risk factors for altitude sickness are speed of ascent and genetics. Neither of these is affected by your fitness level.

I will repeat that, as it may shock some people:

Fitness does NOT directly prevent altitude sickness.

However, training does matter indirectly.

Fatigue/exhaustion can be a contributor to the risk of altitude sickness.

If you are completely wrecked every day on the hike, your chances of issues go up.

*This does not mean that if you get tired, you will automatically get altitude sickness. Or if you never get exhausted, you will never get altitude sickness. But it is a factor you need to consider.

So the goal of smart training for high altitude is to help you minimise exhaustion. To manage fatigue, recover as well as you can each night and have enough of a physical reserve to properly enjoy your adventure.

Physical Performance Challenges

Everything is harder at altitude:

• It is harder to breathe
• Your aerobic capabilities (i.e aerobic fitness) will drop
• Everything you do costs the most energy (while at the same time your appetite drops - causing a big imbalance)
• Sleep becomes disrupted

Day after day, fatigue will accumulate.

And beyond all of these things, you are dealing with the usual hiking stressors (such as long days of hiking, pack carrying, ascents/descents, etc).

So the stronger and fitter you are before you leave, the better chance you will be able to tolerate all of these limitations and challenges.
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The Number One Mistake Hikers Make When Training For High Altitude

You will hear these quotes everywhere:

• "You need to do HIIT to get ready"
• "High intensity intervals are the best prep for altitude"
  
  

People will say High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) trains your breathing for altitude.

They will say if you get breathless during HIIT, then you will handle being breathless on the mountain.

It sounds logical. But it isn't quite that simple.

To understand the issue here, you need a brief understanding of energy systems (the different systems our body uses to produce energy during exercise):

The Aerobic Energy System:

• Uses oxygen as part of its process
• Is slow to produce energy but very fuel efficient (e.g. for every unit of fuel it uses, it produces lots of energy)
• Designed for long-duration, lower-intensity activity (e.g. walking, cycling, easy running, etc.)
  
  

The Anaerobic Energy Systems

• Do not use oxygen as part of the process
• Very fast to produce energy, but not as fuel-efficient
• Generates more 'waste products' (which can contribute to fatigue)
• Designed for shorter, sharper bursts of energy (e.g. jumping, sprinting, etc.)
  
  

High Intensity Interval Training is designed to train and develop our anaerobic energy systems.

Which is great if we are training to produce short bursts of effort...

But it is not what we want to prepare for long, slow, demanding, high-altitude hikes.

Hiking is an aerobic sport. And to perform the best, we want to be relying on the aerobic energy system as much as possible.

And your performance and comfort will predominantly rely on how well trained this aerobic energy system is, and how efficient it can be.

So if you spend all your time doing HIIT, you will likely see improvement in your fitness, but not the specific fitness we want to be prioritising for high altitude hiking.​

This is why many people who smash themselves in fitness classes all year struggle on the mountain.
​

Cardio Training For High Altitude Hiking

​Aerobic Capacity

Aerobic capacity is the single most important element of fitness for any hiker. Add altitude, and it becomes even more important.

Aerobic capacity is the ability of your aerobic system to go and go and go for long durations.

It is best improved through long-duration, lower-intensity training.

Simple examples of this type of training include:
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• Hiking
• Pack walking
• Cycling
• Elliptical
• Rowing
• Swimming
  
  

The key is keeping intensity low. You do not turn these sessions into a race. And you just accumulate time moving.

How do you know if you are using the right intensity for aerobic capacity training?

Here are two simple ways to measure this:

1. Nose breathing pace: If you can breathe comfortably in and out through the nose, you are probably at the right intensity
2. Conversational pace: If you can talk comfortably without gasping between words
   
   

Alternatively, if you are using a heart rate monitor, this would be considered 'zone 2 training'.

But getting the right intensity is only one piece of the puzzle.

When considering aerobic capacity training (and any other type of training for that matter), we need to ensure we are applying progressive overload.

Our body gets used to things very quickly. So in order to keep on improving (and building our aerobic capacity), we cannot just do the same thing over and over. We must gradually increase the challenge regularly.

For aerobic capacity training, we could do this by:

1. Increasing duration (e.g. add 15-30 minutes of hiking each week)
2. Increase pack weight
3. Increase terrain difficulty
4. Increase intensity/speed slightly (while still ensuring you stay aerobic)
   
   

Aerobic capacity training is the foundation of your training plan. It should take up the majority of your training hours per week.

(Which is pretty easy if you are lucky enough to go out hiking each week!)

Aerobic Power

Aerobic power is the highest intensity you can sustain while still predominantly using the aerobic system.

This can be really useful when you are tackling steep climbs that last for several minutes, where you are working hard, and grinding out the hill (but not 'sprinting).

My favourite method to develop this is a very particular interval training workout (best done on a stationary bike, elliptical, rower or walking quickly up a steep hill or set of stairs);

This is how you do it:

1. Warm up (get the blood moving)
2. Go very quickly for 3 minutes (get out of breath and sustain this)
3. Rest for 90 seconds
4. Repeat 7-1o- times

This type of interval training is WAY more relevant for high-altitude hikers than short 20-60-second intervals (which are popular in the typical HIIT approach).

Note: What If I Love My HIIT Classes?

Some hikers out there absolutely LOVE High Intensity Interval Training in their local gym, bootcamp or with a trainer. And if that is you, that is fine. You can still do this. But please ensure it is only a small portion of your weekly training (and not the majority).

A sample cardio training week for a hiker who wants to incorporate HIIT might look like:

1. One long hike
2. One moderate forty to sixty-minute walk
3. One aerobic power session
4. One HIIT session
   
   

Breaking that down, this might be 3-6 hours of aerobic work (depending on the length of the hike), 40 minutes of aerobic power work, and 40 minutes of general HIIT.

As you can see, the majority of the week is still the foundational aerobic capacity work, but we also get a spread of other things.
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Simulated Altitude Training For High Altitude Hikers

Simulated altitude training is popular in some parts of the hiking world.

This is typically seen through:

1. Altitude chambers (where you go into a chamber and train)
2. Altitude masks (where you attach a mask to a generator, and sit and/or train with it)
3. Altitude tents (where you live or sleep in a tent)

The way these typically work is:

1. The chamber/mask/tend is sealed
2. Nitrogen is pumped in
3. This changes the percentage of oxygen in the air that you are breathing in
4. This will see a decrease in your blood oxygen saturation (similar to what happens at high altitude)

This sounds good in theory. And it can offer some potential benefits if done the right way. But there are a few important points you need to be aware of if considering this:

Simulated Altitude Is NOT The Same As Natural Altitude

At natural altitude, the percentage of oxygen in the air will stay the same. What does change is the air pressure.

And while both simulated altitude (the type commercially available) and natural altitude will reduce your blood oxygen saturation, they cannot be considered exactly the same thing.

This distinction is important.

Commercially Available Altitude Systems Have Very Little Evidence That They Prevent Altitude Sickness Or Pre-Acclimatise You

Many people will claim that using their altitude chambers will 'pre-acclimatise you' before a trip. But there is very little evidence that this is the case.

The same goes for preventing altitude sickness.

Simulated altitude (depending on how use and apply it) can improve certain measures of endurance performance and create adaptations that occur during acclimatisation (both good things).

But it cannot be claimed that they can fully pre-acclimatise you or make a significant difference to the risk of altitude sickness for hikers.

Length Of Exposure Is Everything

If you are considering simulated altitude training, the main factor for achieving benefits and results is the length of exposure.

To get meaningful benefits, the research suggests you need over 250+ hours of exposure.

(You may get some benefits from shorter exposure, but nothing that is consistently significant.)

The only realistic way to get this amount of time is to sleep in an altitude tent for weeks at a time (this is getting more and more popular in the mountaineering community for those attempting big mountain climbs and looking for an edge). But these tend to come with their own problems (such as poor sleep, irritated partners and reduced recovery).

Going to train in an altitude chamber twice a week won't get you anywhere near these hours.

My recommendation:

Most hikers can skip simulated altitude training. Spend your time and money on proper acclimatisation and smart, basic training.

If you are a hardcore high-altitude mountaineer going above six thousand meters and have the budget to invest in a simulated altitude tent in your final months, then it may give you a small edge. But for the majority of hikers, it is unnecessary.

Breathing Training For High Altitude Hikers ​

​Breathing is one of the first things hikers worry about when thinking about a high-altitude trip.

And breathing training is one of the most confusing worlds on the internet.

There are thousands of techniques, methods, devices, and programs for training your breathing.

Some are good. Many are questionable. Many are very overhyped.

For my high altitude hikers, I like to keep things simple and practical when it comes to breathing training.

Here are three methods of breathing training for high altitude (two very accessible for most hikers, and one slightly more advanced):

Breathing Method For High Altitude Hikers #1: Diaphragmatic Breathing

The diaphragm is our main breathing muscle. For our most 'efficient' breathing (at sea level or at high altitude), we want to be using the diaphragm effectively.

For many of us (especially as exercise gets tough and we get out of breath), we fall into what is called 'chest breathing'.

I.e. Relying on the chest, shoulders and neck for breathing, and not utilising the diaphragm as much.

The idea of diaphragmatic breathing is that if we can train and practice this, it can make it more accessible and natural during exercise and at high altitude.

Diaphragmatic breathing can be beneficial for high-altitude hikers because:

• It naturally slows our breathing down
• Allows better' gas exchange'
• Improve blood oxygen saturation (potentially)
• Help calm us down and reduce stress

All of these can be pretty beneficial for a high-altitude hiker!

So, how can you do diaphragmatic breathing?

Here is a simple process to get started:

1. Lying down on your back on a bed or on the floor
2. Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.
3. Breathe in slowly through your nose, and focus on your belly rising (while your chest remains still)
4. Exhale slowly and return to the normal position
5. Repeat for 3-5 minutes

Once you have gotten the hang of this, we then want to start applying this in different postures and movements (because you won't be lying flat on your back on the mountain!)

A simple progression plan you can follow (practice each one until you feel comfortable, and then move to the next one):

1. Lying down
2. Sitting in a chair
3. Standing up
4. Walking slowly
5. Walking slowly with a pack
6. Walking slowly up a hill
7. Walking faster up a hill
8. Walking slowly up a hill with a pack
9. Walking fast up a hill with a pack

Each of these steps will progressively get harder and harder to stick with the breathing. But if you can practice and master these, then applying it on the trail (and at high altitude) will be much easier!

Breathing Method For High Altitude Hikers #2: Breathing Control Drill

Two things many hikers struggle with on the trail:

1. Using an efficient and steady pace on uphill sections (many hikers tend to go too quickly to sustain, get out of breath and are either very uncomfortable or have to regularly stop)
2. Controlling breathing when it gets too fast (without having to stop)

This breathing drill can be a great benefit for helping both of these situations (and very valuable for any hiker going into high altitude).

This is how you do it:

1. Find a long, steep hill or set of stairs, a stair master or a box step.
2. Climb for four minutes, concentrating on both diaphragmatic breathing and nose breathing (e.g. breathe in and out through the nose)
3. Climb for 1 minute at a quick pace, pushing the breathing to get yourself 'huffing and puffing' (don't worry about nose breathing here)
4. Without stopping, slow your pace and try to bring your breathing back to diaphragmatic breathing and nose breathing.
5. Repeat

The idea here is we are not only practising keeping to a nice, slow, steady and efficient pace (which is a skill in itself) but also practising bringing the breathing back down under control if it does get fast (very useful if you find your breathing getting uncomfortable halfway up a hill at high altitude!).

Advanced Breathing Training For High Altitude: Respiratory Muscle Training

One type of breathing training, which has some cool potential benefits for high altitude hiking, is respiratory muscle training.

This is essentially 'strength training' for your breathing muscles (specifically, your inspiratory breathing muscles) 


There is some interesting research that shows this could potentially:

• Delay fatigue of breathing muscles (which can happen at high altitude)
• Reduce perceptions of breathlessness
• Improve oxygen saturation levels 
• A few other cool things

The drawback to this is that it is not easily accessible (and does require a bit of money invested to do it right).

The breathing muscles are STRONG. And if we want to improve their strength effectively, we need to apply a significant amount of load.

To do this, we need a specific 'respiratory training device' 

(Doing things like one nostril breathing, or weighted diaphragmatic breathing, won't be an effective stimulus).

I don't think most high-altitude hikers need to be doing respiratory muscle training.

BUT if you are already nailing the basics of training and and are still worried about your breathing, they might be worth looking into. And I believe this is a much better option for someone looking for 'advanced' breathing training for high altitude (compared to things like breath-hold training, or using elevation masks, which people often recommend).

Two brands that sell these are:
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• Powerbreath
• Airofit
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*If looking for another option, just make sure you get an 'inspiratory muscle trainer'.
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Extra Considerations For High Altitude Hiking

​Beyond what we're talking about so far, there are a few other factors that you definitely want to put some time and attention into when preparing for a high altitude hike:

Nutrition For High Altitude

Nutrition plays a major role in energy and recovery. As we said before, minimising fatigue and exhaustion is a big priority for high altitude, and nutrition will directly tie into this.

And you want to ensure you are eating enough and of the right foods, to best fuel yourself.

But this can get a bit tricky at high altitude for a few reasons:

1. Energy demands go UP at high altitude.
2. Appetite goes DOWN at high altitude.
3. Food choices are often limited at high altitude.

Because of these factors, it can be tough to fuel adequately on the mountain.

So this is an area any high altitude hiker should seriously consider.

Want to learn more about nutrition for high altitude? Check out this article: Nutrition For Mountaineers And High Altitude Hikers 

Strength Training


Strength training plays a big role in fatigue reduction as well as injury/pain prevention for hikers.


While it will not directly do anything for high altitude, it is an absolute must for any hiker who wants to give themselves the best chance on the mountain.

If you want to learn how to get started with strength training for hiking, you can check out his free course: Strength Training For Hiking Mini-Course.

Medical Considerations

If planning a high altitude hike, please see your doctor (or, if you can access one, a travel doctor).

There are two big things you want to look into:

High Altitude Medications

There are certain medications that can make a major difference to your time at high altitude. Don't take advice from people on social media about this - talk to your doctor for a proper discussion.

Getting Your Iron Levels Tested

Iron plays a significant role in the acclimatisation process. If you have low iron, this can affect your acclimatisation to a certain degree (as well as your energy).

If planning a high altitude hike, get your iron tested early so you can take any necessary action if your results come out low.

Summary:

For quick reference, here is a quick summary of what we have discussed:

• Aerobic capacity training is your main focus.
• Aerobic power training can be a nice way to complement this
• Small amounts of very high-intensity work are fine, but they should never be the priority.
• Simulated altitude training does not have strong evidence for preventing altitude sickness (if you want to use it, a tent with 250+ hours of exposure is best)
• Master diaphragmatic breathing (and practice it while training and hiking)
• Practice breathing control on steep hills.
• If you are really worried about breathing, respiratory muscle training can be an option.
• Pay attention to your nutrition and ensure you get enough food.
• Make sure you are strength training.
• See a doctor early.
  
  

If You Need Extra Help

These are the foundations of training for a high-altitude adventure.

If you need help with this, we would love to chat with you.

At Summit Strength, we specialise in getting hikers strong and pain-free so they can conquer every adventure. We have helped hundreds of high-altitude hikers, all around the world.

And we would love to help you, too.

If you want to find out more about our online personal training for hikers, you can check out the Online Summit Program here:

https://www.summitstrength.com.au/online.html

Yours in trekking.

Rowan