Overview
Please review all training tabs to get a full sense of what type of condition you need to be in for this backpacking course. For those who have not specifically trained for hiking and backpacking in the past, we recommend utilizing numerous resources to build your training plan.
Books to consider:
Training for the New Alpinism: A Manual for the Climber as Athlete
The Outdoor Athlete
Personal trainers & sport specific training plans:
Working with a personal trainer that is familiar with the demands of mountaineering and climbing is highly recommended. They can create personal training plans utilizing both indoor and outdoor locations with long range objectives and criteria. Personal trainers and training programs can help build a program based on your location, recognizing your access to health climbs and outdoor training. Sport specific training programs provide structured training for individuals to follow at home, the gym, and outside.
For those who have not trained for mountaineering or want to refine their training with industry professionals, we recommend: Steve House and the staff at Uphill Athlete. Use our code at Uphill Athlete to receive 10% off personalized coaching for your next climb: AlpineAscentsTraining.
Preparation for the Backpacking & Wilderness Navigation Course
Backpacking is a strenuous affair! Just because you exercise regularly (four to six times per week) does not mean you have the conditioning needed to backpack for multiple days with a heavy pack. Pure cardiovascular fitness is simply not enough. Expect to carry at least a 50-60 pound pack or more to get to base camp over 3,000+ feet of gain.
Prioritize your training efforts in the following way, assuming that you are in good health and injury- free:
- Backpacking conditioning – pack-loaded uphill hiking, walking, and stair climbing
- Strength training for the lower and upper body
- Cardiovascular training, including both aerobic and anaerobic workouts without pack weight
- Flexibility training
Most people will need to train specifically for their course for at least two to three months. During your training, you will need to progressively ramp up your pack weight, time, distance and elevation gain (at roughly 10% per week) to carefully and effectively build your backpacking-specific conditioning. Trying to rush this will increase the risk of experiencing some sort of training injury and not being ready for your course. Below are more details of how to incorporate these four priorities into your program.
Backpacking Conditioning
Hike steep outdoor trails, gradually increasing your pack weight with each outing until you are at your target climb pack weight. If you live where it is relatively flat, go up and down stairs or train on an inclined treadmill or stairmaster. Use whatever varied surface terrain (i.e. gravel beds, sand dunes, river banks) you have access to. A reasonable goal would be to ascend 3,500 feet carrying an average pack of 50 pounds in a two to three hour period, or roughly 1,250 vertical feet in an hour. A good training option for pack weight is to carry water in gallon containers or collapsible jugs, so you can dump water at the top as needed, to lighten the load for the descent.
In early season, you might start with a hike that gains up to 1500-2000 elevation over 6 miles round trip and carry a 15-20 pounds pack; each hike try adding two to three pounds until you are comfortable with a 60 pounds pack, then begin increasing the total elevation gain and mileage. When you can gain 3,500 feet with a 50 pound pack, start decreasing rest breaks and increasing speed, and once you reach your target time, add the final weight until you can carry your target climb pack weight for the desired elevation gain and mileage.
Strength Conditioning
Training with free weights, bands, a backpack, bodyweight exercises, or gym machines will help you build overall strength, particularly in the core (lower back and abdominals), upper back and shoulders, and legs. Developing strength in your upper back and shoulders will help you with such tasks as carrying a heavy pack and using trekking poles effectively. The calves, hips, quads, hamstrings and glutes are all involved in ascending and descending the mixed terrain, and strength endurance is required in all areas of the legs and hips.
Training primarily with free weights will give you the functional, backpacking-specific strength that will help you most in the mountains. Free weight-training requires that you balance the weights as you would your own body, weighted with a pack, in three-dimensional space. When starting any strength conditioning program, complete two full-body strength workouts a week for 30-45 minutes each, focusing on compound exercises such as squats, lunges, step-ups, dips, pull-ups, rows, dead lifts, bench presses, pushups, and overhead presses.
In the beginning phase of strength conditioning, focus on building a foundation for harder workouts; to that end, keep the weight light enough to concentrate on good form and complete 2 sets of each exercise for 8-10 repetitions. As you continue to train, you will shift focus to building strength (generally lower reps 5-8 with heavier weight). four to six weeks before your climb, shift your training to focus on strength endurance (higher reps 10-15 with light weight) to turn the newly gained strength into greater strength endurance. Each training phase should vary the weight used, repetitions completed, number of sets, and rest intervals. Regardless of training phase, always be sure you maintain proper form in order to prevent injury or strain.
Cardiovascular Conditioning
Include spinal-loading aerobic training options such as jogging, walking on an inclined treadmill, doing stair stepping or stepmill training, trail running, working on an elliptical machine, walking up and down hills, or participating in step aerobic classes. While biking, rowing and swimming are aerobic options for the earliest stages of training, be sure as you get closer to your climb that you include activities suggested above that load the spine and legs the same way that hiking will.
When first beginning a cardiovascular training program, begin with three workouts (i.e. Monday, Wednesday and Friday) of 30 minutes of sustained activity at a moderate intensity, and build to 4-5 aerobic sessions of sustained effort for at least 45-60 minutes (taking perhaps Wednesday and Sunday as days off, for example.) Be sure to include a 5-10 minute gentle warm-up before working at your target heart rate for the day (for most workouts, choose a level of exertion that allows you to connect a few words together in a phrase, but leaves you feeling comfortably tired at the end of the workout), and cool down with 5-10 minutes of appropriate stretching of the muscles you use most in your activity, including lower back, calves, hamstrings, hips and quadriceps.
Putting it All Together
Roughly a month before your climb or course, you should be at the conditioning level where you are comfortable hiking on consecutive weekend days, what is referred to as Back-to-Back training. This involves hiking with your target backpacking pack weight (50-60 pounds ) for both days for at least 2,000-3,000 gain. This will not only be helpful physically but also prepare you psychologically for the challenge of repeat high-effort days without any recovery days in between. A sample week of training a month prior to your climb might look like the chart above, in an effort to help you build as much stamina as possible.
Be sure to include at least one recovery day per week and listen closely to your body. Take the final week to taper or gradually reduce intensity and volume of training so that by the time you leave for your trip you are well rested and physically and psychologically up to the challenge.
For catered training plans and advice, contact Steve House and the staff at Uphill Athlete. Use our code at Uphill Athlete to receive 10% off personalized coaching for your next climb: AlpineAscentsTraining.
Strength Training
Full body, 12-15 reps per set, 45 min.
Cardio Training
30 min recovery level (<65% Max HR).
Flexibility Training
10-15 min. at the end
Backpacking Training
Hills, stairs or high incline treadmill 45-60 min, 50-60 lb pack (short bursts >85% Max HR)
Flexibility Training
10-15 min. at the end
Cardio Training
75 min. no pack distance level (65-75% Max HR)
Flexibility Training
10-15 min. at the end
Strength Training
Full body, 8-10 reps per set, 45 min.
Cardio Training
45 min. no pack tempo level (75-85% Max HR)
Flexibility Training
10-15 min. at the end
Rest Day
Backpacking Training
Hike 8-10 miles, 50-60 lb pack, gain 4-5,000 ft.
Flexibility Training
As needed to prevent stiffness
Backpacking Training
Hike 8-10 miles, 30-45 lb pack, gain 3-4,000 ft.
Flexibility Training
As needed to prevent stiffness
Alpine Ascents’ reputation is top notch within the industry. I appreciate the high quality guides provided on my climbs so far. They always seem to be the yardstick that other services measure their guides to.
