Working out how best to train and prepare for the rigours of spending 2 weeks trekking in Nepal, at times over 5,000m is hard to work out for most who attempt the trek. Being one of the truly classic routes to trek in the world, a lot of people get their first taste of altitude walking to Everest Base Camp and go to Nepal not quite sure what to expect from it all.
I’d heard a lot about what to expect and some very different thoughts on training. I wasn’t sure if I’d done enough, so even though I know this isn’t going to completely clear doubts from someone who’s never attempted similar, I hope it at least give pointers as to what helped in the build up.
The majority of my training was quite simple really. I ran a couple of times per week during the 6months I had prior to the trip and spent weekends away walking up anything high I could think of and realistically get to.
Advice on training as an “Executive Summary”
(i.e. if you’ve seen the size of the article and don’t fancy reading it all)
- If you’re worried about your fitness, then do more. Don’t find out in the Himalaya that you can’t walk uphill for hours and hours each day.
- Don’t leave it until the last minute, I’d suggest building up slowly over 6 months.
- Mix your exercise/training so you don’t get bored.
- Walk in the mountains as much as is possible, with as many consecutive days as you can manage.
- Find a regular walking partner(s) for the days out to make it more fun.
- If you pick up a tweak/slight injury then stop and let it heal.
- Every time you’re exercising and feel like stopping for a breather, go a little further just to break down those mental barriers.
- Learn to walk uphill slowly as you’ll get AMS if you run up the hills in Nepal. Don’t get cocky through being over fit and ruin the trip. Pace is important!
- Learn to hydrate whilst exercising. I got used to carrying a couple of litres of water whilst walking and drinking it all and also running with a drink.
- Walk after little/no sleep (when it’s safe to do so!) to get used to switching off and ploughing through the miles.
- For all the physical training you do, remember a lot of what you encounter will push you mentally as well, be prepared to cope with discomfort but know when enough is enough.
- Enjoy yourself and remember why you’re doing it all… to go to one of the most incredible places on earth!
The Longer Notes
As a guide I left for Nepal on the 14th November, and began the trek on the 16th, making Everest Base Camp on the 23rd.
Running
When I booked the trip, I’d just started running, in order to ready myself for my first ever road race, the BUPA London 10k in May 2008, which I completed in 56mins 42secs.
Throughout the year I then ran the Sherwood Pines 10k, Lichfield 10k, Walsall 10k, Mallory Park 5k, Shugborough Hall 15k.
Finally on October 26th, just weeks before the trip I built up to running what turned out to be a very undulating Birmingham Half Marathon in 2hrs 6mins.
Walking
Whilst the running helped build overall fitness, actually getting up into the hills and walking was by far the best form of training for the trip, in particular when we strung a couple of days together with little sleep between. Looking back it was also experience in a variety of different environment and conditions that really helped test out kit and prepare us mentally for what was in store.
August 2nd – Peak District
Our first proper training walk was close by in the Peak District, in early August 2008 (so only 3 abd a half months before we left for Nepal). We ascended Mam Tor (517m) and then completing a ridge walk around Castleton. Putting extra weight on our back (6litres of water which put packs up to just over 8kg) was perhaps foolish, but sitting on top of Mam Tor we both realised how out of shape for walking up hills we were. We walked around 12miles that day and felt it the next.
Pushing yourself too far and scaring yourself with the idea of failure through lack of fitness is perhaps a good idea, as long as there’s time left to rectify that!
August 10th – Rutland Water
To get miles under our belts we then walked the main 17mile circuit of Rutland Water in hot weather. Whilst lacking the ups and downs we’d really benefit from, the walk was good for trying out some new kit and getting a long walk done together.
August 23rd/24th – Snowdonia
A real watershed for us was getting to Snowdonia and scaring ourselves to death in bad weather on Tryfan and then Crib Goch. We’d naturally picked the routes that were listed as the hardest in the guide books to push ourselves but got more than we bargained for. Tryfan started well but veering away from the main scramble we soon were out of our depth on the terrain and the weather closed in. After getting to the top we made a hasty descent and had a long talk about being more prepared/responsible about how we tackled mountains in the future. This was as we sat in the car, watching our tent get blown apart by strong wind… we slept in the car. And then the next day had it pulled out of the field it’d sank in.
After a quick breakfast we were at Pen y Pass to have a crack at the Snowdon Horseshoe, which despite the day before we felt confident about. Unfortunately weather again turned as we neared the top of Crib Goch and with wind pinning us to the rock at the start of the main ridge, we descended the shorter North Ridge which was a lot less windy, back into the Llanberis Valley. We walked to the car without much said and abandoned our plans for the next day. Beaten by Wales.
We saw the potential for mountains to turn lethal quickly and realised some of our kit was nowhere near good enough for bad weather. It was a wake up call beyond for the mental side required to be up high when invariably the conditions are far from perfect.
September 13th/14th – Lake District
With a selection of new kit to hand (and on foot) and new found respect for the mountains, we went to the Lake District for the weekend.
Our first day was spent doing a a long walk up Helvellyn via a very cloudy and quite wet Striding Edge, which we felt really comfortable on with the bad experience on a far more exposed Crib Goch still fresh in our minds. Then over Helvellyn Lower Man, White Side, Raise and Stybarrow Dodd before descent toward Glenridding. Shattered from a long day we went back to Kendall to the youth hostel where we were staying… and then out for the night around bars/clubs.
Next day after a short sleep and hung over, we were on our way to Wasdale, from where we walked to the top of Scafell Pike. The route we took was fairly direct, lacking much excitement and helped mentally prepare us for ascent when we felt like doing nothing other than sleeping.
Probably the best weekend of walking we did prior to the trip, as it combined a long walk with plenty of ascent on the first day, a poor night’s sleep (self inflicted but a lot of fun) and then another long day trudging up hill.
September 20th – Highlands
Then the next weekend we flew to Edinburgh, and made our way early on Saturday to Glencoe where we grabbed a few bits and then started up Ben Nevis. We made our ascent in thick cloud that from time to time broke. After a really long trudge we made it to a particularly cold and foggy summit. We had some food/water, took photos and then starting to really feel just how cold it was, hastily made our way down.
Wearing nearly all the layers we’d presumed we’d need for Nepal, yet still feeling cold was handy. Getting out in less the ideal conditions really help test our kit and the way in which we used it. Combined with a long walk up, it was again a really useful weekend.
October 4th – Snowdonia
Not wanting to be beaten by Snowdon, having reached the top of Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, and despite warnings of bad weather we went back to Snowdonia. With bad weather already in the valley as we got near we decided to stick to the Miners Track but soon people we passed told us of lots of water on the path whilst others told us the path had disappeared. We kept going with wind gusting over 60mph and sideways rain to about the point where the Miners and Pyg tracks meet before slow progress and light fading forced us to call it a day.
Despite not making the top as had been the goal, we were pleased by how much we’d learnt since then, we never felt uncomfortable and turned back at the right time. Our kit for the most part also withstood what was really awful weather in Wales.
