Hiking Training for Any Level & Mountains & Tips/Tricks for Hiking
Hiking is such a fun, nice way to get outdoors and appreciate the beauty that this planet has to offer. Being an avid hiker and having completed many different hiking challenges, the reason why I keep coming back is because of nature and how calm and at peace it makes me feel. If you are thinking of getting into hiking this is what I hope you gain from it, the peace that it can bring to your life. Now, if you do want to get into hiking, there are a few ways I suggest on how to get into hiking shape.
First, hiking means a WIDE variety of things to different people. Some people when they mean hike, associate it with a nice, 2 mile nature walk where you can still where white sneakers and they won’t get dirty. When I say I’m going hiking, I mean a grueling 15-20 mile climb, that ascends ALL the way up, some bushwhacking, branches and rocks everywhere that you have to avoid, to finally get to your AMAZING summits. Thus, I would figure out what type of hiking you are interested in and RESEARCH the trail you want to climb. Then, decide how you’re going to prepare. Because, how I would prepare for hiking is probably MUCH different than somebody else’s. And in this article I will tell you how to prepare for my version of hiking.
In this article you will read about, hiking training, hiking training plan, hiking training workout, hiking trainers, hiking training app, hiking training on treadmill, hiking training schedule, hiking training programs, 12 week hiking training, hiking training exercises, hiking training for beginners, how to eat, and more.
This article is all about hiking training.
Hiking Training :
(Specifically for the Adk 46er Challenge)
When you first think of hiking, some might think of a low-key, low-impact, leisurely activity, but when you seriously get into it, and start your first uphill battle, you quickly realize, it’s no joke. After seriously getting into hiking over these past few years, I can assure you, hiking will get you into killer shape. So, here are my tips and tricks, of how I went from hiking 8 miles and dying, to being able to hike 20 miles plus, and still be standing.
Hiking Training Plan
First, if you have never hiked before and go to the gym often, STILL pick a BEGINNER to MODERATE trail when you start. PLEASE DO NOT try and be macho and pick a difficult rated trail that is 10 plus miles for your first ever hike. And then proceed to bring your friends along, thinking it’ll be a walk in the park. There’s a reason why trails are rated the way they are. You have to climb up rocks, slides, trees, sometimes ice, sometimes deal with 30 mph winds or higher, rain, thunder, and much more. Just like doing anything new, for your first time, you want something easy, then you can progress, when you know more of what you’re doing and your personal limits.
{Related Article : My Journey of Becoming an Adk 46er}
Hiking Training App
Okay, that being said, there are MANY AWESOME beginner to moderate trails, all accessible through the famous, AllTrails app. This app, if you don’t already know, is a great hiking training app. It gives you TONS of trails all over the U.S. and directions of how to get there. The only down side is, the mileage is not always accurate, and if you’re doing more than one peak, they don’t give good directions on how to do loop trails. Thus, I would do some more research so you know a more accurate mileage. This will help you prepare more mentally and physically, for how many miles you will have to walk. If you’re hiking in the Adirondacks, the Pure Adk website gives GREAT directions for any of the High Peaks, that you might be hiking.
I suggest, hiking at least once per week, if you want to keep and continue building your stamina and muscles for hiking. This is what I would do, and still do, to maintain and elevate my mileage and difficulty level for the 46 High Peaks. Each week, I would increase my mileage to at least 1-3 miles longer than what I had previously done from my week before, so I could continue to up my game. Also, I would increase my elevation gain by at least 250-500ft, which increases the steepness level of a hike.
More Tips
Thus, I always recommend doing some more research if you’re doing many different peaks, within one day. But overall, it is really helpful in finding new and spectacular hikes. You can also get the pro version (only about $35 a year) and then be able to download an offline version of the hike you want to complete. Then it will show you your location as you hike up the mountain and where you are in accordance to the summit and different surrounding peaks.
Hiking Training Workouts
Now, for your first workouts, I would either start running for at least 40 minutes or run for 3-5 miles, depending on what hiking trail you want to start with. Or do some sort of cardio for at least 40 minutes, to build up your endurance. To me, these are the best hiking training exercises, because on the steep parts, you’ll really need your endurance to keep you going. I think running is the best cardio because that is how you’re going to feel on some of these elevation gains. You will be HUFFING and PUFFING, so that’s why I think running is the best cardio to prepare for hiking, because it’s the most similar. You could also do this hiking training on the treadmill if you can’t run anywhere outside. But I think running outside with some hills incorporated is the most affective.
Hiking Training Schedule
I would do your 40 minutes of cardio at least 3-4 days a week. In addition, I would incorporate some sort of strength training regiment. I go to my local YMCA and take their bobypump classes. These classes have really helped with improving my strength. I would again do 45 minutes of strength training 3-4 times a week. I like to mix these two things together, so I have longer workouts. If you don’t have time to do this, then I would do your cardio one day and your strength training the next day, then have a rest day. Then repeat that cycle.
Hiking Training for Beginners Tips
Also, in addition to looking at the mileage for your first hike, the elevation gain is SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT. You can hike 20 miles EASILY if it’s all FLAT but ONCE you ADD some elevation gain in, it gets SO MUCH harder. And then add in all the rocks, boulders, and branches you’ll have to climb over, it can be really unenjoyable at times. My run of thumb for elevation gain is anything over 1,000ft of elevation gain within a mile is TOUGH. It’s like climbing 100 flights of stairs or climbing the entire Eiffel Tower. Thus, a good elevation gain to start with for your first hike is probably 1,000ft over 2-3 miles, then see how you feel with that, then make adjustments accordingly.
Another tip, I suggest when getting use to elevation gains is to ALWAYS USE THE STRAPS ON YOUR BACKPACKS!!!! I can’t stress this enough! First, if you’re going to use a backpack, GET ONE WITH STRAPS for your chest and waist. When I first went hiking I thought these strips were just for the nerds/over achievers. NO, there’s a REASON WHY companies make backpacks with those specifically located straps. To SAVE your back, by redirecting the weight to your hips. Using these straps has saved me on every hike I’ve taken.
How to Find Beginners Peaks in Your Area
I would use the AllTrails app to find beginner trails in your area. Or start by googling mountains near you, then you can type the mountain range into AllTrails and it will show you a list of possible hikes. Again, look at the rating and I would start with easy/beginner hikes.
If you live in upstate New York, the Adirondacks are a GREAT range to hike. They offer a WIDE range of hikes, from easy to VERY difficult. Some good ones to start with are the Fire Towers. They have their own challenge, the Fire Tower Challenge, which is a GREAT way to get you in shape for the 46er Challenge of New York (very advanced/difficult). The fire towers are great, because they range from 2 mile trails to 10, thus it’s a great way to ease into hiking, and beyond.
If you want to specifically hike the 46er challenge, I HIGHLY recommend hiking moderate-difficult rated fire towers BEFORE you hike Cascade and Porter, or Giant and Rocky Peak (these are usually what people start with). Solely, because the High Peaks really are, difficult terrain to hike, and most of the time to navigate. They truly are UPHILL battles. Most of them, for at least the last mile to mile and a half (at times more), are ALL UPHILL, and STEEP uphills. Most of them, you gain 1,000ft in elevation per mile. In addition, most of them don’t have designated trails either, they are all herd paths (unmarked trails).
How to Eat/Drink When Hiking
When you go on your first hike, I would bring plenty of food and water to drink. To me, what I bring, always depends on the temperature and how much elevation gain I will encounter. If it’s in the summer time, I always bring a lot of water. If it’s during the fall time or winter, typically I don’t need to bring as much. But if it’s in the summer and I’m doing a 5 mile hike with 1,000ft of elevation gain, I would always fill my 2 liter CamelBak.
I might not drink everything, but I like to have extra water just in case. Also, bringing a small bottle of Gatorade for the summer time is not a bad idea either, just because of how hot it can get, you’ll be sweating a lot. For longer hikes, I will bring more water and I will also bring my water purifier.
Now, for food I like to bring a lot of snacks but a lot of my friends like to bring sandwiches and what not to eat at the summits. I really like to eat GuPackets, granola bars, trail mix, goldfish, and pretzels. I will say GuPackets are an acquired taste but I really liked them because they’re about the only thing I can eat while I’m sweating my but off. Again, if you’re going on a 5 mile hike with a 1,000ft of elevation gain, maybe a sandwich, and a couple snacks. That should be more than enough. I would probably bring a couple GuPackets, 2 granola bars and a big bag of trail mix.
Wear the Proper Gear
Wear the PROPER gear. I recommend wearing hiking shoes on any hike especially in the northeast because you will encounter mud somewhere on your way (here are some great ones). In addition, hiking boots will have much more traction than your sneakers, they can also protect your ankles while hiking. Anywhere you go in the High Peaks, and mostly anywhere else, you will run into mud, rock scrambles, roots, sometimes ice, and rock summits. And your sneakers will not give you the traction you need to hike these things.
Also, I highly recommend getting a CamelBak, or something similar to it, because it’s SO much more convenient. I have hiked many times without it, and it’s fine for the short hikes (like 8 miles or less), but anything above that, I really suggest you get a water bladder that can hold at least 2-3 liters of water. Another piece of gear that you might be interested in are trekking poles (you can find some here). They are not essential but I really like them when I go winter hiking. However, I do not use trekking poles in the summer because I find they are more cumbersome than helpful. On the other hand, some people love them for any season to hike with. I will say, they are really helpful on descents, because they save your knees and ankles.
What to Wear While Hiking
Depending on the season, what you wear will vary. For the Spring and Fall, I suggest bringing a couple layers, and no cotton. I wear a lot of Under Armor products (you can find here) or long underwear for these seasons. The fall can be tricky to find what to wear because it’s getting colder. Thus, you really do want to bring extra warm layers because the summit is always 5-15 degrees cooler than the base.
In the fall, I will bring a rain jacket, a puffy, a crew neck/sweatshirt, two different pairs of socks, and leggings for pants. But waterproof pants are awesome as well (you can find some here). In addition, I bring micro spikes because ice starts to form on the cooler mornings/days, and again, your hiking shoes will not dig through the ice, like your micro spikes will. Also, for the fall hikes, don’t forget to bring gloves, a hat, and some sort of neck gaiter.
Summer Clothing Tips
For hiking in the Summer, I wear biker shorts, or water resistance shorts, and a t-shirt (non-cotton, use dry-fit instead). In addition, I will always bring a rain jacket, because you never know. The mountains really do have their own weather system. Also, a light sweatshirt because the peaks are usually ten to twenty degrees cooler than the summits. And an extra shirt and shorts, for longer hikes (anything over 8 miles) because I sweat a lot.
And that brings us to the end of our article. I hope you found some good ways to train for hiking. I really hope you get into hiking, I think it’s one of the best ways to get outdoors and appreciate nature. Also, I hope you find some new tips, what to do, and how to prepare for your first hike. Thank you so much for reading and happy hiking!
This article was all about, hiking training, hiking training plan, hiking training workout, hiking trainers, hiking training app, hiking training on treadmill, hiking training schedule, hiking training programs, 12 week hiking training, hiking training exercises, hiking training for beginners, how to eat, and more.
