Getting into shape

“My BSA Troop has signed up or a 5 day trek in the Pecos Wilderness this summer. We've started a conditioning program of hikes and workouts but aren't sure if this will be enough.

Any ideas on how we can prepare for the mountains while living at sea level?”

“Sounds like a great trip!

Find some hills and take your pack hiking. I workout at a fitness center 4 days a week and it always amazes me how out of shape I feel when I hike in the mountains.

Good Luck!”

“go to the mountains...”

“I don't know what to suggest for the altitude, except finding a way to allow a day or two of acclimation.

You've got to get some vertical into your workout, though. I like the idea of stairs/bleachers.

I did the same as you are planning in the late '70s , living in Houston and going to the Pecos for 5 days. It wasn't a major problem being reasonably fit.”

“What kind of altitude are you preparing for? I think what you are doing should be a very good start. It may be hard to get the whole troop to workout together. It's good you're planning ahead. Hiking has always been the best preparation for a HIKE!”

“Pecos Wilderness is mostly in the 8000-10000 ft range.”

“Wow, that's higher than I had assumed. I would try to spend a day and night at or real close to that elevation (say, a campground near the trailhead) to get as much acclimitization as I could. Even one day will help. If you can't do that, then I'd suggest going slow to begin with. Nothing too strenuous the first day. What a fun trip for your troop! :)”

“I'd train with my pack on, and ry to mirror the mileages you plan on doing...as for hills..try the stairmaster at the local gym...or find a small hill locally and zig-zag up and down it(with your pack on)”

“Hey Chuck, this sounds like an excuse to go to the Hill Country for some training! the only "hill" I could find in Houston was the stairs in my building.”

“Our plan is to drive to New Mexico and arrive at camp on Sunday, Sunday is spent getting ready and we start the trek on Monday.

Still haven't decided on the exact route, we have several options to chose from.

We started yesterday with a 7 mile hike with daypacks only and will work up from there. We plan on some kind of hike every other weekend. We also are going to do a 20 mile weekend trip in March with full packs to sort out the backpackers from the wannabes.”

“Walk around wearing your pack fully loaded and ankle weights.”

“If he holds his breath half the time he's working out will it be like he's at double the elevation?”

“A better way is the "Marshmallow Method". do several weekends of day-hikes. Start out with two marshmallows in your mouth and work up to a dozen. You'll be altitude trained in no time!

Actually, don't listen to me either (except for the day-hike part). Do lots of day hikes with some climbing. A freiend and I were going to go into the Bob Marshall Wilderness for a week with the total mileage being about 80-90 miles. We hiked almost every weekend leading up to it. we were totally psyched for this long gring and it turned out to be a cake walk. The day-hikes were much harder! We had actually been going in excess of 20 miles on some of them!”

“No ankle weights!
Too much strain on joints. Especially for Scouts that are still growing. You don't really want to be crippled up with arthritis in your 40s, do you?

In addition to general hiking try some light weightlifting on alternate days. Focus on torso, chest, and shoulders. Hiking with a pack will work on your legs. Do different types of situps and backlifts to work all stomach and back muscles.

Do light lifting -- less weight, more reps.”

“aerobics”

“Rollerblading at a steady decent rate of speed for a couple of miles min. 3 or 4 times a wk will help your cardio a lot-its fun and it only takes 10 mins to do a couple of miles once u been doing it a little.Of course you can increase yer mileage as your endurance increases.”

“I sure haven't found a way to prepare for altitude other than mentally. But if you/the boys have the conditioning, stamina and mental ability to run several miles, they will handle the mountains fine. Maybe you could find some 5K & 10K runs between now and then. Let them brag to each other about their times and be motivated to get better.

Those inhumane shakedowns are why I don't let my kid join the boy scouts, by the way.”

“I've found stair masters to be a waste of time. I would do the normal weekend hikes to build up strength, but do aserobic stuff for altitude. Interval training is excelent at this. Have them run a little at a slow pace to warm up then do a 20 second sprint, followed by a 20 second rest, then a 30 s sprint with a 30 s rest. So this up to about a minute or so and then work back down. This really helps to increase lung capacity and push back the lactic acid threshold.”

“ChuckD -- I just posted this on another thread but it could help your troop. (Stolen from the National Geographic Explorer website)

How to Climb Higher

Pressure-breathe and rest-step: "Together, the two techniques are the best way I know to minimize fatigue when you're hiking up a mountain," says Scott Carr-Morrill, who founded an outdoor-education program at Utah's Brighton Ski Area.

Inhale deeply as your foot comes off the ground, he says, then use the force of stepping uphill to facilitate a complete exhalation, squeezing the carbon dioxide out and setting you up for another breath. To rest-step, drop the heel and completely straighten the leg with each step, which puts the weight on your skeleton and allows your muscles to rest momentarily.

How to Fight Altitude Sickness

Along with ascending slowly and taking time to acclimatize, try the herb ginkgo biloba, used by the Chinese for more than 5,000 years. "Take 100 milligrams twice a day, starting a few days before your climb," says Dr. Peter Hackett, the president of the International Society of Mountain Medicine.

"We don’t know why ginkgo helps, but in tests it reduces both the incidence and severity of AMS [acute mountain sickness]." The herb also increases peripheral blood flow, so your hands and feet may stay warmer.”

“Oops, meant to say stolen from National Geographic Adventure website.”

“We get our troop in shape by just going backpacking and taking advantage of the aerobic and strength conditioning it provides. If you can't train at altitude, make sure you have a day or two at 7000+ feet to acclaimate prior to real hike.

We live at sea level, but fortunately I can be at the trailhead to an 11,500 ft. peak in less than an hour...and wish I was there right now!!”

“There is only one real way to cope with altitude, GO SLOW, as the Sherpas say,"Pistari Pistari" (Slowly Slowly). YOU CANNOT RUSH UP ALTITUDE. Everything else is old wives tales.
For walking up hills, you must walk up hills. I use the stairs of a local rail overpass. Walking DOWN hill is also important to train for.

If you must resort to secret weapons, my Sherpa friend swears by Garlic Soup!”