Training - EBC

Ideo

Hi Everyone,

Looking for a bit of advice. I'm planning to hike Everest Base Camp in late August and am just looking for a bit of advice on what sort of exercise I should be doing. I'm currently swimming most days, maybe 1km each day and every second day I'm running, cycling, cross country machine and rowing, usually 2km/3km; 5km/6km; 1km/1.5km; and 1km/1.5km respectively. I have been watching what I'm eating but not too much because I am aware that I may loose a bit during the actual hike.

Anyway do you think that this type of work is sufficient for trekking? I'm just trying to increase my overall fitness and increase stamina/endurance, not loose weight or anything although I have noticed the gut beginning to decrease!

I'm 5Ft 9'' about 12st and eating modestly healthaly! Am I doing the right sort or work? Is there anything else that I could be doing?

thirtyfoot

While I haven't hiked to Base Camp Everest, I've hiked over 19,000ft elsewhere. General conditioning is the key, you may need to start doing more running or walking. Its more beneficial for what you want to do than cycling or swimmimg. I'd lenghten your runs and drop all the others, but I suppose any type of cardio work will be a help.

Get a few walks in the hills before you go, try maybe a multi-day walk if possible - two days over a weekend for example. I believe thats the hard bit up the mountains when you have done a hard days hiking and you know you have to go again the next morning.

Even at this stage if you get out into the hills for a walk once a week you'll have 4-6 walks done before the trip. That supplemented with your your other work will be a big help.

Hiking over 17,000ft is like doing interval work, hard pushes where you are fighting for oxygen followed by a brief rest before pushing again and so on. Even at this stage that is something you could look at doing. Reptitions where you run and then rest for the same time repeated many times - example 30 secs run followed by 30sec walk/rest repeated say 10-15 times on a sports field. Don't know your fitness so its hard to gauge.

Your biggest challenge will be the altitude. Eat well at lower heights, stay hydrated and walk really slowly in the early days so as to aclimatize.

ali.c

eh right i am no expert but I have done a bit of hill walking and climbing. There are a few things, walking with a heavy pack makes a huge difference to how tough it is. I presume your using porters? If so i think you may still have to carry some stuff so make sure you know how much you'll have with you. Altiude is another issue, honestly i would say you notice the difference even at lower altiudes (say 2000m) at it will make it that much harder.
Eh thats actually probably not much help, but i would suggest working on your endurance esp your running endurance and add whatever size pack to your back youll have to use when your there.

edit:tingle's right on the money, where where you btw?