Long-Hike Preparation

Question:

What is the best thing you can do to train for a climb or long hike?

Submitted by – Joe, Fairport, NY

Answer:

With tongue in cheek, but with an underlying tone of sincerity, the best way to prepare for a long climb or hike is to go on long climbs and hikes.

But the principles of fitness for such undertakings are well established: you need cardiorespiratory fitness (which you get from fast walking, running, and biking), strength (best earned in a weight room), and flexibility (the result of stretching regularly). And each of these areas should involve regular increases in time and intensity. Check out this story for more detail:

Hike Farther, Hike Stronger