Conquer Fear with These Training Plans for Exposure, River Crossings, and More

For years, the thing that frightened me most about backpacking wasn’t lightning storms or grizzly bears. It was log crossings. For whatever reason, they scared the pants off me. I had terrible balance and no confidence in my ability to remain upright, no matter how solid the log or shallow the stream. Often, I’d waste time (and my partner’s patience) by bushwhacking around the obstacle, or stubbornly taking off my shoes and wading right past it.

Then, as a side effect of picking up rock climbing, I started training my balance and core stability more intentionally. I started to feel more confident. Slowly, I challenged myself to cross logs with one trekking pole, then with none. Before I knew it, the hikes I once thought of as decent routes marred by streamside anxiety attacks suddenly felt breezy from start to finish. I wasted less time. I said yes to more outings. Working my weaknesses had paid off.

Even the strongest hikers among us have niggling fears that crop up in the backcountry. Maybe it’s fear of exposure, poor balance, a hatred of river crossings, or a lack of confidence on snow. The good news is that there are ways to begin conquering these fears in the safety of your home or backyard. To learn how, I spoke with four sports psychologists, personal trainers, and other experts about how to train your body (and your mind) for four of the most common backpacking cruxes. Here’s what they had to say.

Exposure or heights

Steep terrain is tough enough. Add a sheer drop-off, and most hikers are quickly ejected from their comfort zones. Here’s how to manage the anxiety.

Mind

To overcome a fear of exposure, start small, says Rebecca Williams, a clinical psychologist, climbing instructor, and founder of mental coaching outfit Smart Climbing.

“Many people think it’s better to jump straight in and get it over with, but that’s risky in that your motor skills tend to deteriorate when you are very scared or stressed,” she says. “That increases the physical risk.” Instead, practice anxiety management techniques in a controlled environment, like in the climbing gym or on more mellow terrain. That way they’re second-nature by the time you really need them. Here are a few of her favorite techniques:

• Belly breathing: An effective way to calm yourself down is breathing deeply into your belly, Williams says: “You should feel your diaphragm expand as you breathe in and deflate as you breathe out.” Make your exhales longer than your inhales; this tricks your brain into thinking you’re calmer than you really are, and can help still anxiety.
• Intentional relaxation: First, release excess muscle tension (wiggling your fingers and forcing yourself to smile are good shortcuts). Then, instead of staring at the sheer drop beside you, try to soften your gaze. Let your eyes rest on the next rocky step or the next patch of solid ground in front of you. Take it one step at a time.
• Instructional self-talk: Positive self-talk (i.e. telling yourself “I can do this”) can be helpful for some people, but Williams usually recommends instructional self-talk instead. That means giving yourself useful advice, like “plant your feet more firmly,” or “move with a sense of flow.” This kind of self-talk is more neutral, which makes it harder to spiral out emotionally. It also helps you focus on your technique.

Body

Training your balance can help you feel more at ease and in control of your body, even when you’re high off the ground. “You can do just a few simple exercises in the gym and see significant improvement,” says Rowan Smith, a personal trainer specializing in hiking and mountaineering and founder of Summit Strength coaching. Here are a few of his favorites moves:

• Step-downs: Stand at the edge of a box or stair with one foot suspended over empty space. Slowly lower yourself down from the box. Do three sets of 10 reps for each leg.
• Single-leg deadlifts: Stand on one leg. Slowly tip forward with your free leg extended behind you. Keep your back straight and your core engaged. Hinge until your back is parallel to the floor and your extended leg is straight out behind you. Then engage your back and standing hamstring to straighten back up. Do this 10 times on each leg for three sets. Level two: Do it with a kettlebell in one hand.
• Closed-eye balance: Stand on one leg with the other bent at the knee and raised in front of you at a 90-degree angle. Close your eyes and try to remain still for 30 seconds. If that’s too easy, get a ball or water bottle and pass it around your hips while you stand one-legged.

Rock-hopping or log walking

Nothing gets the heart pumping like teetering across a creek on a slick log or stepping stones. A slacklining guide and personal trainer explain how to train your balance and mental fortitude.

Mind

It can feel silly to be afraid of something like a log walk or a set of stepping stones, especially when the water beneath is shallow. But fear—especially of falling—is a useful tool, says Faith Dickey, the highlining and canyoneering guide behind Elevate Outdoors Guiding in Moab, Utah. Fear is there to keep you safe. So, Dickey says, don’t try to deny it or push it aside; both can make it worse. Instead, think of your fear like a worried friend who wants to keep you from harm.

“What would you say to that friend?” Dickey prompts. “Maybe ‘Thank you for worrying. I see what you’re doing, and I get it, but I’m secure right now, there’s very little risk of me getting seriously hurt, and I want to do this.’”

Dickey also recommends visualization as a useful tool, especially for her highlining clients.

“I ask them to close their eyes and breathe slowly and deeply,” she says. “Imagine stepping up to the edge, stepping onto the line [or log] with one foot, transferring their weight onto that foot, taking their first slow step, and so on.” Imagine how every moment is going to feel—from the sensation of the log underfoot to the emotions you might experience. Picture yourself moving intentionally and crossing successfully. Over time, this practice can start to rewire your brain’s knee-jerk reactions until they’re neutral—rather than panicked—ahead of a crossing.

Body

Rock-hopping and log walking are both feats of balance. In addition to the exercises above, you might also want to try slacklining. Get a line, string it up in your backyard or a local park, and practice a few times a week.

A little strength training can also improve your confidence on unstable terrain. “If you’re worried about boulder-hopping, a really simple exercise for this is a forward lunge,” Smith says. Step forward with one leg and sink down until your front thigh is parallel to the floor and your knee is in line with your ankle. Push upward through your forward heel to return to your starting position.

Ready for level two? “If you want to make it more challenging, hold a pack at your chest to challenge your balance a little more,” Smith says. He also suggests side lunges to build lateral strength: Stand with a 12- to 18-inch box to one side of you. Step up and to the side with one leg, then step off the other side with the other leg, facing forward all the while. Then reverse direction. Repeat this 10 times for three sets.

River crossings

Deep river crossings can be legitimately dangerous. But for many hikers, their fear of the water is stronger than the current itself.

Mind

“This is a tough fear. It’s one that debilitates people,” says John ‘Monte’ Montepare—an alpine guide and owner of Alaskan guiding outfit Kennicott Wilderness Guides. “I’ve met experienced backpackers that are good with exposure and soul-crushing days of bushwhacking, but creeks freak them out.” Sound familiar? Here’s how to handle it.

• Know what to look for: Some river crossings are extremely risky. Others are relatively simple. The best way to boost your confidence is to know how to positively identify the latter. Look for shallow water, a slow current, and water free of downstream hazards.
• Bring the right gear: Skip the Crocs and the barefoot shuffle. Montepare recommends crossing in your hiking boots to maximize traction. Hiking poles add even more stability.
• Befriend the sound: Like strong wind, the roar of rushing water has a special ability to turn the anxiety dial all the way up. The antidote? A little exposure therapy. “Find places where you can mimic the emotional experience without risking real-life consequences,” Montepare suggests. For example, stand right beside a roaring rapid until you start to feel a little nervous. Breathe deeply and intentionally, and remind yourself that you’re safe. Over time, the sound will begin to lose its power over you.
• Spend time on water. Paddle sports are a great way to learn to read eddies and currents from the safety of a boat. “Go on a guided rafting trip. Get splashed in the face,” Montepare says. “Find the aspects of it you really don’t like. Get to that place where you feel like you’re having that uncontrollable, visceral response, stay there.” Linger right at the edge of discomfort, and practice using various mental tactics to calm your anxiety. Deep breathing can help. So can thinking of loved ones, cultivating a feeling of gratitude, or repeating a mantra (Montepare’s go-to for skiing is “Confidence. Control.”) Everyone is different; find what works for you.

Body

Crossing a river safely is more about smart risk assessment than anything else; after all, even the strongest bodybuilder doesn’t stand a chance against a raging current. That said, knowing how to keep your balance can boost your confidence during a slippery crossing. Here are a few great exercises for training core and leg stability.

• Monster walks: Step into an elastic loop such that it’s around both shins. With feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly, hinge forward a little at the hips, and crabwalk to one side, aiming for 10 wide, slow steps. Then switch sides.
• Pallof press: Hitch an exercise band around a pole or squat rack. Stand a few steps to the side—just enough that the band extends straight out to your side. Grip the end of the band with both hands. Take another small step outward from the pole so the band is under tension. The band should be pulling laterally at your arms; engage your core and obliques to resist rotation as you push your hands straight forward from the center of your chest. Pause there, with your arms straight out, then bring them slowly back in toward your chest. Repeat five to 10 times on each side.
• Clock reach: Stand on one leg. Reach your free leg out straight in front of you (this is 12 o’clock) and squat down slightly so that your heel nearly taps the floor. Straighten, and rotate your leg out to a two-o’clock position, then squat and again. Repeat for four o’clock (with your leg slightly behind you) and six o’clock (with your leg pointed straight behind you). Then, repeat the motion on the other leg.

Snow Traverses

Even for experienced hikers and summit-baggers, snow can feel like an alien substance: variable, slippery, and tough to read.

Mind

The bad news about snow? If you want to be fluent with the medium, there’s really no substitute for on-snow experience. The good news? Just a little time in the snow can vastly improve your confidence. So, if you can fly out to your destination a day or two early to practice, do it.

“If I come to the edge of a snowfield when I’m guiding with clients, we’ll camp at the edge and spend a day there with very light packs on before we do our big traverse. We’ll sidehill on a slope that’s much steeper than what we’ll have to face, do some glissading, and practice kicking steps,” says Montepare. “So the next day, when the clients have a heavy pack on and they’re looking down a few thousand feet, they feel much more ready for it.”

Montepare’s other tip: Boost your sense of security by carrying the right equipment. Use a single trekking pole (in your uphill hand) for stability, carry underfoot chains or spikes in case of icy conditions, and take a course on self-arrest if the route might require an ice axe.

Body

Training your body for snow travel is in part about balance (see above), and in part about leg strength, says Smith. “For the people I’ve worked with, they tend to be worried about their feet sliding out on the downhill,” he says. “An exercise that’s been quite useful for that is hamstring curls.” Lie on the floor with your knees bent and a sliding pad of some kind under your heels. (If you’re on a wooden floor, put a small dish towel under each heel. If you’re on carpet, use magazines.) Push your legs slowly out, pause, and then engage your hamstrings to reel your legs back in. Try three sets of five reps on each leg.

Lateral core strength can also be useful for long traverses. Try a farmer’s carry: Hold a heavy weight in one hand and engage your core to remain as upright as possible—no bending toward the weighted hand. Walk 20 steps in one direction, then switch the weight to the other hand and walk 20 steps back. Repeat this three times.