Getting in mountain shape with no mountains around?

[mnoland30]

Before U.S. Fish & Wildlife killed off the trout in the Grand Canyon, we backpacked for a week every year. The climb out is mentally daunting for first timers. One step at a time, is what I told them. My dad did it at 67, and he wasn't in great shape.

One year I hiked out with a couple of women who had Camelbacks. I was still using bottles. They drank more water because it was convenient. After I bought a 70 oz. Platypus bottle with tube, I found the hike out much easier.

My friend drinks around 140 oz. (almost 9 lbs.) while hiking and hunting. I find 70 oz. enough if it is cold, but for an October hunt I take an extra pint bottle. Don't forget that NM is much drier than you're used to. People get dehydrated with just mild exercise.

 

[Calvin45]

I lived at 8700ft elevation in Colorado for several years and found that if in reasonable shape most people that weren't used to altitude needed to focus on hydration first and foremost.

At altitude you will become dehydrated WAAAAAAAAY before your body will signal that dehydration to you so you need to hydrate heavily in advance and during exercise at altitude especially if you aren't used to altitudes.

Basic cardio fitness is of course very important and I fully agree that the 45 pound pack training is a nearly perfect way to get and keep fitness levels up for altitude excursions. It helps if you can find at least a few moderate hills to add to this training.

I worked for an outfitter and we saw a lot of flatlanders come up to hunt and my advice here is based on experience in helping them with "altitude sickness."

That's interesting. Yep definitely wouldn't have thought of that but it makes a lot do sense. At lower atmospheric pressure water turns to vapour much more readily (boils at a lower temperature too) so I suppose just from exhaling during breathing a person loses more water as vapour in breath.

Thanks for sharing your experience with that. I struggle to remember to drink enough dang water here in flatland as it is…

 

[Muddyboots]

The "golden" rule is hydrate enough at altitude to pee every couple hours. I carry water bladder, 2 extra liters of water and bio filter for emergency water use.

 

[Muddyboots]

Look familiar? Only 35# but when you are rebuilding body, gotta start somewhere! Interesting comment on having mirrors. I carved out a nice section this morn, a "gentlemen" sees me doing reverse sled pulls, when I pulled by him throws mat down right where I am walking. I turn around backwards so I don't notice he dropped a mat right where I am pulling. See where this is going? As I just about step on him he yells heads up! Seriously? I still almost stepped on him. Told me watch where I am going.....suggested watch where you place your mat. That went well.

 

[blvette75]

What do you do?

I live at about 5,000 ft, 65,need to lose about 15lbs, have asthma, covid really messed up my lungs further, took it easy for a bit, had a couple of other things going on, knees, ankle. started walking, Got kicked started on some business trips at sea level, and got my cardio up a bit. At home I am up to 3-5 mile a day, 8 miles is the farthest goal is ten miles a day, so far I try to keep my pace between 3-4 mph, rough at first. Now adding in circuit weight training. Will add a pack to walks a bit later when warmer. Make sure you invest in good training shoes, use HOKAs but I am sure there are plenty of good ones. Plan on doing a flying fishing hike with a light back pack at altitude to test my lungs prior to a planned hunt. When I go to 7,500ft or higher I always take the canned air and my inhaler. If you are coming from sea level I would stop at a Walmart when you get to where you are hunting and buy the canned air. Good luck have fun and be safe.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Take time to acclimate at altitude, and drink lots of cocoa

Just curious. Did you mean cocoa, or was the reference to the coca plant?

 

[Hand Skills]

Just curious. Did you mean cocoa, or was the reference to the coca plant?

Honestly, both, but I'm not really up on the science.

If you search for 'cocoa hemodynamics' there are several studies on how cocoa flavonols influence the brain.

I was introduced to the idea by indigenous people in South America, they chew cacao leaves to help with headaches at altitude.

The Cacao / Cocoa thing is funny, but my understanding is that Cocoa is a product of Cacao

Cocoa powder is easily transportable and makes for a great coffee substitute.

Coffee is a diuretic, meaning it dehydrates you.

Cocoa doesn't do that, and seems to help with headaches, presumably by getting oxygen where it is needed. Mix with chocolate for calories!

As to your question; powder vs leaf, I'm not sure. For me the powder is better than nothing and *way* better than coffee.

(Powder might be poor word choice.... To be clear I'm talking about the BROWN powder that can be found in the baking aisle at the grocery store )

 

[Rcritch]

I was just reading through the first four pages of this thread when the content offered by Alex Wheeler, CoachChris and Hand Skills convinced me that I didn't need to read any further before offering up my own two cents' worth. With regard to getting and staying in shape virtually everything I've seen here makes sense to me, but I also sense that there is a good bit of valuable advice on the subject that is missing.

I was born at an elevation of 7200' and have spent the bulk of my life at or well above that elevation ever since. I last climbed a Colorado Fourteener while in my sixties (at an MSL height of 14,351 feet the 4th highest in the state). Regardless of age, if you are healthy enough to hunt big game, you could follow my guidance here and summit the same peak. Some of the things I have learned about dealing with high altitude I learned the hard way, some I was taught by my parents (who were Rocky Mountain technical climbers) and some I learned from my own studies as a private pilot. And so I have a few pointers that might prove valuable to the readers here.

Staying hydrated at altitude is indeed very important, especially in the Western US mountains where low relative humidity is predominant. However there have been a number of occasions where I had to rescue well hydrated flatlanders who had succumbed to the high altitude due to salt depletion. Just a handful of salty nuts or chips can quickly relieve the muscle cramps, vomiting and dizziness of salt depletion which ultimately might render a victim helpless. It doesn't take long for exertion at altitude to sweat way too much of the necessary salt out of your system. So don't overdue your disdain for a salty diet, as a modest and healthy salt intake, in addition to hydration, is crucial to functioning at altitude. Carry with you both a source of hydration and salt in some form or another.

As mentioned here earlier the very best, and virtually the only, way to acclimatize your body to altitude is to be at altitude, preferably while getting some mild aerobic exercise. So, if at all possible, spend 5 days to a week at a higher altitude than you are accustomed to before starting your hunt. That will make your continuing acclimation during the hunt less arduous and will have you in good shape for hunting at altitude all the sooner.

As for not succumbing to high altitude sickness, hypoxia and total collapse during your time at altitude that's an easy thing to plan .... yet it can be a very difficult thing for most to accomplish. Here's the plan. Anywhere at sea level or above, find some steep terrain to explore and practice walking as slowly as possible. When you get that "slowly as possible" gait down pat, cut it in half. With that ultra slow gait mastered practice taking several steps in succession (say, no more than a dozen) and then just stand still and scan your environment for at least the same period of time that you had just walked. Do that repeatedly and get it down pat to the point that you can hunt at altitude with the same unhurried ambulatory movement. Our western big game animals spend most of their daylight hours bedded down and you will need to move slowly, quietly and very observantly to have any hope of spotting them before they are aware of your presence. Even when they are out in the open during daylight hours they're much better at spotting movement than we humans are, and your chances of filling your tag get better the less and slower you move. Use your binoculars more than your naked eyes, even in heavy cover, as you'll likely spot a hoof, a tail, an eye or the twitch of an ear long before you will be able to make out the body of your prey. And you'll be amazed at how much country you can cover at the snail's pace you're using, all without ever having to catch your breath.

Stay safe at high altitude and have a good hunt!

 

[HRM Johnny]

Thanks hand skills

 

[Shadow6arc]

stairs, incline treadmill, box step ups, box step downs, burpees, mountain climbers

 

[338weatherby]

The best advice I ever received was to at least double to triple your water intake 2-3 weeks prior to the hunt and keep that up through the hunt. Since I started that I've noticed my body felt way better. For the beer drinkers, cut that out at least a month prior. If you are able to drop 10-15 pounds that works wonders too.

 

[Calvin45]

Honestly, both, but I'm not really up on the science.

If you search for 'cocoa hemodynamics' there are several studies on how cocoa flavonols influence the brain.

I was introduced to the idea by indigenous people in South America, they chew cacao leaves to help with headaches at altitude.

The Cacao / Cocoa thing is funny, but my understanding is that Cocoa is a product of Cacao

Cocoa powder is easily transportable and makes for a great coffee substitute.

Coffee is a diuretic, meaning it dehydrates you.

Cocoa doesn't do that, and seems to help with headaches, presumably by getting oxygen where it is needed. Mix with chocolate for calories!

As to your question; powder vs leaf, I'm not sure. For me the powder is better than nothing and *way* better than coffee.

(Powder might be poor word choice.... To be clear I'm talking about the BROWN powder that can be found in the baking aisle at the grocery store )

Well for what it's worth the aztecs/Inca/maya people did chew COCA leaves (not at all the same thing as the cocoa plant) as well before going into battle, really increases maximum exertion potential, stamina, and mentally makes a person feel invincible and up for a fight. They also apparently used it at altitude to fight altitude sickness, fatigue, cold…and more darkly to make those selected for human sacrifice less upset about what was about to happen to them

There is a more contraband "powder" made from that plant. In fact, I've never heard about the cocoa thing until now and I'm wondering if indeed cocoa and coca have been confused. Cocoa is used for chocolate. Coca is used for cocaine. They are not at all the same species of plant, not even remotely.

But it's no wonder they got those pyramids built down there back in the day…naturally occurring chocolate, cocaine, tobacco, and the caffeine containing guarana and Yerba plants as well used in beverages. A real stimulant hot spot of the world haha. I even heard a comedian talk about this…you get all the conspiracy theorists saying that the Egyptians couldn't have possibly built their pyramids and aliens had to have something to do with it..but there are pyramids and entire stone cities, some yet being discovered in the jungles of Amazonia, built in Mexico, central, and South America…and nobody needs to invoke aliens to find that believable! No one doubts those people did that themselves! Those guys get done!!!!!!!

 

[HRM Johnny]

Thanks Calvin. That is what I was getting at. I have read that some of the indigenous people will pick a leaf off of the coca plant. They fold it up, and chew on it. Chew a couple of times, and tuck it between your cheek and gum. I don't know. I've never had the opportunity to try it. The leaf has a light amount of white powdery substance (Cocaine) on it. Used that way, it is supposed to have health benefits. Again, I would not know from personal experience.

 

[Hand Skills]

Thanks @Calvin45 that was some time ago and my Spanish isnt the best!

I can say, the Peruvians use both!