Getting in mountain shape with no mountains around?

[LRNut]

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.

I used to bring a rod down every time I backpacked the backcountry trails - trout fishing was amazing! But don't blame US Fish and Wildlife - it was primarily the GCNP and the NFEC program.

I could care less about the humpback chub - bring back the trout! White people aren't native to the GC either, so why not give it back to the Indians?

 

[majog]

Having been on high mountain hunts I will give you this as best advice. Train a lot running bleachers, stairs, and other structures with a back pack. The next is go in as far in advance as you can and get acclimatized to the thinner air. My first alpine hunt, I was 32 years old, in the military, and had been running up the side of a 600 foot rise in elevation with back pack. My guide was a 63 year old man and when the hunt started he walked my *** into the ground leaving me huffing and puffing at just over an hour of the hike. Try shooting a 300 yr shot on a chamois with your heart beating out of your chest and trying to slow your breather. Fun challenge. Knowing I was going again in another country for Ibex, I trained for a year. My buddy who was a Queens gaurd for the Queen of Holland joined me for a 2 on 1 guided hunt. He shot an Ibex at above the treeline and we had a 4 hour walk down. I offered to carry half the animal or switch off with him but his pride only let me carry his gun. When we got to the parking area where we started he fell over, almost had a heart attack, and we almost had to take him to the hospital. Rule of thought on that is don't turn down help, being in great shape helps but when you live at sea level the thin mountain air is brutal and don't let your pride kill you. The lack of O2 is a huge factor another buddy to sent to Bolivia. As a runner he when out first thing next morning and started running, short of it was he died of a heart attack less than 20 minutes into his run.

 

[TexasSportsman]

There's no way to train for a mountainous adventure without mountains. A college friend and I hiked Angels Landing located in Zion National Park. There is a 1488 change in elevation from the base to the summit of the hike.

Why isn't there away to train? The thin atmosphere at 1488' from the trail below but the summit is 5790' above sea level. This summit more than a mile up by over 500'.

I would hike six miles three times a week with a backpack with several books from college. By the end of those six miles that backpack felt like it 100 pounds. I trained for more than a year. At the end of the day I climbing the switchbacks to get to the elevation where Angels Landing began wore me out and my legs were worked to the point of fatigue.

The only way to train to hike mountainous terrain is to hike mountainous terrain.
There were too many people running up and down the trails near the summit passing around people without any safety at all they part instituted a lottery to reduce the number of people on the trail at any one time. Over 100 hikers have died on the Angels Landing trail in the last 100 years.


Switchbacks:



Angels Landing - the narrowest part of the trail is at 0:49 seconds into the video.

 

[Calvin45]

There's no way to train for a mountainous adventure without mountains. A college friend and I hiked Angels Landing located in Zion National Park. There is a 1488 change in elevation from the base to the summit of the hike.

Why isn't there away to train? The thin atmosphere at 1488' from the trail below but the summit is 5790' above sea level. This summit more than a mile up by over 500'.

I would hike six miles three times a week with a backpack with several books from college. By the end of those six miles that backpack felt like it 100 pounds. I trained for more than a year. At the end of the day I climbing the switchbacks to get to the elevation where Angels Landing began wore me out and my legs were worked to the point of fatigue.

The only way to train to hike mountainous terrain is to hike mountainous terrain.
There were too many people running up and down the trails near the summit passing around people without any safety at all they part instituted a lottery to reduce the number of people on the trail at any one time. Over 100 hikers have died on the Angels Landing trail in the last 100 years.


Switchbacks:



Angels Landing - the narrowest part of the trail is at 0:49 seconds into the video.

Serious question: would some kind of breathing restrictor simulate the lower available oxygen on high altitude?

Y'all are gonna have PTSD Covid flashbacks but I'm being serious, if you were to run on a treadmill or go climb hills with a freaking facemask or something to restrict available air, would that offer any conditioning?

 

[Stugots]

"Serious question: would some kind of breathing restrictor simulate the lower available oxygen on high altitude?"

In my opinion this is a total waste of money. In addition to the fact that it only hinders your training effort.

 

[Marky_mark]

"Serious question: would some kind of breathing restrictor simulate the lower available oxygen on high altitude?"

In my opinion this is a total waste of money. In addition to the fact that it only hinders your training effort.

Im getting one for my hunt to tajikistan. From everyone ive talked to, they make a huge difference when your hunting at 16000 feet

 

[CoachChris]

The breathing restriction devices don't work.
The only thing they'll do is inhibit your training performance.
They'll hurt your preparation, not help you

 

[IH784]

What do you do?

Start dragging weights around?

 

[FireFlyFishing]

This thread really depends on age and condition of the individual. The list below assumes you can handle an aggressive PT program.
1. Lose weight. Get as close as you can to ideal weight for your age and body type. Google the umpteen ways to get you here. Find what works for you. Diet is very important here. You don't have to live in the mountains for this.
2. Start running a lot. Again, google is your friend here. Get on an AGGRESSIVE running schedule. Like it really should suck, yet you see improvement. Cycling can augment or even replace running depending on your needs.
3. Hike around where you live with an approximate weight you will carry when hunting. Use your pack and your boots! Go for 15 min miles or less. This is not a fun pace. Go for more than 3 miles at this pace.

Ok, so you've done all the above and now you're at camp and ready to go hunting. I recommend getting there early by a few days and go scouting…AGGRESSIVELY. Those will be your hardest days. Hydrate and DONT drink booze. Eat well, but lots of calories…throughout the day.

 

[Stugots]

I live in Minnesota (Elevation 1,000ft) and have only hunted out west twice. I'm a bicyclist and prior to those trips, I logged lots of miles on the bike (Averaged 125-150 miles per week leading up to the trips). I had ZERO issues acclimating to the altitude humping up the mountains on these trips.

In addition, I have had several opportunities to go out to Big Sky on mountain biking trips and logged similar miles prior to these vacations. Again, no issues while riding at altitude climbing up the mountains.

The 2nd pix is me standing on snow in mid July.

 

[Don Rackley]

2 months before I went on a CO hunt this last fall, I was walking 3miles/day with a 40 lb pack. Was in pretty good shape.
3 days before the hunt, I went to the NRA Whittington Center in Raton NM (about 7,000 ft altitude) and did more hiking and walking. This really helped acclimate to the thinner air. Plus, I got to shoot the rifle at Raton.

 

[Longshotjames]

X2 for cycling! I almost died on my first CO elk hunt, After that I got into cycling by chance. Its been 8yrs since my first hunt, now Ive dropped 42lbs and my aerobic threshold went through the roof! If I cycle all year and then hit the moutains I have zero issues. I went from slowest guy on the mountain to the one that never needs a brake. I switch up a few weeks before a hunt and start packing because the muscle used are different but building endurance is building endurance at any altitude!
Just get out there and get better and you will be better!
James from Texas

 

[pnw_recce]

This thread really depends on age and condition of the individual. The list below assumes you can handle an aggressive PT program.
1. Lose weight. Get as close as you can to ideal weight for your age and body type. Google the umpteen ways to get you here. Find what works for you. Diet is very important here. You don't have to live in the mountains for this.
2. Start running a lot. Again, google is your friend here. Get on an AGGRESSIVE running schedule. Like it really should suck, yet you see improvement. Cycling can augment or even replace running depending on your needs.
3. Hike around where you live with an approximate weight you will carry when hunting. Use your pack and your boots! Go for 15 min miles or less. This is not a fun pace. Go for more than 3 miles at this pace.

Ok, so you've done all the above and now you're at camp and ready to go hunting. I recommend getting there early by a few days and go scouting…AGGRESSIVELY. Those will be your hardest days. Hydrate and DONT drink booze. Eat well, but lots of calories…throughout the day.

This. When traveling for out of state hunts we ALWAYS build in an extra 4-5 days to acclimate before season, and it still isn't enough. Moving from 500' to 8000' base camp is rough. Half my party typically enjoys some of that late night brown water before there is anything to celebrate yet, and can't wrap their head around why they aren't feeling so hot haha

I lift heavy three days a week, take OrangeTheory classes twice a week, mountainbike, and find time in between to run and weighted pack up all the 15% grade hills in my area while chasing my kids around… it never feels like enough in the high country. You may think you're in the best shape, but that first leg of the packout back to the truck is when gut check time reall kicks in.

During those 5 days one of my favorite things to do aside from scouting is cut and splitting wood for camp, sneaky how that gasses you at elevation!

 

[Mickp7]

Living in Ohio and having done a fair amount of mountain hunting and hiking over the years, including a handful of 14k summits, strength and cardio training will definitely be important. Regardless of fitness level, however, realizing a sustainable pace is what I've found to be the key to covering ground at higher elevations. The pace you train at lower elevations will almost always be faster than a sustainable pace on the same incline at higher elevations. The tortoise and hare analogy is a good one... it works.
It can also be dangerous to push too hard at high elevations when you're not acclimated.
Hydration and acclimation are critical as well. As stated above, the more time you can spend in the higher elevations before you start, the better. I realize this is difficult to accomplish (and I rarely get the opportunity also), but if the calendar allows, go sooner and spend a few days letting your body get used to the lower oxygen levels.
Some Advil can be handy as well!