Getting fit for a trek: an 8-week plan

How fit you need to be, the training that actually transfers to mountain days, and a week-by-week plan you can start today.

Plan & prepare3 min read

The short version

  • 1Start 8 weeks out. Even 4 helps; turning up untrained ruins treks.
  • 2Cardio 3 to 4 times a week, building to an hour.
  • 3Climb stairs or hills with a loaded pack: it's the closest thing to a trek day.
  • 4Strengthen legs and core twice a week: squats, lunges, step-ups, planks.
  • 5Ease off in the last week so you arrive fresh.
In this guide
  1. 1.How fit do you need to be?
  2. 2.The 8-week plan
  3. 3.Exercises that transfer
  4. 4.Breathing and altitude

How fit do you need to be?

A typical trek day is 5 to 7 hours of walking with a daypack, gaining 500 to 1,000 m, often on uneven ground, for several days in a row, with less oxygen than you're used to. You don't need to be an athlete, but you do need to be able to keep going.

Trek gradeA fair benchmark before you go
EasyWalk 10 km comfortably, climb 20 floors of stairs without stopping
ModerateJog 5 km in about 40 minutes, or climb 40 floors with a 5 kg pack
HardJog 5 km in about 35 minutes, and a 4 to 5 hour hill walk with a pack
ExtremeRegular long training days with a heavy pack, and prior high-altitude experience

The 8-week plan

WeeksCardioStrengthWeekend
1 to 23 × 30 min brisk walk, jog or cycle2 × legs and core, bodyweight1 to 2 hour walk
3 to 43 × 40 min, one with hills or stairs2 × legs and core, add a 5 kg pack2 to 3 hour walk with a 5 kg pack
5 to 64 × 45 to 60 min, two with stairs2 × legs and core, add step-ups3 to 4 hour hill walk, 7 to 8 kg pack
74 × 60 min, one long stair session2 × legs and coreBack-to-back days: 3 hours each with a pack
83 × 30 min easy1 light sessionRest. Pack and sleep well

Exercises that transfer

  • Stair climbing with a pack: the single best trek training. Up and down; descending trains your knees for the way back.
  • Step-ups: onto a sturdy bench or step, 3 sets of 12 each leg.
  • Squats and lunges: 3 sets of 15. Add walking lunges for balance.
  • Calf raises: 3 sets of 20, for steep climbs and tired ankles.
  • Planks and side planks: 3 × 45 seconds; a strong core carries the pack.
  • Long walks in your trek shoes: breaks the shoes in and toughens your feet.

Living in a flat city? Office and apartment stairs work fine. So does a treadmill on the steepest incline, walking, with a pack.

Breathing and altitude

No training at sea level prepares your body for thin air; only time at altitude does. But good cardio fitness means you work at a lower share of your capacity, so you have more in reserve when the oxygen drops. Slow, deep breathing on climbs helps too.

If you smoke, the best training you can do is stop, even just for the weeks before the trek.

Put it to use: 46 trekking adventures, 2 mountaineering adventures, 1 cycling adventure on Trail to Tides.

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