I usually train hard 3 months in advance before any strenuous expedition (I actually trained 2 months for Kilimanjaro and for 5 months for Denali). Of course I do still maintain my fitness throughout the year. The below is just an idea of some points I keep in mind when training to get ‘Mountain Prepared’.

My workouts include:

• Strengthening exercises
• Aerobic/ Cardio activities
• Endurance focused activities

Examples of these workouts:

• Stair training; find any stairs you can find, either at home or a stair master in a gym. I start with 40 mins building all the way to 3 hrs. (I have somehow equated it to 600 metres elevation)
• Desert walks
• Trail running
• Hiking
• Wall climbing
• Rock climbing
• Cycling
• Swimming

On rest days:

• Yoga (For Yoga for Hikers, click here)
• Light walks in the city

Notes:

• I always do warm ups before and stretch afterwards to prevent injury
• Start carrying heavier backpacks when stair training and hiking. Add weight by 10%
• Try to go on a mountaineering climb at altitude
• If it is too hot to hike in the UAE, you could go to Oman in the summer like Jabal Shams, I have gone hiking there in June and the max temperature was 29c
• Try to include hikes that are long and have a elevation gain of over 1,000 metres
• Have different activities to avoid getting bored.
• Listen to your body, reduce and adapt as necessary
• Before the big climb, try to opt for lighter exercises and stop 2-3 days before your big climb

If you are interested in getting a consultation or a training programme for your next big adventure, please feel to contact me on hanady@elevation.ae

Or else, do check out the 12-week Mountaineering Training Plan and Nutrition E-Book.