If you’re getting ready for your first mountaineering trip, then you absolutely need to acquire the necessary technical skills and develop awarenes of the mountains. It is very important to make your body ready for the physical challenge.

With well trained International Mountain Guides, we build tailor made itineraries for the training journey to the Himalayas letting you feel and experience what it takes to commence your Mountain Climbs.

The training includes a few days to learn basic snow and ice skills. The necessary physical training, though, will take weeks or months of preparation on your part. We like to customize your training approach specifically for the mountain you plan to climb. These are the general steps you’ll follow for any mountaineering training plan: Assess your current fitness level. This might even include a physical from a doctor and/or an evaluation by a certified trainer. If you’re going with a reputable guide service, they’ll counsel you on the physical preparedness required and will ask you to provide a complete medical history. Consider the physical requirements of your climb.

Mountaineering is all about endurance like a marathon. Think of it as extreme backpacking, where you’ll be carrying a heavy load, ascending steep terrain, gaining a lot of altitude and often doing so at high altitude. A winter summit of Mountain in Nepal is very different from an Everest expedition, so assess your needs carefully and plan accordingly.

Being able to climb at a steady rate that you can aerobically maintain without stopping, plus having enough energy and strength to descend safely, will be key objectives to your training plan. Decide how you’ll approach your training. Your detailed plan can be something you put together on your own with a minimal budget; entire books cover the subject, but the downside is that you will lack expert feedback and it may be harder to keep your motivation up.

Mountaineering requires multiple types of training, each focusing on a different need: Cardio workouts to improve the overall fitness level of your heart and lungs. Interval sessions to boost your ability to process more oxygen with each breath. Strength and endurance exercises so you can haul a heavy load and sustain physical output for many hours. Balance and flexibility training because you need both for mountaineering. Hiking days to extend your training into real-world situations.  

Tintin and Sherpa works with well trained and experienced mountain guides while organizing training trips in the Himalayas.