Hiking goal -14er

cessi0909
cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Two years ago I hiked my first 14er, a mountain in Colorado over 14,000 feet. I was not fully prepared physically but I made it!
My goal is to do another this year but prepare for it and be in great shape to complete it. So that means I'll be doing a ton of hiking. We tend to hike a lot as a family anyways and I prefer my workouts be outdoor activities

Anyone else have a similar goal that is for an outdoor activity? I'd like to hear from others on your goal and how you'll prepare to achieve it.

Replies

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  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I race mountain bikes in Colorado, so yeah, that's my goal.

    Hiking will be good training but any kind of cardio would be good before the snow melts. Don't worry about trying to train at elevation, I've read that's actually worse. What you "should" do to get used to it is train low and sleep at the high elevation, but that's not really possible for most of us to do. Just go slower as you get higher and make sure to drink lots of water/ electrolytes and wear a hat and sunscreen.
  • ClimbingZack
    ClimbingZack Posts: 35 Member
    I have a concrete goal to climb Mt. Rainier in the early summer of '17! I love the outdoors (hiking, camping, fishing, hunting) and would love to compare notes with a like-minded fitness enthusiast anytime.

    My long term plan is to get back in good cardio shape, before adding compound strength training, rucking, etc to get mountain ready.
  • konagirl64
    konagirl64 Posts: 211 Member
    Gotta get my hip fixed first, but I have a goal of doing the Wonderland trail ( circle Mt. Rainer).
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
    All awesome goals! I really do like being outside and just being active, it is a workout without being an actual workout.
  • ontosinc297
    ontosinc297 Posts: 43 Member
    My girlfriend and I try to do section hikes of the AT every year. This year we're hoping to get out for 3 or 4 days so we're trying to build some mileage now so it's not so painful this summer.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    I don't have a goal other than to feel fabulous while backpacking with 40 pounds next summer. My husband and I have discussed a week-long trip to Evolution Valley in CA, but I'm not sure it's gonna happen.
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
    That's awesome to you both! Hiking is one of my favorite things to do and I hope to add more backpacking to what I do
  • ephiemarie
    ephiemarie Posts: 264 Member
    I'm planning to hike my first 14er this summer. :) Last month I did a 15-mile hike into and out of the Grand Canyon, and I prepped for that trip with a fair amount of hiking (with a weighted pack) and some ankle/knee stability exercises (also with a weighted pack). Even though I run/bike/swim year-round, I think the weighted backpack workouts really prepare my body for hiking.
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
    ephiemarie wrote: »
    I'm planning to hike my first 14er this summer. :) Last month I did a 15-mile hike into and out of the Grand Canyon, and I prepped for that trip with a fair amount of hiking (with a weighted pack) and some ankle/knee stability exercises (also with a weighted pack). Even though I run/bike/swim year-round, I think the weighted backpack workouts really prepare my body for hiking.

    Enjoy your first 14er!!
    The weighed backpack is an awesome idea for a workout. I was honestly amazed at how hard it was on my ankles coming back down
  • mamapettit
    mamapettit Posts: 7 Member
    I wasn't able to complete a simple hike at Yosemite last summer, so that is my 1st goal in May and then to hike to waterfalls in Hawaii this summer with my family.
    Any helpful training tips appreciated....
  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    I would love to do the Otter Trail. But seriously? I prefer bouldering to just walking flat trails. So I am going to enter the Platteklip Challenge. Contestants need to ascend Platteklip Gorge as many times as possible, run/walk/crawl to the cable way, descend to the lower cable way, walk/crawl/run back to Platteklip Gorge, and ascend it again. Rinse and repeat as many times as possible. I think I should at least be able to repeat it four times.
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
    trjjoy wrote: »
    I would love to do the Otter Trail. But seriously? I prefer bouldering to just walking flat trails. So I am going to enter the Platteklip Challenge. Contestants need to ascend Platteklip Gorge as many times as possible, run/walk/crawl to the cable way, descend to the lower cable way, walk/crawl/run back to Platteklip Gorge, and ascend it again. Rinse and repeat as many times as possible. I think I should at least be able to repeat it four times.

    I had to google that challenge, looks like an awesome trail!
    One of my favorites here in Colorado is The Incline, I have done it once and want do it a few times this year. I want to improve my times.
  • cessi0909
    cessi0909 Posts: 654 Member
    mamapettit wrote: »
    I wasn't able to complete a simple hike at Yosemite last summer, so that is my 1st goal in May and then to hike to waterfalls in Hawaii this summer with my family.
    Any helpful training tips appreciated....


    My advice, and this is just from me I am far from any kind of expert, is start walking. I really think 'simple' walks is the way to start. Then add in more, maybe some hills, some jogging, more strength training, and do smaller hikes with elevation gains. You will start to see improvements.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited January 2016
    My hiking club does a 24 mile lakeshore path hike around Lake Geneva (Wisconsin, not Switzerland) every year. My goal was to be able to do it which I was finally able to do last October! Next goal (once I get my hiatal hernia fixed so I have better lung capacity) is to do any kind of hike above 5000 feet.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    I love backpacking and hiking. I'm over the goals and competitions though. I'd rather hike with my family and stop and smell the roses (or rather pick the blueberries) along the way. If you're trying to condition for a hike though put some weight in your pack, find a few mountains or hills, and just start walking.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    mamapettit wrote: »
    I wasn't able to complete a simple hike at Yosemite last summer, so that is my 1st goal in May and then to hike to waterfalls in Hawaii this summer with my family.
    Any helpful training tips appreciated....

    Hike consistently, at least once or twice a week. Make sure your hikes include at least some some uphill. Keep adding more uphill as you progress. It also helps if you have a regular hike that you can time yourself on, and try to progressively improve your time. Start out by not carrying much weight (maybe just some water, a sweater and a snack), and add more weight (easiest is to carry extra water, it is heavy) as you progress.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    cessi0909 wrote: »
    Anyone else have a similar goal that is for an outdoor activity? I'd like to hear from others on your goal and how you'll prepare to achieve it.

    I want to do Long's Peak again this year but this time we're going to summit Meeker first. I want to get some good sunrise photos of Long's from that vantage. Then we'll cross the saddle over to Long's and come back down the keyhole route.

    For preparation we camp around 8,500 feet and do some shorter summits. We'll hit some 12s and 13s a few days before to ensure we're ready for that. Other than that any type of good endurance sport is great for preparation. I try to pack in a ton of running for increased oxygen capacity. It makes a huge difference.

    This last summer one person in our party exclaimed "I do crossfit nearly every day. I'm ready." I told her that crossfit is cheating because she has oxygen down there. This is totally different. She didn't make it to the top.

  • gomisskellygo
    gomisskellygo Posts: 635 Member
    I can't imagine hiking a 14k footer! My goal is to start hiking my way to all 48 4kers in the White Mountains of NH this Spring!
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    Well, when you hike a 14-er, you don't start at 0 elevation. Typically the trailhead is somewhere between 4-6,000 feet, sometimes higher. And it's the elevation gain PLUS long mileage PLUS trail conditions that make some of them really challenging. Some are easier (though not easy), some are really, really tough.

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