|
|
|
| Training for the Climb | |
|
PRELIMINARIES DIARY OF THE CLIMB SUPPLEMENTAL INFO
|
It should go without saying that the better shape you are in, the easier and more enjoyable your climb up Kilimanjaro will be. I like to hike almost every weekend (in the 10,000' Sandia Mountains), and my training for the trip consisted entirely of hiking. I did step-up my hiking schedule over all of 2005, so that my hiking fitness (legs, heart, breathing) was as good as possible. I also lost 20 lbs over the course of the year (I am 6' 2" tall, and dropped from 203 lbs to down to 183) to make climbing Kili easier on my legs. From January until our trip started in late August, I hiked around 350 miles in the mountains. I climbed a total of more than 80,000' on these trails. I was in pretty good shape. I also climbed two "14'ers" (mountains over 14,000') in Colorado to see how I would do at that altitude. (Rick and Pauline joined me on one of these hikes.) We received some detailed training guides from Tusker Trail. These consisted mostly of stretching and strength exercises to do at home, or in the gym. I don't know if any of us followed these recommended exercise routines, but all of us did as much hiking as we could work into our schedules. As it turned out, strength and endurance were not the key factors in getting up Kilimanjaro (although you have to be in reasonably good shape); staying healthy on the mountain, keeping a slow steady pace, and drinking lots of water were.
|
|
© Copyright 2005. Michael E. Coltrin, Albuquerque, NM. All rights reserved. |
