AG Outdoor | 97So, you want to tackle one of New Zealand’s Great Walks or our own Overland
Track? Here’s an excellent training guide to ensure you’re trek-fit for that big
adventure.DI WESTAWAY |CHIEF ADVENTURE CHICK WILD WOMEN ON TOP | LIFE CHANGING ADVENTURES
G
ETTING OFF THEcouch and into nature is
a whole lot easier when you have a wild
adventure on the horizon but sometimes
it’s hard to know where to start.
If you like pleasure more than pain, start training
at least 3 months before you head off. It’s as simple
as putting your boots and pack on three times a
week for some hills, soft sand and/or stairs, and
doing a long trail trek once a fortnight.
I learned about pain the first time I did the
Overland Track. I made all the classic mistakes and
ended up hating most of it. I wore my boots on the
walk for the first time, I borrowed a pack that didn’t
fi t me, my rain coat leaked, my food stank and it
out there: outdoor fi tness
Walk the talk
took me around 20 years to recover.
It was a trek only enjoyed upon refl ection. I
didn’t train. After all, it was only walking. How hard
can that be? But no matter how gorgeous the
views, carrying 20kg on your back for 6-9 hours a
day in remote terrain in without being trek fi t is not
much fun at all.
But now I know better. Now I know how to get
#trekfi t.
For most Great Walks in New Zealand you’ll carry
an 8-12 kg pack with your clothes, food and sleep-
ing bag. But if you fancy going unsupported on
the Overland Track you should train with your 20kg
backpack on so you’re strong enough to carryingyour tent, mat, food, clothing and stoves as well.
Start gradually and add an extra kilo every week,
and make sure you pack your pack with the heavi-
est items in the centre of your lower back. A strong
core will help keep you injury free, and trekking
poles are a good idea if you want to take the pres-
sure off your knees.
To get trek fi t you need endurance to help you
manage long days, cardiovascular strength so
you can get up the hills without dying, agility for
when the trail is washed away and you have to
scramble around obstacles and mental tough-
ness for when you’ve got massive blisters and the
next hut is four hours of torrential rain away.
You can fi re up for all these situations near
home, at either a park, a bushy track, a coastal track
or a river trail. Just immerse yourself in the obsta-
cles that outside provides.
It’s a mindset shift. Think diff erently about what
you see. Think nature’s gym, think kid play, think
Parkour. Think scramble over a park bench, climb
over stair rails, fences, yogi bear logs and planter
boxes. You can leap across lines in the pavement,
bunny hop steps and hang off trees. Think nature’s
gym. You don’t need to be in deep wilderness to
build and strengthen your body. You just need to
get outside.Multi-day treks mean carrying all your gear and
food over long distances each day across un-
even and often steep terrain. So yep, you need
to be fi t and strong to get the most enjoyment
out of this amazing outdoor experience.