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About the importance of physical preparation for mountain hiking. How to prepare for going to the mountains

The unruly mountain peaks have long attracted climbers all over the world. Given the popularity of mountain climbing, special training programs have been developed. Sets of exercises improve physical fitness, and especially endurance for successful ascent and descent.

Training for mountain climbing is of interest, first of all, to those who are planning to do it for the first time. Of course, there is a lot of information on the Internet (graphs, texts and formulas) on how to properly prepare your body for a mountain climb. But more often than not, such information is not suitable for those who have never done this before.

The tips outlined in the article are suitable for climbing to heights of up to 6 thousand meters (Mont Blanc, Kazbek, and Elbrus). For those who have set a goal of more than 6 thousand meters, this advice will not work.

General principles

It is best to start training six months before the climb, or at least several months in advance. 30 days before the start of the climb, the body will not have time to prepare and recover. The fact is that a couple of weeks before the ascent you need to give your body a chance to rest. At the same time, rest should not be completely passive.

It is recommended to run several times at a distance of no more than 2 km during the first week of rest. You can also do pull-ups on the horizontal bar (do 50% of the usual norm). During the second week you should take a break from physical activity.

Features of training

The emphasis of training should be on increasing endurance. The body must learn to withstand prolonged stress. Running is great for this purpose. It is worth noting that three months of running will be more effective than three months in the gym. You need to try to run as long as possible and start as early as possible. Running should be special; and you can’t limit yourself to just this sport.

It happens that a person has trained for a year, but cannot rise to the top. This is often due to the body's reaction to insufficient oxygen. However, a regular and correct training regimen reduces the risk of such acclimatization.

Another nuance is to run so as not to exhaust the body. If your training is weak, it is better to run at a slow pace three times a week than fast and twice a week.

It's best to start with a slow 2 km run. Over time, the distance and time need to be increased.

Other parts of the body should not be left idle either, especially the back. A horizontal bar or gym is ideal for this. But running should still be a priority.

Another important piece of advice is to not tie your workouts to specific days of the week. It is best to focus on your own well-being.

Types of training

Running up the steps

You need to run up and down each step. To begin with, you can do 3 races up the steps of a nine-story building. Then you can adjust the number of runs. This is an excellent option for those who are preparing for climbing. Running up steps is especially good at increasing endurance when descending a mountain.

Experience shows that for some people the descent is harder than the ascent. Therefore, it is important to prepare your muscles for prolonged exercise.

Once a climber who was running a distance of 120 km did not find the strength to descend from Elbrus, so special transport was called for him. His guide calmly made the descent.

Running with intervals

For 200 - 250 meters you need to run at almost full speed, and then for the next 400 meters you should run at a slow pace. The total distance should be no more than 3 kilometers.

Walking with lunges

You need to take big steps forward. You can start with 20 repetitions, gradually increasing the number of exercises. It is recommended to use dumbbells or a barbell.

Pistol squats

This exercise differs from regular squats in that you need to squat on one leg. This exercise was mandatory when preparing professional expeditions. Participants were required to squat on one leg at least 30 times.

Classic squats

The exercises are good for training your legs, which will bear the main load while climbing mountains. As a weighting agent, you can use dumbbells, a barbell, or perform squats on a special machine.

All these exercises give tangible results. The main thing is not to forget to alternate them with running. You don't have to do them all. You can perform only a few of them that you liked the most.

It is important to monitor your heart rate during preparation. If you overdo it with training, your body will be harmed.

It's easy to check for excessive loads. You need to measure your heart rate after exercise. If within five minutes the heart rate does not drop below 120, you need to reduce the intensity of the exercise or replace it.

During a climb, overtrained climbers stand out from the rest. Their heart rate is elevated and recovery takes a long time.

If you have no experience in training for mountain climbing, start running 2 times a week at a distance of 2 - 3 kilometers. When the body gets used to the load, the running time can be increased.

Varieties of running training should be added gradually, starting with once a week.

Don't forget to train other parts of your body on the horizontal bar or in the gym.

If at any time you feel that you have no strength or desire to train, do “lazy” exercises (fewer times).

Full physical readiness for the climb

- jogging fast or slow for 8 km or 60 minutes in time;

7 pull-ups on the horizontal bar for men and 1 time for women;

Pistol squats 3 times;

20 push-ups;

Jogging up the steps of a nine-story building 3 times;

50 squats on two legs.

Average readiness for climbing mountains

- jogging fast or slow for 5 km or 30 minutes in time;

4 pull-ups on the horizontal bar for men and 2 times for women with support for one leg;

Pistol squats 1 time;

15 push-ups;

Jogging up the steps of a five-story building 2 times;

40 squats on two legs.

Insufficient physical training

- jogging fast or slow no more than three km;

2 pull-ups on the horizontal bar for men and 1 time for women with support for one leg;

Can't do pistol squats;

Can’t do push-ups on the floor more than ten times;

It is difficult to run up the stairs of a nine-story building in both directions more than once;

30 squats or less on two legs.

Climbing mountains is an important and crucial moment in the life of every climber. It is necessary to objectively understand the importance of preparation and assess the risks if it is insufficient.

Start preparing in advance, and you will definitely succeed! If you already have climbing experience, share with us how to prepare for such a hike.

To begin with, two theses (they should simply be accepted as an axiom):

1. It has long been established experimentally that the human body’s reaction to altitude is very individual. Some people tolerate heights worse, others better. Some people manage to climb to 5000 or even higher without any visible difficulty with minimal acclimatization (or even without it at all), while others feel bad at 3000 meters, and no higher.

2. The same experimental method has established that a person’s tolerance to heights depends very little on his athletic form and degree of fitness. This is more a question of physiology. Some people have it, some don’t. It happens that on the same ascent, completely unathletic, fragile girls climb successfully, and healthy, strong men break before reaching it, although at the bottom they farted like moose.

But people really like to draw conclusions that are convenient for themselves from anything. And so, perhaps, this is where the sad misconception began to come into use: since it is impossible to train the body for heights, then there is no point in training at all. And this is wrong.

Yes, you won’t improve your individual altitude tolerance much with training (although long-term aerobic exercise on the plains to some extent accustoms the body to working in conditions of lack of oxygen, despite the various mechanisms of hypoxia). But regular aerobic training leads to a number of other positive results, the most significant of which in our case:
- improvement in general health (subject to reasonable and gradual training loads, of course) and, as a result, increasing the body's reserve of strength;
- strengthening the immune system (yes, this wonderful property of the body is achieved not by consuming immunostimulants, but by much simpler things: healthy physical activity, healthy sleep, being in the fresh air, hardening, proper nutrition, etc.);
- increasing strength and endurance;
- development of such an important quality as the ability to endure (including enduring pain, enduring work “at the limit”).

All of these above-mentioned properties of the body can serve you well. Let's consider two situations (quite often encountered).

1. Suppose that two people with roughly the same individual tolerance for heights (and both without mountain experience) go out on a simple mountain route that runs at relatively low altitudes (3000 - 4000 meters on average, with a maximum height of no more than 4500 m). Only one person is a well-trained athlete, and the other in recent years has been limited to walking from the car to the office. And then in the mountains it turns out that both of them do not tolerate heights very well. At 3000 - 3500, both have headaches, problems sleeping, heavy breathing with shortness of breath, “lead legs” and other symptoms. So, with a high degree of probability, the athlete will still be able to complete the route, because his body expends less muscle effort on the same physical work and, as a result, retains more strength to counteract unfavorable altitude factors. And also because he knows how to endure, he has higher strong-willed qualities. And the second person, with the same high degree of probability, will not complete the route, because... another 1000 meters up will be an unbearable load for him in conditions of progressive mountain sickness. His body will simply go limp and refuse to fight. He forgot how to fight.
Such models operate at low altitudes, when the maximum altitude of the route is not much (no more than 1000 meters) higher than the altitude at which a person begins to feel consistently uncomfortable. Provided that the person is at this maximum height for a short time (in other words, “went up and down”). Let's call it "a quick pass."

2. Now the situation is different. Again, two people with roughly the same height tolerance, but this time both tolerate height quite well. Even when climbing to 5000, no problems are felt. But the route in this case is complex and long, and for two weeks the group works on average at altitudes of 5000 - 6000 meters, only once descending for a day at 4000 m. And here, again, the difference is in physical training. One trained regularly all year, and the second, to put it mildly, pushed himself, relying on experience and overall health. So, there is a high probability that a less trained person in this case will not cope with the loads. There is such a thing as "altitude fatigue". It appears during prolonged stay at high altitudes and tends to accumulate along the route. Here, too, a lot is individual: for some, staying above 3000 for a long time is critical, for others - above 4000, but above 5000 meters, perhaps, it is contraindicated for absolutely everyone to stay for a long time. Simply put, everyone has their own altitude zone, in which the body no longer rests, but begins to work hard. High altitude itself takes away a person’s strength, even at rest. And just the duration of the period of being in such a zone, in my opinion, very much depends on the degree of training of a person, on his “margin of safety,” especially if being in a high-altitude zone is associated with increased physical activity (what would it be like without this?). An untrained person can “deflate” in just three days, but a trained person can hold out for a whole month. Yes, even if we move away from the term “high-altitude fatigue” and take simply “fatigue,” then everyone will probably agree that it also accumulates on long hikes, and here everything depends entirely on training. Therefore, in the process of preparing for long (more than two weeks) hikes, and especially for long high-altitude hikes, increased attention should be paid to issues of physical fitness.

That is why for all my high-altitude routes, when selecting participants, I always set two requirements simultaneously:
1. positive high-altitude experience (to exclude individual intolerance to heights)
2. good physical shape (to be sure that a person has enough “margin of safety” for the entire route)

The question of how to train is too extensive (although, on the other hand, it is quite simple: the main thing is to start). Let me just say that long-term (at least half an hour) aerobic exercise is ideal here. This is running, skiing, cycling, swimming. I myself am inclined to believe that the closest muscular and joint-ligament loads for mountain tourism are provided by running. But running is contraindicated for some people due to problems with joints, especially with incorrect running technique. It is best to learn the correct running technique with a professional trainer, then the load on the joints will be minimal. If you are preparing for long high-altitude hikes, then training runs should be from 10 to 20 km, at least 3 times a week (and better if 4-5 times). For example, when selecting participants for climbing Dampus (it was a hike lasting about 20 walking days, with altitudes up to 6000 m), I set a standard - to run 20 km in 1 hour 50 minutes.

For serious sports trips, aerobic exercise alone is not enough; strength training must also be carried out, “pumping up” the muscles of the back and shoulders. First, it will make your life under your backpack easier. Secondly, you will gain sufficient muscle mass. By the way, about muscle mass. Lack of weight can also be a serious cause of “breakdown” for a participant during a long sports hike. On most Nepalese treks this is not relevant, because... there is the opportunity to eat to your heart's content in lodges along the way (the infrastructure on the routes there is very developed). And on a sports trip you have to carry all the food on yourself, the possibilities of “refueling” are extremely rare or non-existent. Accordingly, the food supply is limited, and the body receives fewer calories during the hike than it needs. After two weeks on a hike, the feeling of hunger usually becomes an inseparable companion; everyone gets hungry. And after three weeks, this phenomenon reaches a qualitatively new level, some may even dream about food :) But there is not enough food. Meanwhile, your body has long begun to consume “itself.” First, fat tissue is used, then it comes to muscle mass. And here the saying “while the fat man dries, the thin man dies” is 100 percent justified. I’m not calling for excess weight, God forbid, but lack of muscle mass can become critical. I myself, with a height of 184, weigh on average 68 - 72 kg. And on hikes for more than 3 weeks, I end up having a hard time, especially if the grocery layout is tight. For me, losing 8-10 kg of weight is already quite a lot; the body weakens greatly with such losses. Imagine how hard it is for people who weigh even less (in relation to their height). Therefore, before difficult long hikes, I purposefully “pump up” in order to gain weight to at least 72-73 kg (I simply cannot do more due to the peculiarities of my physiology and constitution). But these reserves are already enough.

You shouldn't get carried away with building muscle mass either. Practice shows that large people (not fat people, but powerful, big guys) in most cases have it harder in the mountains than “asthenics.” There are various theoretical justifications for this (including that more muscle volume requires more oxygen) - I don’t know, I’m not strong in theory here, but life observations encourage me to agree with this thesis. Although, of course, I have encountered striking exceptions to this general trend.

So, the more difficult the hike, the less room there is for natural laziness and the more you have to work on yourself.

In the comments to my report, A. Lebedev’s article about acclimatization in the mountains was mentioned: http://www.risk.ru/blog/9311 - there, in contrast to my fragmentary considerations, everything is very detailed and methodically laid out in relation to preparation for the mountain season, and in particular, recommendations for organizing effective acclimatization in the mountains are excellently presented. I don’t know anything better on this issue than this article. I highly recommend reading it (the author is a multiple champion of Russia in mountain tourism and is known for unique high-altitude treks). I tried to additionally highlight certain points that, as it seemed to me, were not clearly emphasized in the mentioned article.

Strength and health to you :)

Mountains have long attracted people with their beauty, amazing atmosphere and the air that fills the spirit. But not every person decides to climb the mountains due to their physical unpreparedness and fear. After only a few tens of meters traveled, a person may stop due to fatigue or lack of air. The mountains do not like the weak, and require some preparation.

The purchase of appropriate equipment can be postponed to the very last stage, since the presence of a suit and special shoes or a backpack does not mean that you are ready to conquer mountain peaks.

Training endurance

The first thing you need to start with is to increase your endurance. After all, in order not to stop every 10 minutes while hiking and not throw your backpack on a colleague, you need to practice well. Experts believe that the most effective method of developing endurance is cycling or long-distance running. It’s enough to remember physical education lessons at school, when you ran cross-country for 5, 10 km, and how with each new kilometer you gained new breath. Swimming or skiing can also be an excellent alternative, but lifting weights and boxing are not entirely suitable for such purposes. In this case, the length of the legs and the volume of muscles are not the main thing, since the body does not get used to withstanding heavy loads for long. Often an outwardly strong man gives up faster on a hike than a fragile woman.

Each workout should be based on covering a long distance at the same speed: only small deviations are allowed. It’s better to start your first run with 2 km, and add more distance every day. 2-3 workouts a week are enough to physically prepare yourself before the hike organized by http://nunataka.ru.

It’s also a good idea to imitate climbing mountains at home. The most ordinary staircase in a multi-story building does an excellent job for this purpose. You can walk or run on the stairs. If, for example, you live on the 12th floor, stop using the elevator for a while and take the stairs every time. Climbing stairs, like regular squats, very well strengthens the leg muscles, which after such training will practically not hurt during the hike.

Bringing balance back to normal

When hiking in the mountains, you often have to cross a river on a log or jump over a stream. And in order not to slip, it is very important to maintain good balance. A simple and accessible exercise is walking along a curb or log. All training should be done without strong fanaticism, and with joy. Physical fitness is an optional but important item that will make the hike more comfortable and less difficult.

Psychological preparation

When going to the mountains, you must clearly understand that you are not going to a disco or an excursion, but on a hike, which will be somewhat difficult: the sun will not always shine, and the rain may fall, and the clouds will thicken, and the wind will blow, and there will be no paved road either. You must overcome all obstacles with a calm soul: fear, cold, dampness in order to reach the top.

Below are lists of products that participants in trips to Elbrus and Kazbek from 2 to 5 stars should have. There are 3 lists - for 10, 11-12 and 13-14 days (select the one you need in the drop-down list), as well as their options with and without meat.

We use freeze-dried products that are light in weight, but as a result of cooking they turn into complete meals:

You can buy this package of products from us or assemble it and prepare it yourself. Although this is labor-intensive, it is not difficult and quite possible. However, it should be noted that the price of a package assembled yourself will be approximately the same as when purchasing a ready-made package from us.

High quality.

The list of products is compiled in such a way that food on a hike is sufficiently high in calories, high in protein, varied and tasty. The latter is especially important, since in the mountains it is usually not important to eat due to lack of oxygen.

For vegetarians.

We respect and support those who do not eat meat on principle. Meat is not included in freeze-dried mixtures and is packaged separately. Thus, we have the opportunity to cook on the go for vegetarians too. If you do not eat meat, please notify us and we will prepare a vegetarian package for you. The meat in it will be replaced with nuts.

How to prepare such food?

Cooking with this bag is very easy. It is enough to boil water, add a certain number of sublimate portions into it and cook for some time. This takes from 5 to 30 minutes depending on the altitude you are at (the higher, the longer).

Who cooks on a hike?

The food is prepared by those on duty from among the participants, as is customary in a normal mountain hike. They are on duty in pairs. During one trip, each participant usually has 1-2 shifts. If the guards on duty don’t understand something, the guides help them with this.

Grocery list

• Package with meat for 11-12 days, gram Package with meat for 10 days, gram Package without meat for 11-12 days, gram Package without meat for 10 days, gram Package with meat for 13-14 days, gram Package without meat for 13-14 days, gram

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	100
	200
Melted butter	200
	280
Tomato cheese sauce (sub.)	50
Pasta (pasta)	70
Mushroom soup (subl.)	70
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
	200
Indian curry (sub.)	210
Rosehip and hawthorn	400
Dried apricots	120
Dried pear	100
Kozinaki	220
	360
Smoked sausage	200
Parmesan cheese	200
Bread	200
Snickers bars	400
Bee pollen	50
Beef (sub.)	200
Sugar	670
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	50
	200
Package weight, g.	5700
Package price, rub.	11800

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	50
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	150
Melted butter	140
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (sub.)	210
Tomato cheese sauce (sub.)	100
Pasta (pasta)	140
Mushroom soup (subl.)	140
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	100
Indian curry (sub.)	140
Rosehip and hawthorn	320
Dried apricots	100
Dried pear	80
Kozinaki	180
Power Pro Protein Bars	240
Smoked sausage	100
Parmesan cheese	100
Bread	100
Snickers bars	300
Bee pollen	40
Beef (sub.)	170
Sugar	535
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	40
Mix of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	4625
Package price, rub.	9400

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	100
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	200
Melted butter	200
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (sub.)	280
Tomato cheese sauce (sub.)	50
Pasta (pasta)	70
Mushroom soup (subl.)	70
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	200
Indian curry (sub.)	210
Rosehip and hawthorn	400
Dried apricots	120
Dried pear	100
Kozinaki	220
Power Pro Protein Bars	360
Parmesan cheese	200
Bread	200
Snickers bars	400
Bee pollen	50
Mixed nuts	400
Sugar	670
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	50
Mix of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	5700
Package price, rub.	11800

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	50
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	150
Melted butter	140
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (sub.)	210
Tomato cheese sauce (sub.)	100
Pasta (pasta)	140
Mushroom soup (subl.)	140
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	100
Indian curry (sub.)	140
Rosehip and hawthorn	320
Dried apricots	100
Dried pear	80
Kozinaki	180
Power Pro Protein Bars	240
Parmesan cheese	100
Bread	100
Snickers bars	300
Bee pollen	40
Mixed nuts	270
Sugar	535
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	50
Mix of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	4625
Package price, rub.	9400

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	100
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	200
Melted butter	200
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (sub.)	210
Tomato cheese sauce (sub.)	150
Pasta (pasta)	210
Mushroom soup (subl.)	210
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	200
Indian curry (sub.)	210
Rosehip and hawthorn	400
Dried apricots	120
Dried pear	120
Kozinaki	240
Power Pro Protein Bars	360
Smoked sausage	200
Parmesan cheese	200
Bread	200
Snickers bars	400
Bee pollen	55
Beef (sub.)	200
Sugar	740
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	55
Mix of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	6130
Package price, rub.	12700

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	100
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	200
Melted butter	200
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (sub.)	210
Tomato cheese sauce (sub.)	150
Pasta (pasta)	210
Mushroom soup (subl.)	210
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	200
Indian curry (sub.)	210
Rosehip and hawthorn	400
Dried apricots	120
Dried pear	120
Kozinaki	240
Power Pro Protein Bars	360
Parmesan cheese	200
Bread	200
Snickers bars	400
Bee pollen	55
Mixed nuts	430
Sugar	740
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	55
Mix of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	6130
Package price, rub.	12700

Change by day.

Below is the change by day. It is approximate and may be slightly changed, but basically this is the food that will be provided on the route. When compiling the change, we took into account the labor costs of the participants on certain days and correlated them with caloric intake. On heavy days, the calorie intake is higher than on days when physical activity is less.

1 day. Small transition.	Dinner. Indian curry + 10 gr. meat + 40 gr. melted butter. Dried apricots or dried pear, kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calorie content: 781 kcal. Protein: 22 gr.
Day 2. Big transition.	Breakfast. Coffee with sugar. Oatmeal + nut butter 50 gr. + melted butter 20 gr. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Dinner. Snack without cooking. Dinner. Borscht + 10 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear, kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 2524 kcal. Protein:'98
Day 3. Big transition.	Breakfast. Coffee with sugar. Pasta with tomato cheese sauce + 10 gr. meat. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Individual snack during the transition. Snickers. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Snack without cooking. Protein bar. Cheese + sausage (or nuts) + rye bread. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Indian curry + meat 20 gr. + 40 gr. melted butter. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 2715 kcal. Protein: 102 g.
Day 4 Big transition.	Breakfast. Coffee with sugar. Quinoa. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Individual snack during the transition. Snickers. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Snack without cooking. Protein bar. Cheese + sausage (or nuts) + rye bread. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Calories: 2487 kcal. Protein: 95.4 g.
Day 5 Small transition.	Breakfast. Coffee with sugar. Mashed potatoes with vegetables. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Individual snack during the transition. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Full cooking. Buckwheat with meat and vegetables. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Borscht + 20 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 1888 kcal. Protein: 93.6 g.
Day 6 Acclimat - ation exit.	Breakfast. Oatmeal + nut butter 50 gr. + ghee 20 gr. A teaspoon of bee pollen. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Rassolnik + 20 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Calories: 2436 kcal. Protein:'84
Day 7 Rest.	Breakfast. Dinner. Full cooking. Dinner. Indian curry + 10 gr. meat + 40 gr. melted butter. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 2299 kcal. Protein: 90.9 g.
Day 8 Climbing to the top.	Breakfast. Quinoa + nut oil 50 gr. + ghee 20 gr. A teaspoon of bee pollen. Cocoa with sugar. Individual snacks during the transition. Snickers 2 pcs. Protein bar. Tea with sugar. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Borscht + 10 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Calories: 2386 kcal. Protein:'84
Day 9 Descent.	Breakfast. Pasta with tomato cheese sauce + 10 gr. meat. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Individual snack during the transition. Snickers. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Protein bar. Cheese + sausage (or nuts) + rye bread. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Thai wok with mushrooms and vegetables + 10 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 2242 kcal. Protein: 104 g.
Day 10 Reserve day.	Breakfast. Mushroom soup. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Rassolnik + 10 gr. meat. Buckwheat with meat and vegetables. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Mashed potatoes with vegetables. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 1916 kcal. Protein:'85
Day 11 Reserve day. Rest.	Breakfast. Mashed potatoes with vegetables. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Mushroom soup. Buckwheat with meat and vegetables. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Rassolnik + 10 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 1958 kcal. Protein:'75

Many people ask how best to train to prepare themselves for the climb. I’ll tell you about this now. In fact, there is nothing supernatural in preparation. Everything ingenious is simple! But not everything simple is easy. You will need a lot of self-discipline and commitment to training. In any case, whether you go to the mountains or not, everything I tell you here will bring great benefits to your body. During a mountain hike, you will have to do hard, but not excessive, aerobic work.

Mountain tourism, as a rule, is not characterized by “explosive” loads, as in sprinting or weightlifting; individual fast movements are possible only in moments of danger - to dodge a stone, delay a fall, grab food first, etc. Usually, A mountain tourist is characterized by slow, smooth, measured movements for a long time, which allows us to assert that in terms of the nature of the loads, mountain tourism is close to cycling, skiing, race walking, long-distance running and swimming, and of course, mountaineering.

To prepare for a hike in the mountains, aerobic types of exercise are most suitable, that is, long-term, monotonous, not too intense, endurance training for the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Athletes who regularly engage in aerobic sports, that is, those that develop long-term endurance, such as skiing, swimming, football, cycling, adapt to high altitude conditions faster than non-athletes or athletes specializing in speed-strength sports (sprinting, bodybuilding , Weightlifting).

Hiking in the mountains is a test of your physical, moral and volitional strength. So that during the hike you do not feel severe discomfort and overwork, so that this hike is a pleasure for you, and not a test on the verge of life and death - I will tell you how to prepare yourself physically, develop endurance and how to mentally prepare for the hike so that everything goes well.

Endurance training

You need to prepare for the hike in advance, I advise you not to put it off until later, but start now. This is in your interests and in the interests of the group, because... you will be in a group and, as you know, the speed of movement of a group is equal to the speed of movement of its weakest member, and it is very important that everyone goes to the mountains already physically prepared. You will have to train mainly endurance - it is this that is the priority in the mountains, where vast spaces dominate.

Running will help you best. But we must remember that when hiking we walk, not run, so during training we should give preference to leisurely running over long distances rather than forced marches to set record times. Running primarily develops the respiratory system - this is very important on climbs, where an unprepared body often lacks oxygen. Namely, the lack of oxygen in the blood causes that state when you no longer want to get up, but even to live, when your vision goes dark and your heart, trying to move more blood to saturate the muscles with oxygen, breaks out of your chest! Therefore, be sure to include running in your current training system. Run slowly, but a lot.

In addition to the respiratory system, running strengthens the muscles of the ankle, which is very important when hiking (you often have to walk on uneven surfaces and there is always a chance to twist your ankle). I advise you to do daily jogging, in the morning or evening. The main thing is that your body begins to get used to aerobic exercise, of which there will be a lot in the mountains.

Leg muscle training

The leg muscles need to be trained first. Here running alone will not be enough. Along with developing endurance, you need to develop strength in your legs. In addition to jogging, it is very important to include SQUATS in your training system, because... doing them is a good workout for the hip extensor muscles. These are exactly the muscles that experience the greatest load when climbing uphill.

Make it a rule to do 100 squats every day. Choose the number of approaches yourself based on your physical condition, but it’s better if you can easily squat 100 times or more in one approach. The more you squat, the better for you. If simple squats are easy for you, that’s great, then put on a backpack, put a five-liter bottle of water in it and squat with additional load. As your legs strengthen, add more bottles of water, but don’t overdo it too much, because... the emphasis should be on the number of squats, and not on a one-time squat with a 50-kilogram backpack after which you will not be able to get up. Everything is good in moderation, everything is bad without moderation.

Complete body workout

As soon as the snow melts, you can safely get on your BIKE. Cycling is great for developing endurance and strengthening leg muscles. If possible, try to go to the pool once a week. SWIMMING puts a good load on the entire body.

You should also pay close attention to training your back muscles. You will be carrying all your equipment on your back, and the load will not be small. If you don’t have experience walking with a heavy backpack over rough terrain, then I recommend that you start getting it now.

If you have not yet hardened yourself, then it is very important to start doing this. This way you will strengthen your body and be resistant to temperature stress.

Skip the elevator. Walk up and down the stairs, this will simulate ascent and descent. It’s even better if you don’t walk, but run. And it’s even better if you do all this with a backpack on your shoulders. Increase the weight of the backpack as your body strengthens.

Try to get out into the forest and run over rough terrain, this will greatly advance you in preparation for the hike. Don't forget about the backpack, you should get used to it by now. In addition to physical preparation, there is also psychological preparation, which is an integral part of preparing for a successful hike.

Psychological attitude

You need to be prepared in advance that the hike will not be an easy walk or excursion. Remember that the sun does not always shine and there is a dry and flat surface under your feet. You must understand that sometimes it will be scary, hard, wet, cold and very uncomfortable. Be ready to overcome it all. Hiking in the mountains is always a challenge! A test of your fortitude, willpower, endurance and patience.

If you are psychologically prepared for the climb with all its difficulties, then everything will be fine. Mountains love the strong and brave.

If the instructor resolves all general issues, then you are responsible for your physical and moral condition. You need to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best. We must not be careless about the ascent, because we are going to the highest peak of our country.

Let me summarize: To prepare as best as possible for the hike, start running regularly, do weighted squats, walk more often with a heavy backpack over rough terrain, give up the elevator, toughen up, and be committed to your workouts. The most important thing is gradualism. Start small, move to bigger. Don't put it off until tomorrow. Start now and you will be happy!