How to Prepare for Treks (even when you kind of hate trekking)

“Within forty minutes, the voice inside my head was screaming, WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO? I tried to ignore it, to hum as I hiked, though humming proved too difficult to do while also panting and moaning in agony and trying to remain hunched in that remotely upright position while also propelling myself forward when I felt like a building with legs.”

- Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

That sums up how I feel every single time I go trekking, except I start regretting just ten minutes into the trek. But as much as I hate trekking, I still go on treks with Vik. Why? Because I like to torture myself? No, it’s because the sense of achievement you feel when you summit is just SO awesome. And I really like the toned legs you get from trek trainings and the trek itself. :p What I hate most, or rather, the difficult part for me, happens after I summit, when we begin our descent (I hate descending. I’m super afraid that I will fall face down).

Picture: Mount Rinjani, taken in Nov 2013

Anyway, I recently have had a few friends asking me about the treks I took, what to prepare and how I trained. But, friends, are you really ready to take on the challenge?! It’s not just a walk in the park…

Training

First and foremost, one needs to have some level of fitness to enjoy a trek. A basic guide to training for treks will involve load training and runs; one of each a week (You can add on other cross discipline trainings to mix it up). This will depend on how tough your trek is and how much load you are carrying (not the porters). If your body is not suited yet to a 10km run/jog or a 40 floor climb with a 7kg load, we heavily discourage you to try for high altitude mountains and or any of the mountains that are quoted as above 2 stars in any country. This should also include a preparatory long walk at Bukit Timah hill (2-3hours) with load in the last 2 weeks before the trek.

To put it simply, if it’s a tropical trek in Malaysia that is less than 1300m and a 1-2 days ascent, you just need a month or less to prepare. If it goes above that height but short of 3500m (rough height for AMS to hit), with a difficulty of about 3 stars and more than 3 days, you might need at least a month or two of training.

Treks that go beyond 3500m are a different matter, especially if you are intending to do the night summit push to see the sunrise. Speed ascents are heavily discouraged, as acclimatization is paramount for an enjoyable experience. Frankly speaking, it boils down to physical and mental endurance. It all depends on how many days the trek takes, and how much load you carry. For a detailed training program, you can email Vik, who used to conduct training for the trek team back in SMU.

Attire

This depends on where you are planning to go and how many days you are doing. If it’s in South East Asia or anywhere with tropical weather, you should trek in dri-fit and shorts, as you will constantly heat up and sweat. Then again, you could also wear UV protective attire that have long sleeves and long pants to prevent sun burn and accidental grazes. A waterproof windbreaker/shell is also a must in the unpredictable mountain weather. You will need to have it accessible as and when the weather changes.

For higher mountains, if you plan to push for the summit hoping to catch the glorius sunrise, you will also need thermal wear & fleece as additional layers under your shell. If you were hot and sweaty all this while, dont ever think that it will be like that during the night ascent. So unless you are going for a short hike in the tropical region thats not really above 1500m, you will definitely need adequate cold wear. Even if you aren't pushing for sunrise, you will still need some warmth when you sleep in the tent at night when temperatures can drop drastically.

Footwear

Footwear wise, no one says you can’t trek with your normal walking shoes. I mean, the porters wear flip flops and walk much faster than us. But if you’re a noobie like me, it’s better to get a pair of trekking boots with good grip. They make me feel safer and much more confident. Grip is the most important thing to me because I’m really scared that I’ll slip and fall down the mountain. Remember to bring high socks.

Snacks

Bring some of your fave snacks to eat on-the-go. When you’re hot, sweaty and exhausted, comfort food or snacks really help. Dried fruits, nuts (how are they even comfort snacks sia), chocolates, bak gua, cookies, etc. Whatever, just bring! Vik and I even brought a can of beer up Mt. Kinabalu summit to drink while enjoying the sunrise. :p