Fitness, Health, Equipment

Physical and mental fitness as well as appropriate equipment are prerequisites to fully enjoy your trekking experience. Below you find an outline of the most important aspects to consider with regard to fitness and health issues and for preparing your trekking pack.

Health and Fitness

Treks at the high altitudes of the Himalaya demand a good state of health and an adequate physical fitness. In most cases high altitudes can be managed by people of all age groups without major difficulties. However, people with symptoms of heart problems or other cardiovascular concerns should consult their doctor before attempting high altitude treks.

Our trekking itineraries have been set up in a way to assure a step by step adaption to high altitude. For some treks (e.g. Spiti-Ladakh, Mesokanto La) this is, however, not possible. Therefore we plan adequate acclimatization measures on the point of departure of the treks. For emergencies we carry also a hyperbaric chamber and bottled oxygen.

With regard to achieving a sufficient fitness level we recommend that participants engage in a training routine before joining the trekking tour. Without a sound preparation the trekkers will be unable to complete daily walks of several hours at high altitude. Therefore it is essential that participants start to build up their physical condition at least 3 month before the treks begin and start to do more jogging or cycling. In addition to the regular training activities it is important to complete a number of full day hikes, preferably at altitudes above 2'500m and with ascents and descents of 500 to 800. This series of preparation routines will give you a real time impression of your trekking fitness level and will enable you to adapt your training accordingly. More on preparation and training issues you find here: Fit for the Himalaya

Concerning the difficulty level of our treks they can all be categorized as "Demanding Treks". They require a sound physical condition and run through partially rocky and alpine terrain, often at high altitudes with occasionally steep ascents and descents on partly pathless trekking routes. Trekkers need to be free of giddiness and feel confident in walking on difficult terrain and narrow paths. The daily walking time is normally up to 8 hours, on certain occasions it may even be more.

Besides the high altitude and physical fitness travelers to India and Nepal must be aware of a number of other health related issues. More on health you find by clicking here: Fitness and Health

Equipment

Complete and suitable equipment is an essential element in assuring your wellbeing and your safety on the trek. The weather in the visited areas can change and we need to be prepared for strong winds. In the autumn occasional snow falls at high altitude are not uncommon. Consequently temperatures vary a lot. During the day we may enjoy temperatures of around 20°C, at night the temperature can go to freezing point and in October and November night temperatures of -10°C to -15°C are quite possible, especially at high altitudes.

To cope efficiently with the varied weather situations we recommend to use so called "multi layer system" clothing. Furthermore you need good shoes (used!!) and a sleeping bag that can be used for temperatures to -25°C. In order to help you find an equipment configuration which results in a minimum of weight and assures maximum protection we prepared a "packing list" which you can download by clicking on this text: Pack List

The trekking luggage is limited to 18kg per person. Therefore take with only what you really need and be surprised with how little you manage when using the multi layer system.

Info about the Treks

- Why Book with Us?

- Gulmarg References

- Tsum Valley Trek NEW

- Spiti & Ladakh 

- Mustang & Teri La

- Around Manaslu

- Mesokanto La & Tilicho Lake

- Fitness & Equipment

- Terms and Conditions

Contact/Reservations

- info@freeskihimalaya.com

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