Steps and More Steps on the EBC Trek So Do Step Training
How You Should Train so that you will Enjoy doing The EBC Trek
Do step training for the EBC Trek. It will help to trek to the Annapurna region too.This part of the Everest Base Camp trek trail is just out of Namche Bazaar on the way to Tengboche. Worth all the effort with another amazing view just around the corner.We did our step training three months out from out EBC Trek departure date. The main two months we did our step training for Everest Base Camp Trek are featured here. Here’s another photo of lots of stairs to prove the point.These two people are runners from the Everest Base Camp Marathon in 2015.
Train with Trekking Poles and take them on Your EBC Trek
Trekking Poles will make a difference to how good your feel on your trek. Walking sticks or trekking poles are a good investment. They are even more important going downhill they lessen the impact on your knees. The will make your trek to Everest Base Camp experience much more enjoyable. Who wants to ache and be in pain at the end of each day of your trek.Don’t leave home without trekking poles if you are trekking in Nepal. Or I could say don’t leave Kathmandu without them. You can buy them cheaply there. However if you do that it might mean you haven’t trained with them. Training with your trekking poles is really important. Because you will ache after using them if you are not used to using trekking poles. Like any training you need to ease into and slowly build up the the time and intensity you use equipment or use different muscles.
Train on Treadmill Inclines and Hills with Packs and Trekking Poles
Training with All Your Gear Before You Leave For Your TrekThat means
Train with your pack with increasing weight. Do this even if you are only trekking with a 5 or 6 kilo day pack.
Train with your boots. Buy them early like six months before so they are well broken in.
Train with all your trekking clothes.
Train in the rain and the sun.
Train on the weekends and after work.
Train to you are sick of it.Because you will have days like these…. see the video click here Two Hours To Tengboche
28 thoughts on “Train For Hills and Steps on the EBC Trek”
Great information. Thank you for sharing your experience. I will use a few of these tips for my next trip. (I want to go back to Nepal now – its going to be hard to wait till next September)
Very informative Louise, thanks! Just wondering how I can train with my poles when it’s so flat here where I live. Can you still just use it regardless?
How have you been? Miss hearing from you! I’ve gone to France lately and it was great. In March, I’m planning to go to South America. Still waiting as hoping to go to Nepal in the next couple of years.
Hi Boots, I would train with the poles on the flat too. it is still using the muscles. I am well. I have just been taking a back seat in my blog life for a while. I will get over to your blog to read about France very soon. Hope you are going well too. Speak next on your blog posts. 🙂 Louise
Look forward to reading those soon 🙂 I know what you mean…I always seem to be chasing my tale on writing and can’t seem to publish a post within days of the experience. It doesn’t help that I’m building a replacement photography site and it is sporadically at best as the support has been pretty crappy…onwards and upwards.
Great advice. I couldn’t agree more about training with your gear on. It made a huge difference for me when I did a long trek last summer. My companions had not done this and had to stop constantly to make adjustments (and complain loudly). I can’t imagine doing those steps at altitude!
Hi Louise – delighted to have found your blog! So much fabulous info! I’m in my mid 60’s and went to do EBC last September but couldn’t because flights to Lukla were cancelled for 3 days in a row. So the group (Intrepid) went to Annapurna base camp instead. It was tough walking but beautiful and a great challenge. Even though we didn’t get to EBC I’m sure ABC was similar – everything you say about training, the conditions etc is spot on (except most of the toilets on the ABC route were squat ones and disgusting). I will now think of the accom as ‘simple’ not basic! I’m attempting EBC again in March….your blog re the route will be invaluable. Hope you get there again this year! Vicki
Hi Vicki, Actually last night I was going to email you, as I saw you had followed me by email. I assumed you must not have a blog. So when I saw you had liked my blog today I had a quick look at your’s this morning before I had to run off. I wondered if you were planning to challenge yourself to the EBC trek. It seems a lot of people start thinking about it at this time of the year for the trek in October through to December. But you had already tried to get there. How disappointing that you didn’t. When we there in September 2015 we were the first and last flight in. There were no more flights for 5 days. So it was very quiet along the trail. Some groups were helicoptering into to Lukla.
I posted for a while but am planning some posts to fill a few gaps I think I have on my blog. If there are any questions you want specifically answered email me. I am happy to answer any questions if I can. It will be good feedback for me also. We are planning a return trip but to Gokyo.
Are you going with intrepid again? Thanks for the follow. I intend to do the same with your blog and have a read in more detail some of your posts. Louise
Hi Louise
I did my year long blog a few years ago now so it’s a bit out of date 🙂
Yes, we’re going with Intrepid again – they’ve given us a free trip (due to various problems on the previous one). I’d be happy to do it like you did – though we had a wonderful group of people who really made it fun. I’m a bit apprehensive about the altitude but I think rest days will help (we didn’t have any on ABC) and I hope mid March won’t be too cold. It was often really hot walking in September last year. I’ll be reading all your posts in detail and would love to ask you questions if needed. All such great info – thanks again! Vicki
So Nepal is definitely a place I want to get to… For less advanced type of treks than EBC does one need to do the same kind of training to do them, or is it just for this particularly tough route? I find it all fascinating and would do the training, just we tend to be last minute planners, so its unlikely we would actually get to do it in such a focused a way as it seems is necessary…. Could we still go and do hikes, we are in decent physical shape but of course every type of exercise is different and I can see how preparation would make a big difference in enjoyment and success level…?
Hi Louise, since you visited my blog and left a few comments, I have been poking around your site. I am in awe of you. I read an interview recently with a woman who crossed the Arctic alone, and who subsequently organized other trips for women only, and she said that 50 year old women have the best endurance. You seem to be a case in point. I am not sure I will ever trek to the base of Everest – my next big thing is to see gorillas in the wild but you are an overall inspiration.
Hi Claudia, Thank you for your kind words. Well I didn’t do it alone. I had my “Trainer” behind me all the way, especially for the all important training. Interesting that the Arctic Woman made the comment the 50 year women have the most endurance. I think there may be some truth in that women in their fifties start to look after themselves and have and make more time for themselves and their fitness etc and perhaps they have the endurance and mental capacity because of their life experiences. Seeing the gorillas does look like an amazing experience. I actually think I would be quite nervous doing that!. Thanks for visiting… if you decide to put a trek to EBC or somewhere in Nepal I am sure you could do it. It was certainly something that I never thought I would do, Louise
Yes, I think she said their bodies could be conditioned and their minds are much more resilient. I guess something good about this whole aging business. I included your blog in my Saturday’s 5 things we love.
Yes definitely our mental resilience is a great thing. I turned 60 late last year and I’m embracing it. What’s the alternative? We are planning a third trek to the Everest region later in the year. Thank you for the blog post mention. So you will post that on Saturday, Do you have a set time? Thank you, Louise
Hi Peta, I’ve been thinking about a response for a few days. You SHOULD go and it ‘s so close for you.
The EBC Trek is rated medium hard by Lonely Planet. I guess hard is relative and really about how fit and prepared for the hills and steps you are. It’s also about mental preparation. I can’t emphasise that enough. I genuinely didn’t have very much pain or problems and I put this down to the training. There are lots of different walks in this area and then of course there is the Annapurna area.
I know you are very fit with your yoga and active lifestyle. I think if you did some leg muscle ( thighs and calves) and knee strengthening exercises you would be ok. Maybe some bike training. Not sure if you have hills to do some training. You don’t really have to train for long walks because you are not travelling great distances each day, it’s just the hills. And the altitude.
Another factor to the fact that I handled the altitude well I think was I had really a high iron count.
You could walk to Thame or just to Dingboche in the Khumbu region. There are lots of places you could go in Nepal but try to get to experience those big landscapes they are amazing.
Also I imagine you would go independently with a porter. If you do your own trek you can change plans, take it slowly etc. I just loved it. We are planning to go again at the end of the year. hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you want. Louise
The Year I Touched My Toes 
Great information. Thank you for sharing your experience. I will use a few of these tips for my next trip. (I want to go back to Nepal now – its going to be hard to wait till next September)
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Training with your gear is absolutely essential. Amazing that people don’t think of that.
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Very informative Louise, thanks! Just wondering how I can train with my poles when it’s so flat here where I live. Can you still just use it regardless?
How have you been? Miss hearing from you! I’ve gone to France lately and it was great. In March, I’m planning to go to South America. Still waiting as hoping to go to Nepal in the next couple of years.
Take care!
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NOW !!! It will be worth the wait.
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Yes. May be first timers. You don;t repeat the mistake a second time.
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Great information and tips!
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Still waiting *and hoping to go to Nepal
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Hi Boots, I would train with the poles on the flat too. it is still using the muscles. I am well. I have just been taking a back seat in my blog life for a while. I will get over to your blog to read about France very soon. Hope you are going well too. Speak next on your blog posts. 🙂 Louise
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Thanks Nila. I’ve got a pile of blog posts to catch up on. ours are on the list. Louise
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I know you will get there.
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Look forward to reading those soon 🙂 I know what you mean…I always seem to be chasing my tale on writing and can’t seem to publish a post within days of the experience. It doesn’t help that I’m building a replacement photography site and it is sporadically at best as the support has been pretty crappy…onwards and upwards.
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Great advice. I couldn’t agree more about training with your gear on. It made a huge difference for me when I did a long trek last summer. My companions had not done this and had to stop constantly to make adjustments (and complain loudly). I can’t imagine doing those steps at altitude!
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Yes avanti, sempre avanti !!!
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Siiii, sempre! 😉
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I don’t think I’ll ever go to the heights that you have Louise, but the tips are great, thank you.
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WoW! Sounds like some exciting trekking in Nepal and when I plan to visit, will try it.
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Sounds like a great idea to me.
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Hi Louise – delighted to have found your blog! So much fabulous info! I’m in my mid 60’s and went to do EBC last September but couldn’t because flights to Lukla were cancelled for 3 days in a row. So the group (Intrepid) went to Annapurna base camp instead. It was tough walking but beautiful and a great challenge. Even though we didn’t get to EBC I’m sure ABC was similar – everything you say about training, the conditions etc is spot on (except most of the toilets on the ABC route were squat ones and disgusting). I will now think of the accom as ‘simple’ not basic! I’m attempting EBC again in March….your blog re the route will be invaluable. Hope you get there again this year! Vicki
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Hi Vicki, Actually last night I was going to email you, as I saw you had followed me by email. I assumed you must not have a blog. So when I saw you had liked my blog today I had a quick look at your’s this morning before I had to run off. I wondered if you were planning to challenge yourself to the EBC trek. It seems a lot of people start thinking about it at this time of the year for the trek in October through to December. But you had already tried to get there. How disappointing that you didn’t. When we there in September 2015 we were the first and last flight in. There were no more flights for 5 days. So it was very quiet along the trail. Some groups were helicoptering into to Lukla.
I posted for a while but am planning some posts to fill a few gaps I think I have on my blog. If there are any questions you want specifically answered email me. I am happy to answer any questions if I can. It will be good feedback for me also. We are planning a return trip but to Gokyo.
Are you going with intrepid again? Thanks for the follow. I intend to do the same with your blog and have a read in more detail some of your posts. Louise
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Hi Louise
I did my year long blog a few years ago now so it’s a bit out of date 🙂
Yes, we’re going with Intrepid again – they’ve given us a free trip (due to various problems on the previous one). I’d be happy to do it like you did – though we had a wonderful group of people who really made it fun. I’m a bit apprehensive about the altitude but I think rest days will help (we didn’t have any on ABC) and I hope mid March won’t be too cold. It was often really hot walking in September last year. I’ll be reading all your posts in detail and would love to ask you questions if needed. All such great info – thanks again! Vicki
LikeLiked by 1 person
So Nepal is definitely a place I want to get to… For less advanced type of treks than EBC does one need to do the same kind of training to do them, or is it just for this particularly tough route? I find it all fascinating and would do the training, just we tend to be last minute planners, so its unlikely we would actually get to do it in such a focused a way as it seems is necessary…. Could we still go and do hikes, we are in decent physical shape but of course every type of exercise is different and I can see how preparation would make a big difference in enjoyment and success level…?
Peta
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Hi Louise, since you visited my blog and left a few comments, I have been poking around your site. I am in awe of you. I read an interview recently with a woman who crossed the Arctic alone, and who subsequently organized other trips for women only, and she said that 50 year old women have the best endurance. You seem to be a case in point. I am not sure I will ever trek to the base of Everest – my next big thing is to see gorillas in the wild but you are an overall inspiration.
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Hi Claudia, Thank you for your kind words. Well I didn’t do it alone. I had my “Trainer” behind me all the way, especially for the all important training. Interesting that the Arctic Woman made the comment the 50 year women have the most endurance. I think there may be some truth in that women in their fifties start to look after themselves and have and make more time for themselves and their fitness etc and perhaps they have the endurance and mental capacity because of their life experiences. Seeing the gorillas does look like an amazing experience. I actually think I would be quite nervous doing that!. Thanks for visiting… if you decide to put a trek to EBC or somewhere in Nepal I am sure you could do it. It was certainly something that I never thought I would do, Louise
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Yes, I think she said their bodies could be conditioned and their minds are much more resilient. I guess something good about this whole aging business. I included your blog in my Saturday’s 5 things we love.
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Yes definitely our mental resilience is a great thing. I turned 60 late last year and I’m embracing it. What’s the alternative? We are planning a third trek to the Everest region later in the year. Thank you for the blog post mention. So you will post that on Saturday, Do you have a set time? Thank you, Louise
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Hi Peta, I’ve been thinking about a response for a few days. You SHOULD go and it ‘s so close for you.
The EBC Trek is rated medium hard by Lonely Planet. I guess hard is relative and really about how fit and prepared for the hills and steps you are. It’s also about mental preparation. I can’t emphasise that enough. I genuinely didn’t have very much pain or problems and I put this down to the training. There are lots of different walks in this area and then of course there is the Annapurna area.
I know you are very fit with your yoga and active lifestyle. I think if you did some leg muscle ( thighs and calves) and knee strengthening exercises you would be ok. Maybe some bike training. Not sure if you have hills to do some training. You don’t really have to train for long walks because you are not travelling great distances each day, it’s just the hills. And the altitude.
Another factor to the fact that I handled the altitude well I think was I had really a high iron count.
You could walk to Thame or just to Dingboche in the Khumbu region. There are lots of places you could go in Nepal but try to get to experience those big landscapes they are amazing.
Also I imagine you would go independently with a porter. If you do your own trek you can change plans, take it slowly etc. I just loved it. We are planning to go again at the end of the year. hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you want. Louise
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Sorry – only saw this now…on Sunday. You obviously saw it by now
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