Training for alpine hunting 2024

[User00047]

Where is it you intend to hunt?
Is there altitude above 7000'?
If so, there isn't anything you can to do help with that apart from acclimatise over a couple of says, you might think you are fit, but altitude will bring you down!

Altitude 6000 ft- 10000 ft. Nothing too extreme, but being as fit as possible at sea level is obviously going to help.

 

[devon deer stalker]

Altitude 6000 ft- 10000 ft. Nothing too extreme, but being as fit as possible at sea level is obviously going to help.

Sounds like an adventure, even at those heights it will play on your breathing until you get used to it, fitness won't hurt, but even the fittest person can struggle with elevation, just take it easy and I'm sure you will gave a great hunt.

 

[WalkedUp]

I run 5km of quagmire in the heavy clay before work (after dog training), then a single set of 10 long arm chin ups… every weekday. It isn’t much but that 25 minutes keeps my fitness sharp. I use Solomon trail shoes and they are useless falling apart quickly but their size 11s fit perfectly. Off road in slippy mud, branches and puddles your feet have to constantly adjust. Much better for core and joint strength than tarmac and much more draining.

 

[User00047]

Off road in slippy mud, branches and puddles your feet have to constantly adjust. Much better for core and joint strength than tarmac and much more draining.

Thats why I like running on the coastal footpath. It is a bit hazardous for injuries but it’s more of a full body workout than just running on tarmac. My current route is more about survival than speed
Just to add to the danger, there are little sharp metal stumps hidden among the muddy puddles that are the exposed bases of former fence posts, now in the middle of the path.

 

[WalkedUp]

Yes, the challenge of avoiding serious injury certainly adds some much needed jeopardy into an otherwise mundane morning. I go out at 0615 and so during November to January it is nice and dark, much more fun as I don’t use a headtorch etc.

 

[Brave Echo Niner]

Just wondering what you guys do to keep fit for mountain hunting?
Any specific exercises you find useful ( apart from running up hills obviously )
I’m able to do a bit more training on weekends now and I’d like to incorporate helpful exercises as part of my routine.
Also if anyone can recommend the best trail running (for SLIPPERY MUD) shoes, from experience please? I’ve had Nike/UA and they just fall apart. Cheers

As some have said - Inov-8 mud claws are ace.

I placed fairly highly at national level fell running using these and they were excellent for keeping grip on mud and stone.

With respect to keeping fit interval training is very helpful, but for most just generally getting out and putting a good few miles under the foot with a good diet will be sufficient to prep for keeping up on the hill.

Inov8 Mudclaw 300 Classic Trail Running Shoes - 35% Off | SportsShoes.com

 

[Mick9abf]

I’ve hunted in the Alps three times, the first time was probably the hardest going albeit they were all relatively challenging but by no means do you have to be superman.

The best thing with any hill work is to avoid injury. Don’t train with unnecessary weight or badly spread weight, do light jogs at a steady pace, build up through Fartlek type training. If you can’t get into the hills you can do step ups onto a box, make sure you don’t put unnecessary strain on your joints though.

Ultimately it is challenging depending on fitness levels but any guide will adjust tempo to suit. My experiences all followed doing a decent bit of hard walking, then stop and spy for a while until you see something that is of the correct class then getting a stalk on. I’ve a German mate who is into his 70’s now who is active enough but still manages to hunt Gams every year.

Trail running shoes is really an individual thing, Salomon fit me and aren’t too expensive but they won’t suit the next person so the best thing to do is find a specialist running shop where they will let you try various pairs on to see what suits your foot shape best.

Time of year and weather will depend on boots, 4 season for winter but I did a late summer hunt one year and used a set of goretex trail boots which were probably 3 season with gaiters which suited fine (I still had the 4 seasons in the bag).

It’s not all rocks, there are a lot of high up pastures with only a bit of rock which are easy enough going. Ask whoever you’re going with what they suggest, or look at what they’re wearing and follow suit.

When you are there make sure you’ve a couple of dry base layers so that when you stop after a cheeky wee three hour head torch walk to get into position for first light your not sitting in sweat soaked clothes when you stop and wait for the light to come up and have another for later on.

 

[ShootyBang]

Tabbing with a weighted ruck-sack. Whatever hills you can manage along the way. 20kg minimum, 4-8 miles, at 4MPH steady. Do that 2 times a week and HIIT 2 times a week, and you'll be nails.

 

[Yukonmountainhunter]

Down can be worse than up! One thing people don't usually train for is sideways descent, your body being 45 + degrees (give or take) to the hill, especially with weight on. Scree slopes are good for that. Stadium stairs can be really good work out, both up and down and it also gives you a chance to do side step work out too.

Up can suck too! lol

 

[User00047]

Thanks guys.
Just to avoid confusion, I’m not actually going to the Alps. I just used the word “Alpine” to mean in the mountains.

Tabbing with a weighted ruck-sack. Whatever hills you can manage along the way. 20kg minimum, 4-8 miles, at 4MPH steady. Do that 2 times a week and HIIT 2 times a week, and you'll be nails.

I’ll have a go….it sounds super fun!
I’m surrounded by hills so not sure about keeping the pace up.
Perhaps I’ll start doing 4miles with 10kg on a Saturday and then add 1KG each week.
Any recommendations for a rucksack specifically for this kind of thing?

 

[Mick9abf]

Thanks guys.
Just to avoid confusion, I’m not actually going to the Alps. I just used the word “Alpine” to mean in the mountains.


I’ll have a go….it sounds super fun!
I’m surrounded by hills so not sure about keeping the pace up.
Perhaps I’ll start doing 4miles with 10kg on a Saturday and then add 1KG each week.
Any recommendations for a rucksack specifically for this kind of thing?

My advice for what it’s worth is don’t train with any more weight than you will actually be taking as you may unnecessarily injure yourself.

 

[Sash]

Any recommendations for a rucksack specifically for this kind of thing?

Any decent outdoors-type will do, but make sure it has a good waist belt: you should be carrying most of the weight on your hips, not swinging around your shoulders.

 

[User00047]

Any decent outdoors-type will do, but make sure it has a good waist belt: you should be carrying most of the weight on your hips, not swinging around your shoulders.

I heard elsewhere that weight should be towards the top of a rucksack.
Not sure what the logic is exactly but I think if I’m carrying, say a bag of cement it goes on my shoulder not carrying it at waist height.

 

[User00047]

My advice for what it’s worth is don’t train with any more weight than you will actually be taking as you may unnecessarily injure yourself.

I should hopefully be carrying extra weight back down the mountain at some point, if I shoot what I’m looking for

 

[devon deer stalker]

When I pack back in, tent/sleeping/bag go on the bottom, then cooking/food, then clothing, finally the stuff you want to be easily accessible, snacks/torch/map/first aid etc
My rucksack was a LOWA, frame and waist band/chest band, all weight on my hips.
Seriously though, buy a couple of trekking poles, brilliant on the way back down with a heavy pack

 

[ShootyBang]

Any good rucksack will do, but I'd get something you might use stalking at some other point: I recommend these Savotta rucks from Finland, which will last *the rest of your life*, and can take abuse. As others have said, get something with a waist-belt to shift the weight off shoulders into your hips. A chest-strap helps too.

Keep weight *close to your back*. 4mph (with a 5 min break at the top of each hour) is the army force-march pace, and will really help you on the hills (this was my training before Afghanistan!).

Someone above said "don't take too much weight it'll hurt you", but what is "too much"? 20kg and a fast pace will build your leg muscles and cardio vascular fitness a lot, and won't hurt your knees. 30kg? Yeah, maybe a little more wear & tear involved there. I would put your increments up by 2kg. I used a couple of weighlifting plates from Decathlon right up against the back to add manageable weight, then made the rest up with tins of beans and, of course, water!

The other component to consider is your boots... which I am sure you have. There is where you'll incur injury unless you invest in quality. The walking poles also a good suggestion.

 

[spannulman]

I have worn these, salomon speed6 i think they’re called, 3x a week for the past two years on muddy farmland and on the moors and they’re holding up well.

The sole is like a motocross tyre and they’re the best cross country shoes i’ve had. They are funny with sizing - im an 11.5 in these and a 10 in scarpa.

 

[bowji john]

Mate

Yer as fit as a butcher’s dog

Just have another beer and plan the route

J

 

[User00047]

Any good rucksack will do, but I'd get something you might use stalking at some other point: I recommend these Savotta rucks from Finland, which will last *the rest of your life*, and can take abuse. As others have said, get something with a waist-belt to shift the weight off shoulders into your hips. A chest-strap helps too.

Keep weight *close to your back*. 4mph (with a 5 min break at the top of each hour) is the army force-march pace, and will really help you on the hills (this was my training before Afghanistan!).

Someone above said "don't take too much weight it'll hurt you", but what is "too much"? 20kg and a fast pace will build your leg muscles and cardio vascular fitness a lot, and won't hurt your knees. 30kg? Yeah, maybe a little more wear & tear involved there. I would put your increments up by 2kg. I used a couple of weighlifting plates from Decathlon right up against the back to add manageable weight, then made the rest up with tins of beans and, of course, water!

The other component to consider is your boots... which I am sure you have. There is where you'll incur injury unless you invest in quality. The walking poles also a good suggestion.

Thanks for the advice. This is all helpful stuff.
I bought a cheap rucksack yesterday from the local market stall military surplus guy just to get me started (my last rucksack was in tatters) I’ll upgrade at some point.
I started out with 6k “walk” of pretty much all hills yesterday in the rain and another 5k this morning with 15KG to get started. Worked up a great sweat and this was all off road coast path, mostly up decent inclines or zig zagging downhill. There’s no way I am running any of this route until it dries up a bit. I’d just end up in hospital.
I’m going to do some easier but faster and flatter terrain stuff during the week and then concentrate on marching up hills with increased weight each weekend.
Today I found myself putting my hands behind my back to lift the metal plate up and take the weight off my shoulders. This helped immensely, so I need to get a rucksack figured out that naturally shifts the weight.

 

[WalkedUp]

Less than six months’ use and mine fell apart, the Goretex failed after 6 weeks… it can’t do much when your toes are sticking out!