Guide to Get Fit for a High Altitude Trek

Who can participate..??

Kang Yatse II is a trekking peak meaning it does not require fully use of technical equipment and technical skills. But, given the level of endurance required and its high altitude, this trek is for experienced climbers only. June to September are the best months to attempt this peak. A healthy and fit body is of utmost importance when you are going on a Himalayan Trek. We cannot stress this point more. High-altitude trekking is not like any other vacation and for this, you need a good deal of physical fitness. You should never hide your medical conditions from your adventure operator when you go on a trek. Please check out following details.

Required experience of high altitude trek at 3 treks of 13,000ft to 16,000ft.
The trekker must be physically & Mentally fit and sufficient stamina.
The Trekker should be able to carry a 10-12 kg weight of backpack.
Blood pressure reading must be in between (Diastolic 75 -85, Systolic 100 -130 mm hg)
Pulse rate at rest must be in between (70 to 90 beats per minute)
The trekker should not have liver and kidney issue.
Also should not have diabetes mellitus, Bronchial Asthma, Epilepsy, heart problems, hypertension etc.
If you have done any surgery in your past please contact with our expert before booking.

Mandotroy Documents

Trekking in the Himalayas is mostly a hassle-free affair as all the permits and permissions are usually derived by our team. However, you have to bring some essential documents with you that are a must for any Himalayan Trek.

Please carry the following documents and hand them over to the trek leader at the base camp.

Medical Disclaimer filled and signed by a certified doctor (MBBS).
Original and printed copies of ID and address proof (Aadhar/Voter ID/Passport
2 Passport-size photographs.
Insurance copy : Yes, insurance for any high-altitude activity is highly recommended to cover for the cost of rescue, evacuation and any other emergency service required as well as to cover for medical cost in case of injury or illness during the trek. You can buy it on your own. Alternatively, if you want us to buy it on your behalf, you can mark it as an add-on during the booking of the trek.

Packing List

This is a list of essential items for individuals doing the trek with us. This list contains only those items which the participants are required to bring with them. The list excludes those items which are provided by us on the trek. We have divided the items into five categories. All the items in the list are essential except for those marked as optional.

Trekking Gear:

Ruck sack bag with comfortable shoulder straps (50 – 70 ltr)x &Rain cover. Qty -1
Day Pack Bag (20 – 30 ltr) – Recommended for treks with summit day and if you give your bag to mule or porter.
Head Torch with spare Batteries. Qty -1
U V protection sunglasses. Qty -1
Water Bottles: 2 bottles of 1 liter each.
Trekking pole

Footwear Gear:

Trekking Shoes: 1 pair Non-skid, deep treaded, high-ankle trekking shoes
Pair of light weight Slipper/Sandals.
Cotton shocks minimum 6 pairs.
Woollen Shocks 2 pairs

Clothing :

Quick Dry Warm lower or Track Pants. Qty – 2
Full sleeves T-shirts/ Sweatshirts. 1 for every 2 days of trekking
Thermal Body warmer Upper & Lower. Qty-1
Undergarments. Qty – 1 for every day of trekking
Warm jacket closed at wrist & neck .Qty-1
Full sleeves sweater. Qty -1
Rain wear ( Jacket & Pants ) / Poncho . Qty-1
Pair of waterproof, warm gloves. Qty-1
Woolen cap. Qty-1
Sun shielding Hat. Qty -1
Neck Gaiters – Qty 2

Toiletries, Utensils & General :

Personal toiletries kit, Sun screen lotion small pack.
Small size, Light weight & Leak proof lunch box with spoon. Qty-1
Carry your medicines in plenty in case you have any specific ailment. Consult your doctor before joining the trek.
Dry fruits, Nuts, Chocolate bars (Optional)
Camera (Optional)

How to prepare for this trek..?

A big worry for many trekkers is their physical fitness for a high altitude trek. Steep climbs, rough terrain, walking in the snow, all of these can be daunting. But they can all be tackled with prior training. Here’s how you can get fit for a Himalayan trek.

While you can have an elaborate training plan for your trek to get fit, you need to focus on primarily two aspects:

1. Cardiovascular Endurance:

Any high altitude trek requires you to build a good amount of cardiovascular endurance.

We tell them to target jogging 5 km in 40 minutes.

This averages around 8 minutes per kilometer, which is a respectable speed. If you achieve this much speed, you can comfortably do an easy-moderate Himalayan trek.

Here’s how to go about it.

Phase 1 (when you have around 2 months to your trek)

1. Start with the slowest jog possible by you. Look to see the maximum distance that you can cover without feeling overly fatigued. We call this the starting distance.

2. The next day, look to increase 0.25 km over the starting distance. Do not worry about the time taken. Use a running app like Strava or Nike Run Club or Garmin to track your run.

3. The subsequent day, add another 0.25 km over the last distance covered. Again, do not worry about the time taken.

4. Continue the incremental increase of distance for 4 days in a row.

5. On the 5th day take a break. Allow your muscles to recover.

Phase 2:

6. From the sixth day onward, jog for 4 days continuing to increase your distance by 0.25 km every day. Take a break every 5th day. Do not worry about the time being taken.

7. When you are able to get to a distance of 5 km, note the time taken to cover the distance. This is your starting time. At this stage you must be able to cover 5 km, even if with some exhaustion.

8. The next day, look to see if you can reduce your time by 15 seconds.

9. Over the next few days, reduce the time taken by 15 seconds every day. Continue with your breaks every 5th day.

An ideal benchmark is to cover 5 km in 40 minutes (averaging 8 minutes per km). If you are above 40 years old, then 5 km in 45 minutes would be your benchmark (averaging 9 minutes per km).

If you feel overwhelmed by this, don’t worry. We have seen our trekkers able to build this endurance from scratch starting from zero in about 30 days.

2. Strength Training:

Any high altitude trek requires you to cover steep inclines. This could be while ascending or descending. The terrain could be rough as well, sometimes with snow. To manage yourself well in such conditions you need good leg strength as well as a strong core.

Squats are the best way to build leg strength quickly. Especially your thighs, glutes and knees.

1.Start with 10 squats. This is one set. Learn how to do a proper squat by looking up online tutorials.

Once you are comfortable with a set of 10 squats (this may take 3-4 days), take a break of 2 minutes and start on your second set of squats. Start your second set with only 2 squats. So your set one will have 10 squats and set two will have only 2 squats, totaling 12 squats.

2. Everyday, increase your squats in the second set by 2. So the next day you are doing one set of 12, with a 2 mins break and then another 4, totaling 16.

3. Take a break every 4 days for your muscles to recover.

4. You must be able to do 2 full sets of 12 squats each comfortably in 15-18 days.

5. Try to get to 3 sets of squats before your trek starts.

For strengthening your core, there’s no better exercise than Planks and Hip Raises. Both of them are very common exercises.

For Planks, start with holding them for 20 seconds the first day. And add 5 seconds everyday so that you can comfortably hold it for 1 minute.

And for Hip Raises, follow the same formula as you do for Squats.

Note: Any form of exercise requires you to warm up first. Do not do any cardio or strength training with a cold body. And also important is to cool down your body once you are done with the exercises. This video will help you do basic warm up and cool down routine.

Fitness Chart

Some Important Information

High Altitude Treks: Risk and Response a high altitude trek calls for an adventurous attitude, but embarking on an adventurous trip without calculating the risks is utter stupidity. That’s why we have listed a few risks and the response planned by us to minimize or address the risks in the best possible way.

Risk: Altitude Before you starts the trek, it is important to understand the implications of high altitude on your

body. Be aware of symptoms of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) like mild headache, nausea and general discomfort.

Response: If you feel any of these symptoms, inform the trek leader on priority and follow his instructions. Every

campsite has as stretcher, fully equipped first aid kit, oxygen cylinders to address the situation.

Risk: Weather Weather is unpredictable in the Himalayas. Though we are always observant about the changing

weather, no one can guarantee a snowfall, rain or Sun. Do understand that your security is of utmost importance to

us and we will not proceed any further from the campsite if the weather is not favourable.

Response: The decision of the Trek Leaders and Guides to proceed or wait for the weather to get better will be final.

Risk: Injuries Often, while trekking over difficult terrains, you might have minor injuries like leg sprain, bruises etc. Serious injuries like fractures or major cuts are very rare.

Response: All our Trek Leaders are Certified Wilderness First Aid responders. They are trained to handle emergencies and can tackle minor injuries with a well-equipped first aid kit. In case of serious injuries, the patient is carried on a stretcher to the nearest road-head and is led to nearest medical centre.

Guide to Get Fit for a High Altitude Trek