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Thoughts of My Adventures-to-Come Helped Me Focus
I had climbed higher than 14,000 feet in the mountains of North America. I
knew the brain-pounding, blood-thickening effects of oxygen deprivation at
high altitude. You have to rest every 15 steps, your quads quiver with numbing
lactic-acid burn, and every pound you carry feels like two. But 14,000 feet
was nothing compared to where I was headed.
In just a few weeks, my travel companions and I would be approaching the top
of the world. Mine wasn’t a climbing expedition, just a hiking vacation near
29,028-foot-high Mount Everest. But walking unprepared in the high Himalayas
can be like running your first marathon, so I knew I’d better get in shape.
Training for a vacation? I’d never heard the two words in one sentence before,
but I’d soon get used to the concept.
I invested three runs a week, taking on steep hills when possible and adding
some light weight lifting, all the while meditating on my planned journey. When
running became tedious, thoughts of my adventures-to-come helped me focus. To
me, training had always seemed like something for serious athletes preparing
for an event. Yet here I was, using a regular exercise program to accomplish my
own somewhat different goals.
My Weeks of Preparation Were Paying Off
Six weeks later, my plane touched down in Kathmandu, Nepal. My well-stretched
lungs sputtered on the thick fumes of motorcycle rickshaws, army trucks and dust,
but on the horizon, snow-capped peaks promised fresh air. I felt eager for the
trek ahead. Two days later we were en route to Everest base camp. Time seemed
to stop, as if waiting for us to appreciate the thousands of years of geological
and cultural evolution mapped out in the land before us.
Steep walls and bright-green terraced rice fields bordered deep valleys. Small
villages rested on hillsides that were scarred by narrow footpaths switchbacking
down the slopes. Sunbeams struggled to reach valley floors cut by cold, raging
rivers whose power reflected the might of the high peaks and glaciers at their
source. Just above the mist of the rapids, my partner and I delicately balanced
our loads, traversing the shadows on a frail wire-and-plank contraption over the
river. We had descended more than 1,000 feet to reach this crossing and would
climb 3,000 more before reaching our lodge for the night.
It was clear to me then, looking up the mountainside we were about to climb, that
my weeks of preparation were paying off. For the next 30 days our route would roll
relentlessly up and down, gaining 5,000 feet only to lose 4,000 and start all
over again, until we reached the border of Tibet and our barren high point 19,000
feet above the sea.
We would ascend through three distinct ecosystems, starting in the jungle-like
lower foothills and ending in the rocky tundra below the hanging seracs of the
Khumbu Glacier. Our combined elevation gain for the trip would exceed 45,000
feet—nearly 1.5 times the height of Everest. Watching other trekkers on the trail
suffer in the thin air, unable to fully appreciate the magic of their surroundings,
I felt able and strong. We were ready to conquer the world.
A month later we stumbled back towards Kathmandu, our boots worn and weathered,
our clothing draped like rags from strong but beaten bodies, and our taste buds
longing for the familiar flavor of western food. Time inched forward again,
gaining momentum. With the roar of a DC-9, we were whisked away towards Bangkok,
and home, leaving the monsoons to take our place.
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Pre-Trip Fitness Tips
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Light training can be invaluable preparation for any active vacation. Remember
the four-day ski trip when you were so tired by the third day that you sat
in the Jacuzzi while your friends cut fresh tracks in two feet of powder?
Ever feel guilty when you get to a much-anticipated destination and, after
a half day of walking around, all you want to do is nap?
Whether you’re headed for a sailing trip in the Caribbean, trekking in the
Himalayas, or shopping in Paris, being physically prepared for your precious
days off will help you enjoy them to the fullest. Here are a few simple things
you can do to get fit before heading out.
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Pack and carry around a small bag or backpack in the weeks before departure.
Your gear should be an amenity, not a burden, when you travel. Growing
accustomed to hauling it is the first step toward not noticing
it.
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Walk whenever possible. March to and from the store, take the stairs (try
two steps at a time) instead of the elevator, etc. Run, bike or find another
activity for a cardiovascular workout.
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Stretch daily and lift light weights. Everything from stringing a camera
around your neck to planting ski poles will make your body sore, and the
stronger your muscles, the better you’ll feel.
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