August 2016 will be etched in Rohan Sen Roy’s memory forever. And why shouldn’t it be? A failed attempt to 
conquer the Kanamo Peak in Spiti Valley at 19,600ft and a serious muscle contraction in his back because he wasn’t fit enough, will keep reminding him that not everything in life can be done on an impulse.

It’s a common mistake made by travel enthusiasts. They head out on treks that fall under the categories of moderately difficult to extremely difficult without any prior fitness training. That, experts say, can be fatal, for, treks such as those to Kanamo Peak or the Everest Base Camp demand a certain level of fitness.

While professional trekking groups make sure that their clients understand this basic requirement of trekking, gyms across the country have also designed special regimens for extreme treks.

Aswati Anand from Indiahikes, one of the top trekking communities of India, says that the sole purpose and fun of the trek is lost if one is not prepared. “You would be counting pebbles and waiting for the next campsite as an unfit body will never be able to concentrate on the trek. You are also trekking in rarefied air —which means you need a lot of lung power to be able to exert your body in that altitude,” says Anand.   

Extreme treks, she says, in addition to being in high altitude, also have tricky paths — like a crevasse-filled terrain or snow-laden walkways, overhangs over the river and moraines. Since there are no easy exits from the trek in the event of a problem, evacuation could take days. She cites the example of the Warwan Valley in Kashmir where once you have crossed the Lomvilad Gully, you have no choice but to complete the trek.

Navjot Saini, trek instructor at Him Bros Trekking Unit, advices trekking groups to conduct a small fitness test for the trekkers before including them in any extreme-level treks. “When a person signs up for the Everest Base Camp trek, we give them two months to prepare for it. We hand him a list of workouts that they have to follow. After two months, we take a running test depending on the weight and height of the person. If the person fails to pass the test, we ask them to join a batch later,” he says.

But all trekking-related problems can be avoided with a good workout regime under expert supervision. 

Prosenjit Biswas, fitness manager at Skulpt, Calcutta, says that preparing for a trek is no different from preparing for a long-distance marathon. “I begin by making my clients walk on the treadmill at a two to five per cent inclination for about an hour or two a week and gradually increase it to about two to three hours for four to five days a week with a backpack which weighs about five kilos. This enhances their endurance and also strengthens their core muscles. The next is circuit training and TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise),” he says. 

While Circuit Training maximises endurance and improves cardiovascular fitness, resistance training like TRX helps in increasing strength, balance, coordination, flexibility and joint stability.   

These regimens are high-intensity and have to be done under supervision. Doing simple exercises on their own also help enthusiasts to get into the groove. While Ritu Agarwal of Rush Fitness Centre trains her clients in high-intensity cardio training at the gym, she hands them a list of exercises to do on their own to keep fatigue at bay. “Stretching, sit-ups, aerobics, brisk walking and cycling are some easy options. Doing a few exercises on their own makes them active mentally and increases their confidence,”she says. 

Apart from a good workout regime, the second most essential factor is a good diet. Pramod Chaturvedi, manager of the gym Core Perfect, Mumbai, says that he puts his clients on a special diet to cut fat two months before the trek. “There are two clauses that I make them sign. One is to avoid sugary and oily food and the second and the more important one is to quit smoking. While the former helps in getting them in shape more easily, the latter helps them to breathe 
easily at high altitudes,” he says. 

So, whether you’re going to climb Everest or trek to the Everest Base Camp, you better start now.