How to Prepare for Your First 14er
A few weeks back, Jess and I were able to conquer La Plata Peak, a class 2 14er that offered 4500’ feet of elevation gain during our trek. As we made our way up the mountain, going from 40 deg inclines to 300’ of talus scree, one phrase kept coming back up, “this feels about right.” The hike could only accurately be described as one giant trudge to the top. Time, patience, and a few energy packets later we summited the peak and were met with the same admiration we always do standing on top of the world.
For Jess and I, this was our 15th 14er, and while we aren’t strangers to elevation, there’s still plenty of physical prep that we incorporate into our training to get ready for a big climb.
Here are the biggest training and physical therapy focal points we emphasize in the gym in preparation for a big elevation climb:
1) Knee Strengthening
This is especially important for descending the mountain as our knees incur greater forces trying to decelerate. We can achieve a lot of knee strengthening through general exercise such as squats, lunges, and split squats but encouraged to work in eccentric work as accessory movements to replicate the specific joint angles that incur on the descent.
2) Hip Strengthening
In contrast to knee strengthening, the reason we need to strengthen the hips is primarily for ascending, along with lower body stabilization. With big step ups, come higher workloads to the hips required to navigate large scree fields and inclines. There’s also a large frequency of step downs, where strength in our lateral hips to help stabilize become an asset.
3) Calf / Ankle Strengthening
Our knees aren’t the only muscle that helps us decelerate on the descent. Our calves play a major role in slowing us down in addition to assisting with stabilization of our knees. This group and arena is often overlooked in regards to programming for activities such as high alpine hiking.
4) Power Development
When encountering large step ups or step downs, not only do we need the strength to navigate large changes in height but we need a significant amount of power as well. We also benefit from within the context of being able to accelerate and decelerate on the mountain.
5) Conditioning
This goes without saying, if you're going to navigate high elevations, our bodies are receiving less oxygen. Therefore, we need to train efficiency in our cardiovascular systems in order to be more successful in counteracting these effects. My favorite way to do this is through interval training, both with running and resistance training.
Hiking and climbing a 14er is no easy feat and shouldn’t be taken lightly. But with the right training, equipment, and perseverance certainly a bucket list item for any Colorado resident. If pain is something holding you back or looking into how you can improve your training in preparation feel free to book a consultation call with us where we can put together a plan specific to you and your goals!
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