Since a few treks, we are noticing a disturbing pattern of struggle in trekkers because of lack of fitness. Due to this, they miss out on experiencing the joy of finishing the trek. We have always discussed the benefits and the ways you can practice fitness, so in this article, we share the consequences of lack of preparation. 

Following are the repercussions noticed by a few of our experienced trek leaders:

The inability to enjoy the process of trekking and falling behind from your trek mates hampers your confidence. We want you to take home a good experience, but all you will remember is the suffering you had to go through in the process of reaching there. It impacts your thought process, and your interest in trekking will eventually fade you take back self-doubt instead of memorable moments.

When you halt to catch your breath often, it impacts your speed, and you will always be on the lookout for chasing your trek mates. During this, you miss out on enjoying the process of trekking, it becomes a race, and trekking is not about covering the distance. So, a lack of fitness can change the purpose of your trek, which is to enjoy the serenity of the mountains, and for that, you need to be calm and peaceful. 

Rupin Pass and Sandakphu are some of the most extended treks, so you have to cover 10-12 kilometers each day, and it will take seven to eight hours of walking, including many ascending and descending. The duration exhausts people, and the level of impact will be high if you are underprepared, it will be visible through your body language and face. 

Lack of fitness also could be one of the reasons for AMS, we have seen many people going through that once they reach the highest point of the trek. They had to give up after completing more than half of the trek because of the sickness. 

Like any other sport, you are prone to injury while trekking, especially if you are not physically fit. However, the difference here is you will be far away from the network area, city, dispensary, and hospital. The situation can be under control with the help of trek leaders as they are trained to tackle these issues. Still, incidents like this can ruin your entire trek, and the only thing you will remember is the pain, and that's because you did not put extra effort into getting ready for the trek.

Trekking is more about the journey than the destination. Physical fitness is very important to enjoy the journey so that you can return with lots of learnings and memories and discover something new about yourself. So, put a little effort because it's worth 

In the end, fitness is critical for the success of your trek. You sacrifice a lot to sign up for a trek — money, time, so much thought and planning. You do it to enjoy trekking, to enjoy being in nature.

But just putting thought, money and time into registering is not enough. Reality is — you won’t enjoy the trek if you are not fit. 

Check out this article to start with your fitness preparation. Also check out this video by Dushyant Sharma, our senior most trek leader on how to get fit for a trek. 

If you have any question or opinions about fitness, you can head to the Indiahikes community page and write. It is an active community forum where a lot of trekkers share their thoughts. We launched it just last week. (You’ll find several other interesting conversations there too.)

What Happens If You Are Not Fit For A Trek?

It’s a serious mistake to not prepare for your trek after signing up for it. Unfortunately, 30-40% of trekkers make this mistake every year.

Three years ago, we even faced a ‘fitness faking epidemic,’ where trekkers who were not fit resorted to faking their fitness screenshots to get approved for the trek. Some trekkers still do it. 

In such a scenario, there is a simple thing that trekkers don’t understand. 

You sacrifice a lot to sign up for a trek —money, time, and so much thought and planning. You do it to enjoy trekking and being in nature.

But just putting thought, money, and time into registering is not enough. The reality is — YOU WON'T ENJOY THE TREK IF YOU ARE NOT FIT. 

Trekking is very different from going on walks. Walking long distances on a road or in a garden cannot be compared to climbing a mountain or a pass. On treks, you are continuously ascending and descending on uneven terrain. This takes strength and endurance. It becomes more difficult when you are doing it at a high altitude (above 9000 ft). 

Three things happen when you are not fit:

You miss out on a deep transformative experience that trekking can offer

This is why it’s important to be fit for a trek. Good part is, it’s not difficult. All you need to do is  start following a fitness routine 30-45 days before the trek begins. 

A common question —  I have no trek experience. Will I be able to trek just by following the fitness routine?

Yes. Trekking is a sport that primarily uses your lungs, your core, and your lower body. Prior experience matters only for difficult treks. For all other treks, good fitness is key.

To reach this fitness, there are just two things to work on — your cardiovascular endurance and your muscle strength. 

Running works your lungs and lower body, while basic strength training using your own body weight like planks and push-ups makes your core stronger. 

These exercises when done consistently over a period of time will yield tremendous results and make your trek ready by the end of the training plan. Thousands of trekkers have benefited from this simple routine. 

Before you start on your fitness journey, find out where you stand:

At Indiahikes, we look at it like this - there are four levels of fitness when you’re on a trek.

➤ Level 1 is not preparing for a trek at all. It’s appalling but it is true that there are umpteen trekkers who go to the mountains with zero preparation. Since we at Indiahikes are extremely strict about fitness, we don’t see too many in this category. But in the mountains, there is a discernible difference between our trekkers and others, especially when others are at Level 0.

➤ Level 2 is being just about fit to manage to complete the trek. You struggle a bit, but not much. You make it to the top (from our experience most trekkers achieve this fitness level).

➤ Level 3 is being fit enough to enjoy your trek. You don’t feel exertion or pay attention to your body. You have enough time to absorb the surroundings and make conversations while trekking (around 10% of our trekkers achieve this).

➤ Level 4 is when you are fit enough to comfortably face bad weather conditions, and trek that extra mile through snow and rain. Most trekkers who achieve this level of fitness are stoic about the weather, they accept it and embrace it (very few trekkers achieve this level of fitness).

Why Running Is The Best Exercise To Get Fit For A Trek (Vs Swimming and Cycling)

Many trekkers ask us if they can go swimming or cycling instead of running to get fit for a trek.   

In this video, Co-Founder of Indiahikes, Sandhya Chandrasekharayya, shares why running is the best exercise to get fit for a trek, especially compared to swimming and cycling.   

While both of them are great endurance builders, running / jogging focuses on the same muscles you use while trekking, she says.

We’ve observed that trekkers going on tough treks like Kedartal, Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Warwan Valley, instinctively aim to reach Level 3. These are usually trekkers who have trekked in the Himalayas before. They understand the challenges of trekking in high altitude. 

But most others, especially trekkers who are preparing to go for easy-moderate treks, reach just Level 1. This could happen if you are undermining the challenges on the easy-moderate treks or have not trekked before. In such cases, a common mistake is to think that bad weather and emergencies don’t occur on easier treks.

You must know emergencies can occur even on the easiest treks. We are dealing with the Himalayas at very high altitudes. The weather is never predictable; it could rain or snow at any time.

So no matter what trek you’re going on, target being at the peak of your fitness. Aim at Level 3. 

If you have found this guide helpful or know of any more exercises that could help build the required strength and endurance for Himalayan treks, feel free to drop in your thoughts in the comments section below.

This article tells you how to get fit for your Himalayan Trek. Whether you are trekking for the first time or are an experienced trekker, there is a training plan for everyone.

How to Get Fit for Your Trek - The Ultimate Fitness Guide 2022

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Why Fitness is Important for Your High Altitude Trek

Goechala is one of our more difficult treks. On a difficulty scale, we rate it as a moderate-difficult trek of level three, which means it is the more difficult of the moderate-difficult trek. This makes it tougher than the Rupin Pass and the Buran Ghati treks, and there are many reasons for it.  

How do terrain and altitude gain affect you? 

One of the first challenges in this trek is the altitude gain, coupled with steep ascents. Now, this is one of the most demanding of challenges on the trek because there are lots of things that can go wrong. 

The trek starts at Yuksom, which is at an altitude of 5800 feet. You start by climbing up from Sachen to Tshoka, and you will be reaching Dzongri within three days of the trek. The altitude of Dzongri is at 13,000 feet, which means that you are climbing up around 7,000 feet over three days, and that is not easy in any way. 

What is really challenging is the climb from Tshoka to Zary as you are climbing almost 3,500 feet within a single day, which is an extremely steep and continuous ascent. 

So usually in these first three days of treks, you will know whether you are fit for the trek or not because you are climbing so fast and there is an altitude-induced fatigue in you. 

Along with these steep climbs, there is a very high chance of getting acute mountain sickness on this trek.

In fact, Goechalla is notorious for AMS cases and even HAPE and HACE cases. We have personally seen these cases on the trek. What makes it very difficult to handle in such cases is that exiting the trek proves to be very difficult. Once you are three days into the trek, evacuation takes almost three days again to get you out of the tech all the way to Yuksom.

So if you have AMS, this is something you must be extremely watchful about because Tshoka and Dzongri are the last cutoff points. You must take a call over there about whether you must proceed further or go back. If you notice any symptoms of AMS, even at Tshoka, you should ideally turn around because from there onwards, it's only climbing higher.

During most treks, you climb to 13,000 feet, stay there for two or three days and then make the push to 15,000 feet and come back. However, in Goechala, you are hovering at this altitude of around 13,000 feet for five days, which is something you don't do on any other treks. 

This is one of main reasons why it is so dangerous, and a very notorious trek for AMS. 

The actual climb to viewpoint one is a daunting task - it is a very long day where you are trekking for almost 14 or 15 hours. 

You usually start at very early hours like 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM, and because it is a continuous ascent, this is a day that will really test your endurance, especially because you are climbing for such long hours at such high altitudes. 

Another thing that makes this trek challenging could be the weather, especially if you are going in the summer in April and May. Usually, it rains quite a bit towards the second half of the day and it could also snow at the higher reaches. This light snow lasts only for two or three days. However, if you are trekking and there is snowfall, it is something that could make the terrain tricky to tackle. 

We feel that what really tests you is the altitude. However, along with altitude, the steep ascent is also a factor to consider, because even two kilometers can seem like five kilometers when you are trekking at such altitudes. 

And apart from this, the long days, especially towards the second half of the trek, do take a toll on the trekker. During the last two days of the trek, when you are returning, you are climbing almost 13 or 14 kilometers on those days. 

Goechala is a rewarding trek. Here you see Mt. Pandim towering over the trekkers. But a combination of long days, steep ascents and high altitude raise the difficulty of the Goechala trek. This is why it is important to prepare well for the Goechala trek. Photo by Hassan Kumar

These are the concerns you need to really prepare for. Of course, do not ignore AMS. What you can do to prepare is to firstly get fit for the trek. One would need at least two months of thorough fitness preparation to get fit for this trek. 

We recommend running because it's one of the most simple things to do, and it works on the same muscles that you use while trekking, namely the glutes, the calves, and the hamstrings. This builds your endurance at the same time. 

We advise you that your target is to be able to run five kilometers in around 30. This target makes sure you can do this trek comfortably, but be sure to consistently hit this target multiple times before the trek. We would also recommend running 10 kilometers a couple of times, and seeing how long you take to run the distance. Ideally you should be able to do it in 60 minutes or so. 

More than anything, it will show you where you stand in terms of fitness and whether you can do the Goechala trek or not. It'll also give your confidence a boost. 

If you are going to attempt the trek, one of the things you must do to prepare mentally is to study about AMS, learn about what symptoms to watch out for, and learn about how to treat it in case you get any symptoms. 

Learning about your LSDs. (Life Saving Drugs) like Diamox, Nifedipine, and Dexamethasone, and more importantly, learning how to prevent AMS will do you good because you will ideally need to be on a preventive course of Diamox if you're going to Goechala. So, be very careful about AMS because that is what is the most challenging part of this trek.

If you have any questions, please do write to us at info@indiahikes.com. If you have done the trek we would love to learn about how difficult it was for you and what you found challenging.

Goechala is a Moderate-Difficult | Level 3 trek. To do this trek successfully you need to prepare well. Here's how

How to Prepare for Goechala Trek

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Get Trek-Fit

Fitness is one of the most important criteria you should consider before going on a trek! A fit trekker can get a lot more from a trek as compared to someone who isn’t physically fit!

With over a decade-long experience of taking trekkers for a high-altitude trek, a big worry for many of them is physical fitness. Steep climbs, rough terrain, walking in snow, all of these can be daunting. 

But the good news is they can all be tackled with prior training. 

At Indiahikes, we insist that all our trekkers train for at least two months before going on a trek. In fact, I have observed that we are known for our strict fitness requirements. That’s a minimum prerequisite to have a good experience. However, many trekkers could be short on time as well, for which I’ve shared a separate routine below.

This is a complete training guide so that by the end of it, you’ll know exactly where you stand and what you need to work on when you sign up for your first Himalayan trek.

Before getting into how you achieve fitness, let’s answer why you need to be fit.

On a high-altitude trek, you are gaining altitude with every step you take. With the altitude gain, the oxygen available in the air also decreases. Which means your heart has to do more work with less oxygen. That’s not easy. You need cardiovascular training to be able to manage these constant climbs comfortably.

Along with it, add some strength and flexibility training.

Here’s the guide for you! Let’s get started. 

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

Let’s start with cardiovascular endurance

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

Since 2016, we have been asking trekkers to train by jogging, and it has shown us brilliant results.

We tell them to target jogging 5 km in 30 minutes. 

This averages around 6 minutes per kilometre, which is a respectable speed. If you achieve this much speed, you can comfortably do an easy-moderate Himalayan trek. 

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

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. 

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 to track your run.

On the subsequent day, add another 0.25 km over the last distance covered. Again, do not worry about the time taken. Continue the incremental increase of distance for 4 days in a row. 

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

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. 

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. 

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

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 30 minutes (averaging 6 mins per kilometre). If you are above 40 years old, then 5 km in 32 and half minutes would be your benchmark (average of 6.30 mins per km).

Yes, we have seen our trekkers able to build this endurance from scratch starting from zero in about 30 days.  
Tip: Join a running group in your city. Running groups have mushroomed all over the country. You will find one close to your home. Running groups have systematic beginner programs that are of immense help. It also helps you to be part of a group and lose the inertia that people have about 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.

Start with 12 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 12 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 12 squats and set two will have only 2 squats, totalling 14 squats.

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

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

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

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. 


In this guide, we have kept away from giving you complex exercises or workouts. We have stuck to what is practical and doable. 

Please note: Any form of exercise requires you to stretch and warm up first. Do not do any cardio or strength training with a cold body.  

Sometimes you may join a trekking group late -- less than 30 days to the trek start date. This puts an enormous pressure on the training schedule. 

In such a situation, you need to start training without losing a day’s delay. You need to compress the training schedule so that it can quickly get you to the cardiovascular threshold of being able to cover 5 km in 30 minutes. 

Increase the jogging distance by 0.5 km every day instead of the 0.25 suggested earlier. 

The next day, look to increase 0.50 km over the starting distance. Do not worry about the time being taken. Use a running app like Nike Run Club to track your distance.

The subsequent day, add another 0.50 km over the last distance covered. Again, do not worry about the time being taken.

Continue the incremental increase of distance for 4 days in a row. On the 5th day take a break. Allow your muscles to recover. 

From the sixth day onward, jog for 4 days continuing to increase your distance by 0.5 km every day. Take a break every 5th day. Do not worry about the time being taken. 

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 will be able to cover 5 km with considerable exhaustion but it is ok. 

Over the next few days maintain this distance until your trek starting day. Allow your body to get used to the stress of jogging. This preparation is crucial for the success of your trek

An ideal benchmark is to cover 5 km in 30 minutes (averaging 6 mins per kilometre). If you are above 40 years old, then 5 km in 32 mins would be your benchmark (avg of 6.30 mins per km) 

The minimum you must aim to do if you are short on time is to be able to jog for 4 km in 24 minutes. This is minimal but not ideal. The longer distance you cover, the more endurance you get. 


What happens if you do not train for the trek

Many trekkers do not train for a trek. These are the usual reasons.

I have done other treks before. They were more difficult. I could manage myself in those treks.

I walk for an hour every day. I am fit. 

Training is imperative for a trek. When you join an Indiahikes trekking group, most members are serious about their training. They spend considerable time preparing for a trek.

Even if they are fit, they run that extra mile to ensure a comfortable trek.

If you do not train for a trek and lag behind, then it is a great disrespect to those who prepare. It also becomes difficult for us to manage a group. The group spreads out on the trekking slope and the safety of the team is compromised, which is why we have a clear turn-around time on our treks.

At Indiahikes, if trekkers come without training, we send them back immediately. If they are lagging behind by more than 45 minutes or an hour compared to other fit trekkers, that’s the end of the trek for them. The Trek Leader sends them back. 


At Indiahikes, we look at it like this. There are four levels of fitness when you’re on a trek. 

Level 0 is not preparing for a trek at all. It’s appalling, but it is true that there are umpteen trekkers who go to the mountains with zero preparation. Since we at Indiahikes are extremely strict about fitness, we don’t see too many in this category. But in the mountains, there is a discernible difference between our trekkers and others, especially when others are at Level 0. 

Level 1 is being just about fit to manage to complete the trek. You struggle a bit, but not much. You make it to the top (from our experience most trekkers achieve this fitness level). 

Level 2 is being fit enough to enjoy your trek. You don’t feel exertion or pay attention to your body. You have enough time to absorb the surroundings and make conversations while trekking (around 10% of our trekkers achieve this). 

Level 3 is when you are fit enough to comfortably face bad weather conditions, and trek that extra mile through snow and rain. Most trekkers who achieve this level of fitness are stoic about the weather, they accept it and embrace it (very few trekkers achieve this level of fitness). 

I notice that if trekkers are going on tough treks like Kedartal, Rupin Pass, Everest Base Camp, etc, they do try to reach Level 3. But most others who are going on easy-moderate treks reach just Level 1. They think bad weather/emergencies don’t occur on easier treks. 

But we must tell you, emergencies can occur even on the easiest treks. We are dealing with the Himalayas and high altitude after. The weather is never predictable, it could rain or snow at any time. 

So no matter what trek you’re going on, target to be at the peak of your fitness. Aim at Level 3. That way, you’ll at least hit Level 2.

We hope this guide helped you prepare well for your trek. We care for you & your experience & that’s why we insist everyone prepare before going on a trek.

In case you want to enquire further about how you should prepare for your trek, drop your queries in the comment section. You can also check out our page dedicated to frequently asked questions to get related queries solved.

At Indiahikes we believe that getting fit for a trek enhances your trek experience. Here is a training guide to get trek fit!

How to physically train for a Himalayan trek

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