For many, the climb to Aconcagua is a great personal satisfaction and a very demanding goal, which is why it should be enjoyed to the fullest and prepared in advance.
For this activity and I could say that it applies in other areas of our visa, it is very important to arrive with adequate training both mentally and physically and more if you are thinking of climbing the Aconcagua, that is why in Mexico Travesías we gave ourselves the task of gathering some tips that will help them to come as prepared as possible to this challenge.
A good training not only helps us enjoy the experience, it also gives us greater security, reducing the probability of accidents or risks, making it more likely that we will achieve our goal.
And how do I do it?
1.- Decide to exercise daily.
If the first recommendation is a daily workout, since if we are going to face this challenge it is important to integrate into our daily routine a plan or a specific routine. We know that in these times it is sometimes difficult to find the time and place to train, but that is where our creativity comes in, since this task should not be complicated, small daily activities can make a difference like climbing stairs in a building, wear ankle dumbbells when walking, or do some small series of simple exercises while at the office.
2.- Choose a specific training.
With this we mean that the training must be related to the type of activity that we are going to develop, not for nothing it is said that the best training for the mountain is to do mountain.
To explain a little more is that if we are going to do weights either with the help of a workout, in the gym or instructor seek to strengthen the group of muscles that we use in the mountains, such as leg, back, etc. Another option is to get used to carrying the backpack. We are going to do this by walking with a weighted backpack, the one you will use in the mountains so you can get comfortable and more if it is new, and your body gets used to it and the tissues receive constant appropriate stimulus so that over time the effects occur just as we will apply them to our ultimate goal.
3.- Includes an aerobic workout
We must strengthen both our heart and our lungs so that at height they can function as we need it, to achieve you can include in your routines from running, swimming, cycling or quick walks in the city. Varying your routine is always good for preventing muscle fatigue and taking breaks to avoid injury from over-exercising.
4.- Don't forget to include height training
Acclimatizing our bodies to height is one of the factors that can help us the most when trying to achieve our goal. The longer we can train at height, the better so that our body can adapt and work better in this environment. But it is important that we do it progressively starting with small mountains until we reach the highest ones and then trying to spend more time in the heights doing this periodically will make our body produce more red blood cells and adapt better to the lack of oxygen.
5.- Anaerobic training
Anaerobic exercise is physical exercise that comprises brief strength-based activities such as weight lifting, this progressive weight training provides resistance. This improves anaerobic metabolism that fuels a lot of muscle work, which is fueled by carbohydrates stored in the body and does not require metabolizing additional oxygen. So to include a little weight in our routines is not too much, nowadays there are different training programs that include exercises with integrated weight or carrying your own weight.
6.- 6.- Weight training in open spaces
You can exercise in the mountains or climbing steps carrying a backpack with a moderate weight. Starting with little weight and gradually increasing it is ideal, avoid running with weight.
7.- Long-term training sessions in open spaces.
Training as often as possible outdoors, climbing mountains, hiking all day, on weekends or longer days, helps you improve your technical skills and prepare yourself by giving yourself experience. Remember if you do not have prior knowledge you must train yourself with the basics and level up for the activity you are going to do.
8.- Mental training, your main ally.
This is undoubtedly the most important of all workouts since in our experience someone who trains his mind previously and metallizes in his goal, has a much better chance of achieving the goal as he prepares for adversity and to enjoy the moment.
To achieve this, the first step is to know ourselves, know what our limits are and know the signals that our body gives us when it is about to reach the limit or something happens that unbalances it, we achieve this by paying attention to these details when we are training, how we feel, watching us what happens when we stop or do something and especially how our body reacts every time we go to the mountain.
The second step is to know the conditions that we are going to live being in the ascent of Aconcagua and prepare for them. If we know that on the itinerary we are going to walk 6 hours in a row under certain conditions, we must try to emulate them and include them in our previous training, this helps us to be prepared to know what we may face and how we will react.
And lastly, to prevent other types of situations that we know affect us mentally, such as stress, personal problems, phobias, etc., in order to cope with them, for example if it is difficult for us to spend a long time doing nothing to download a book for waiting times.
We hope these tips have been useful to you, if you have questions about it do not hesitate to write to us and if you want to reach the summit of America contact us we have an expedition scheduled for February
This excursion can take place from to
or older
This is not recommended for pregnant women, people with neck or back problems, people with haemophilia, asthma or epilepsy or for people with heart problems.
