Training for Mountaineering in Ecuador

1. How hard are the climbs?

• The climbs of the main volcanoes in Ecuador are not easy and require some months of specific preparation depending on where you are starting from. They require some very good physical condition, no special technical skills.
• Anyone with good physical fitness is welcome to join our expeditions as long as is ready to deal with long summit days of 10+ hours
• Ecuador volcanoes is a mountaineering trip for fit trekkers who want to experience a first high-altitude glacier travel experience
• There is no need to be have previous technical skills or to know glacier travel techniques (crampon, self-arrest etc), however, having some good trekking and outdoor experience is a big plus!

2. Recommendations

• We highly recommend mountain specific training, which means hiking uphill and downhill with a backpack building up the weight to carry. One of the most effective ways to enhance your training is by incorporating a weighted back up into your routine Training with a weighted backpack simulates the actual conditions you will face on the mountains, helping you to build strength, endurance and cardiovascular fitness so that you need to enjoy the challenge
• Prepare by starting to work on your aerobic fitness from 4 to 6 months prior departure for at least 4 times per week
• It is important to supplement longer hikes with daily gym training sessions, building the correct strength and endurance gym workouts will help tremendously!
• Cardio step aerobics or any other cardio workout will help
• Running, hiking, swimming, cycling are excellent choices that build cardiovascular fitness while improving overall endurance : practicing your favorite sport are excellent ways to train for a trip to the high volcanoes of Ecuador
• Build mental preparation for long, strenuous and challenging mountaineering days
• Learn some pressure breathing techniques to conserve energy and to manage the right breathing sequence
• Remember the climbs are not a race nor a competitive sport or activity
• We can say that most of our clients tend to find the climbs of the Volcanoes of Ecuador a bit harder than they thought