Are you planning the Manaslu Circuit Trek? That’s fantastic. You are going to experience one of the most gratifying and physically tough treks in Nepal. Now, however, before you tie on the boots and start in, there is one thing you do need to know about, and that is fitness.
The Trek to Manaslu Circuit is not an easy walk. It is a multi-day trek at high altitude that involves very fit legs, good stamina and tough mind. Until a person is ready, chances are that it will be a difficult yet thrilling experience or just a painful up-hill climb.
It is nothing to be worried about, you do not have to be a sports person and be a marathon runner or a mountain climber. However, you should still train intelligently, eat properly and know what you are dealing with. Being your virtual guide, these are the best fitness tips that you can consider as a way of defeatingManaslu safely and with confidence.
Know what You are Training For: The Challenge
To get down t business prior to jumping into a workout plan, first we should examine what the trek consists of:
- Length: 14-17 days with a distance of about 177 kilometers (110 miles).
- Elevation Gain: 700m (2,300 ft) at Soti Khola 5,160,m (16,929 ft) at Larke La Pass.
- Hours Per Day: 6 to 8 hours of hiking during the day, sometimes on rocky, uneven or hilly surfaces.
- Altitude Factor: You will be more than 3,500 meter (11,500 ft) above the sea level during several days it takes to be lower in oxygen and higher in fatigue.
Sound tough? It is and that is what makes it so fulfilling. To have a more comprehensive look at why this is a challenging trail to take, consider this full-length piece on Manaslu Circuit Trek Difficulty.
1. Train Your Heart Power
Cardio endurance is the sense of any good trek training plan. When you are at a high altitude, the body struggles to obtain oxygen and hence the lungs and the heart should be strong.
Try:
- Hill walking or hiking at about 5 10 kg loaded pack weight
- Stepping Stairs (stair-climber/stair machine)
- 3 to 4 times a week running, cycling or swimming at least 30 to 60 minutes
This is supposed to be aimed at building your endurance gradually until you are able to walk uphill and not get tired of it within hours.
2. Tone up your legs
The main thing in this trek is the leg strength as you will be hiking hundreds of vertical meters of uphill and downhill. Fit legs will enable you to go up stairs quicker, will guard your knees, and decrease leg fatigue.
Focus On:
- Lunges and squats (with or without weights)
- Step ups on bench or stairs
- Ankle and lower leg stability calf raises
- Reparative physical work & posterior chain strength (DL & HC)
Do two or three workouts a week, incorporate functional movements that resemble trekking with the pack.
3. Backpack training
Soon you will have a 5-8 kg (11-18 lbs) daypack and maybe even more depending upon whether you are on porter or not. Begin adding backpack hikes or stair workouts with weight so your back, shoulders and core becomes accustomed to it.
Start low, and increase. It also assists you to know what gears feel good and bad.
4. Core and stability work is important Core and stability work is important
Core muscles will maintain you in balance on a steep slope and uneven grounds. The core strength also prevents lower back pains which are prevalent among trekkers.
Add:
- Plank (side and front)’
- Russian twists or woodchoppers
- Bird-dogs and glutes bridges
- Do balancing on a Bosu or single-leg balancing
It is not intensity but regularity which matters more, 10 minutes a day can do wonders.
5. Train to do Long Hikes on Rough Ground
Nothing compares to original. Go hiking, no matter in which state you reside. To get a feel of what you will encounter on Manaslu trek, use trails, hills or even the staircases in the city.
Have a plan of a long hike on the weekends aimed at completing a 2-3 hours hike with elevation gain and gradually increasing it up to 6-8 hours with elevation gain. Put on your boots, your daypack and equipment you are going to wear in the hike. It is your all body-practice run.
6. The art of Breathe and Pace
It becomes difficult to breathe more at high altitude and you cannot use your typical pace. With practice you should learn to breathe deeply and rhythmically so that time allows you to pace yourself at a slower pace when you hike including when you are climbing.
Step inclusively on the rest step Take a step, hold with your back foot straight and then take another step. It manages breathing and also saves energy.
Yoga or meditations are other things that can make you more mindful of breathes and allow you to more aware and in control of exertion.
7. Adapt Your Mentalities
Trekking is not only a physical game. You will experience muscle ache, early in the morning and long hours. Strong legs are not much help when you can never get out of misery, uncomfortable situations, adverse weather and changes of all sorts.
Keep yourself straight on the reason why you are doing this. Imagine, you are standing on Larke Pass (5,160 m / 16,929 ft) and the world is before your feet. Such image will propel you ahead when you are fatigued.
8. Make Recovery a No. 1 Priority
Not everything that is bigger is better. Non-exercise recovery days, stretching and hydration are key aspects in curbing injuries and future gains. Possible fatigue or injury before you have even reached Nepal is caused by overtraining.
Take a day off at least once every week and focus on mobility training (such as yoga or foam rolling). The trekking buddy of day 12 will appreciate the gesture.
9. Gear Trial Run Do it
Your initial complete day of trekking in the boogers should not be the day on the trail. Put them in months ahead, and break them. Apply this at your backpack, trekking poles, base layers, and even your socks.
You should also use this opportunity to perfect your packing list. The team of Manaslu Trek Nepal has sample gear list, route information, and professional recommendations that are particularly productive to first-timers.
10. Begin Early as in at least 8 Weeks
In any case, allow yourself 8-12 weeks of training time, and take it easier in case you are not an active individual. Being early can enable you to train in stages, avoid chances of injuries and have self-confidence as you enter the trek.
It is imperative to remember that functional fitness is the delicacy of choice, not pro-athletic perfection. You don t compete, you finish.
Epilogue: The thing is that you do not have to be Superhuman, you only need to be Smart
Getting ready to take part in the trek to the Manaslu Circuit does not imply trying your best to the extreme. It is something to do with developing intelligent, sustainable fitness that takes you through long, steep, and high-altitude days.
Adhering to this guide and adopting a balanced plan, you are going to get to Nepal in an optimal way to enjoy each step you make (or each inch in the case of the misty forests of the lower valleys and the snowy heights of Larke La Pass).
Therefore train, trek, and do not forget; the mountains reward the prepared mind.