Give me your techniques for smarter hiking of steep stuff and sidehills

M

munsterlander

FNG
Joined
Nov 20, 2016
Location
NW WA
So I was recently reminded that I am getting old and that I am out of shape.... those mountains were kicking my butt! I'm 58... but still have mountains to hunt, if I can. But its time to get smarter. I have Lowa and Meindl boots. I've been hunting all my life, an assortment of birds and deer mostly, so I've walked my share of hillsides. I'm wondering if there is anything besides the obvious being in better shape that might be of help. Like techniques for sidehilling, or going up steep slopes? Suggestions or articles to refer me to?
Thanks!
 
It's not necessarily a technique but I like to break it up where I can, hike vertical until I'm gassed, sidehill until I'm breathing normal again and repeat. It breaks up the grind for me. I use trekking poles religiously and when I'm sidehilling I'll make the uphill side shorter and keep the downhill side long. Also if I plan on sidehilling for extended distances, I will stop and tape the balls of my feet and big toes if I haven't already. Keeps the hot spots to a minimum.
 
Train on hills with weight and take a trekking pole for the steepest slopes and loose footing. One pole has always been enough for me while hunting.
 
Trekking pole or poles. Or go old school with a walking stick. Rest step on the uphills. Switchback more if you are not using trails.

Google backpack after 50. Some good stuff.
 
I hike to a point that I think would be a place to glass from so I have a reason for a break. If there's no place to glass because it's thick I'll just go slower ata steady pace.
 
I used trekking poles for the first time this year and I don't think I will ever hunt the mountains without them. For me they were complete game changers. I am 50, by the way.
The more aggressive the terrain and the heavier your pack is, the more useful trekking poles become. It took me about 2 minutes to get comfortable with them, so they are easy to figure out how to use.
Mine are the Lekki Cork Lite Aluminum poles and I was happy how they held up.

Good Luck
 
I'm 64 and a flat lander. I have learned there are areas where it's best NOT to shoot an elk. Packing one out with my tree limb trekking pole was borderline dangerous (STEEP downhill) and my knees are still sore.

I echo the trekking poles and a good pack that rides well with heavy loads that might not be compact, like an elk quarter.
Do your training off of pavement. Even the slanted shoulders of country roads are good side hill practice for ankles and knees.
I also do the vertical/side hill method of SLDMTN.

I have found the best way to get in shape for walking with a pack is to walk with a pack.
 
trek poles when you can. stiff boots are your friend. i over compensate and roll my ankles back against the hill when going downhill. it seems like the mountaineering method of "kick step" is what i do. It helps that hunt in stiff lowas or La sportiva nepals. punch in at the angle you want, not the angle of the hill. hunting steep hills obviously sucks because you dont want to make a bunch of noise. I walk slow no matter how heavy. I always have one foot on the ground. I keep my knees bent a little when going down hill, and take plenty of breaks.
 
Calf muscles are key for hills. When mine are weak my uphill and sidehill stride breaks down then I drop my heel instead of digging into the hill with your toes like you want to. My calves suck to begin with so I try to do calf raises a few times a day and really overemphasize them on training hikes.
 
elkyinzer nailed it, calf raises are very important..
boots with a shank are a must IMO
train with weighted backpack. this is number one next to the boots IMO, if you go for a walk every day with your wife hills or no hills just wear a pack with 40lbs-60lbs ( start lower if you have to and work up) soon 60lbs will feel like nothing.
i also like to ride a bike to keep my cardio in good shape, bikes are best for my cardio, i don't even get gassed anymore.
as far as climbing i like to go straight up at a good pace until i feel i am heating up, then i will sidehill back and forth giving my feet and lungs a break, with all the biking and weighted pack training i do,, my legs NEVER get tired. i think mostly because i am going slower pace hunting, then when i am training....
if you can only do one, weight your pack and walk! Every day!
IMO
 
I carry a leatherman with a small saw and cut myself a walking stick (trekking pole is the cool name) and that helps a lot!
 
Are you familiar with rest stepping? When steep or high altitude where my legs are gassing fast I'll start rest stepping. You pause slightly after each step with the weight off your forward leg before loading it again. It allows a steady slower progress one step after another rather than going harder for a bit and then gassing out and having to take more breaks.
 
robby denning said:
I carry a leatherman with a small saw and cut myself a walking stick (trekking pole is the cool name) and that helps a lot!
Click to expand...

Actually Robby, we came up with a new name this year as we are all feeling our age. "mountain canes" is what they are referred to now but in any case, I would not go hunting or hiking without them. I hunt primarily central Idaho and there are no hills here........:rolleyes:
All good advice from the above posts. I'll be 60 next hunting season (man, it sucks to say that) but I would highly recommend "mountain canes", good BROKE IN BOOTS, and the most important advice of all-----just take your time. The mountains aren't going anywhere and I have slowed down over the last few years but guess what? I still get there and I have killed more and bigger game nowdays than I ever did when I was younger.
Oh yeah, one other thing to take--------over 30 vitamins (advil)

Randy
 
yep, for us trekking poles, and my Lowa Tibet boots. Very stiff and good on the hills for support. They are heavier boots for sure, but that support they provide is worth every ounce to me.
 
The "rest step" is what I've always done, never knew what it's called. I do not like to stop, ever, and just like to push through straight up. Keeping it to a slow, sustainable pace is the only way to do that. I only kick into the "rest step" cadence once it starts to get noticeably steep and do either a 2 or 3 step between rests, which last about 1.5 seconds where I take a good breath, rest on my bones rather than muscles, then take another quick set of steps. All using a trekking pole. It's amazing how this doesn't cost you much in speed but you can cruise indefinitely. When going up a hill with others it looks like a turtle and the hare race and when we get to the top it's usually about the same time but I'm way less gassed.

Another thing I started doing a few years ago was marking on my GPS in areas I've hunted something like "1000' in .75 mi, low sage, 45 minutes" to keep notes on realistically how long it takes me to cover ground and can then apply that to new areas and help plan how early I need to start hiking when trying to top out by first light.
 
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