Everyone tells you about how important it is to train for an expedition. There’s a huge emphasis on physical fitness and how it will make or break an expedition. But listen up. Mental preparation is arguably more important than physical training.
A lack of mental preparation can stop even the fittest of adventurers from being successful on an expedition. There are countless mental barriers you will be pushing through (have a look at some of my real altitude adventure photos for a sneak preview). These battles are hard, but they are what makes the journey such an accomplishment! And don’t fret. There are ways you can prepare. And just as you’ll train your physical body to be in tip-top shape for an adventure, you should train your mental fitness too. Here are a few tips on how to mentally prepare for your expedition.
What sort of mental challenges might I be facing on an expedition?
There are many parts of an expedition that are trying at times. The obvious one is exhaustion. Long days hiking, one after the other, mixed with the effects of altitude can drain your body fast. You’ll also be handling this in quite a unique environment. A new culture, far from home. Zero to few showers. Squat drop toilets quickly lose their novelty. Particularly when legs are tired and just don’t want to hold that squat position very long! Sometimes trekkers will find their bodies aren’t adjusting to the food or they’ve picked up a bug. For women, periods can be affected by altitude too, which is never a joy to deal with on expedition. There is also the simplicity of rest days or storm days. Lying around your tent avoiding a storm, when all you want to do is hike, can be extremely frustrating.
How important is mental strength for overcoming these?
Individually these challenges can be conquered and powered through by most without much of a thought. It’s the existence of a many of these at once that really puts your mental strength to the test. Endurance and positive thinking is the key here. Being able to push through these on your hardest day and come out the other side of “the wall”. Concentrating on the reasons you are putting yourself through this pain. Whether that be the views, the summit glory, raising funds for a charity or overcoming something personal. The ability to think like this will be the maker of whether you enjoy the expedition or not.
How can I mentally prepare for expedition?
Mental training is definitely a something that can be done! When you’re training to get yourself fit for an expedition, think about the mental strength you are building too. The best way to do this? Push yourself a little further on each training walk. Train in an environment closest to what you’ll be doing on expedition. For example, get yourself on a multi-day hike in the UK with wild camping in the evenings. (Do this safely of course – if you are unsure or it’s your first time, grab some experienced pals, choose a well marked route such as a section of the West Highland Way, or book a guided trip). Make sure you get out hiking in all sorts of weather. Even when your mind is telling you it doesn’t want to – this is the best time to push yourself! Your endurance and mental strength will build in no time.
You can even experience how altitude feels these days at The Altitude Centre in London. They offer a whole host of equipment rental and in-centre sessions to allow you to feel the effects of altitude. I have never been myself, but if you have the pennies to try it out, it will at least give you an insight into how it feels to breathe at altitude.
Another area to work is patience. Reality is that there will be acclimatisation days where you won’t be doing a lot of walking (normally a short morning walk). Instead, there will be lots of down time. If your phone is attached to your hand 24/7, maybe try spending less time with it. Enjoy the simple things in life like naps (who doesn’t love naps?!), card games and meditation. Spending time with your guides and trek mates with no distractions is one of the best parts of the trip! As mentioned, you may have storm days too, so learning to be comfortable in your own company will help if you find yourself tent-bound.
Now Time to Train!
These are my personal tips for how to mentally prepare for your expedition. It’s a tough one to tackle and reality is you won’t know how you will feel until you get there. Anything you can do in the run up will only be a positive! Your team mates will all be going through the same whirlwind of feelings and you will all support each other through it. And I can ONE HUNDRED PERCENT tell you that the tough times are totally worth it. Enduring this will let you see some of the most incredible views in remote parts of the planet, and give you a climb that you will remember for the rest of your life.
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