What do you do in terms of exercise to prepare for your backpacking trip.
David - does that mean going to the pub is out also?
Reply to this No, but pub training has it's own special exercises. I was merely responding to the original question.
Reply to this Hmpfffff. Poor advice from all angles. I live in Costa Rica and have a farm and some cabins. I take lots of people up to various waterfalls and areas of interest for photo ops, bird watching etc.
They often come up here with their shiny new Gregorian packs, Oslo boots and health food biscuits.
We take off like a ball of fire ! After 15 minutes all there is is a puff of smoke.
I wait and have a smoke while they huff and puff their young little tushies up the hill while adjusting their ipodz to the latest screaming loser from Hollywierd.
Yes. Put on your pack, go to the mall and walk stairs. A courthouse often has a good set of stairs leading up to the entrance. Hotels have lots of stairs too.
If you cant walk up and down stairs, at a brisk pace, non stop, for an hour your a typical Amurkin sloth !
Get walking
Skip the Starbucks and Ruby Tuesdays if you choose a mall for your " conditioning".
Reply to this Wow, Jungle Bunny. Your first post and I can see you're out to make friends from the start. Good for you that you live in Costa Rica. And if you're trying to advertise yourself as a tour guide you are doing a poor job. A good tour guide would stay with the group!
You may have been 'conditioned' for that environment and the humid climate of CR has but you don't show your understanding that the world is made of different types of environments and climates and people for that matter. It takes time for people to become 'accustomed' to the humidity and the pace. And remember, everyone has their own pace. I'd like to see you trekking Nepal at 5000 mts and light up a fag every 15 minutes. The locals do it and I know they'd scoff at you too!
Have a bit more patience and perhaps instead of showing off, think of ways to help them adjust or to tell them stories of the area. Stop at intervals and point out interesting things.
Stairs are an excellent exercise, I agree. But remember these people are on holidays, not boot camp.
Reply to this i guess on a level its better to prepare physically i mean, if you intend to make the most out of your journey. ive been on the road a while now (writing from my hostel) and i wouldnt have done or seen or experienced what i have had i not pushed through when my legs couldnt walk any further (and i even went to the gym before the trip). bike rides up the hills of tuscany also were a challenge even for me, and i bike everyday where i am originally from, but otherwise if you dont ride your bike, chances are the expeirence is not the same as lookign through the scenery or smelling the air from the window of a speeding van.
bike rides around holland tho are a total breeze
Reply to this What is the altitude in Costa Rica? That also makes a difference. When you are not used to the high altitudes - you just can't plan for it.
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