Alpinism in the Pyrenees: prepare yourself physically for the activity

Practice mountaineering in the Pyrenees requires, in addition to experience and technical knowledge, training and physical conditions appropriate to the demands of this sport and the terrain in which we are going to move.

The resistance is essential to be able to rise to the occasion. This mountain range, which serves as a border between Spain and France, has 212 peaks over 3,000 metres high, including Aneto, at 3,404 metres, which is the most emblematic.

There are routes in the Pyrenees that lead to the most demanding peaks, offering those who reach them the chance to experience the incomparable sensation of touching the sky with their hands. And, before touching the sky, you have to step on the ground.

The physical preparation is fundamental in this sport, you have to prepare yourself thoroughly for it. As we have already mentioned, one of the facets that you will have to work on will be endurance, although don't forget others such as flexibility and technique.

Your ability to sustain effort consistently and effectively over a long period of time needs to be increased and, to do this, you will need to work on aerobic exercise. In this sense, one of the options is to go running - many say that it is the most effective because you achieve greater endurance in less time - or other aerobic sports such as cycling or swimming - less demanding on the joints, as you do not have to carry the weight of your body when doing them.

It is advisable to run distances of between 5 and 10 kilometres, 2 or 3 days a week and at a light, steady pace. In between, it is important to give the body time to rest to avoid fatigue. This aspect is as fundamental as nutrition.

Exercises specific to mountaineering fitness training

We can run alternating sessions on mountain terrain to acclimatise our body to the particularities of the terrain. The cardiovascular training is essential. Keep in mind that practising mountaineering will force you to tackle steep slopes in one day - in the Pyrenees, climbing a 3,000m can be an activity that involves a climb of more than 2,000m in some cases.

This means that the greater your endurance and lung capacity, the better. Training should be progressive and with high intensity intervals.

Strength training

You should not only work on endurance in your physical preparation for this type of activity. It is also advisable that you carry out strength and flexibility exercises.

• This complementary training should include exercises for abdominals -You can do four sets of 25 per day and in various types of execution.
• The flexibility exercisesThese will help you reduce the risk of cramps, strains and even tears - spend at least 10 minutes a day doing them. Your body will thank you for it.
• Weight training to strengthen muscles in different areas of the body.
• They can be combined with other exercises such as squats, the step down or push-ups.

The key is to work on trying to develop strength and flexibility; qualities that are extremely important if you want to go mountaineering and enjoy the activity. And training is just as important as rest, remember. Over-exertion can be counterproductive and lead to injury. That's why it's important to draw up a work schedule to keep track of your daily training.

Make mountaineering in the Pyrenees is quite a challenge, but with the right physical preparation you will reduce risks - mountaineering is a dangerous activity and requires the right preparation, experience and technique - and you will enjoy the activity.

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