Training for ski touring

The temperatures drop, the days get shorter and the first snowflakes appear. When the first white blanket covers the mountains, it is difficult for a ski mountaineering enthusiast not to respond to the call of the mountain. However, like most mountain sports, ski touring requires a great deal of physical preparation; endurance and strength are essential.. Preparation is necessary whether you want to compete, or if you just want to go for a walk to enjoy the white landscapes. Being physically fit makes the activity more enjoyable, and also safer. However, you don't have to wait until it snows to start preparing. If you try to do sport during the rest of the year, specific preparation for ski touring will be easier. Below you can find out more about the basic steps to follow in order to be in optimum shape for winterand be able to enjoy your favourite sport to the full. Remember that if you don't feel able to plan your training, there are many specialists who will do it for you.

General training

Improving aerobic capacity

It is common for a ski touring trip to last well over an hour. Therefore, it is essential and necessary to have the aerobic capacity to be able to physically endure until the end of the day. This aerobic performance can be achieved by doing a variety of sports in the off-season. snow.

The steady race Without demanding a lot of punishment from the body, running several days a week between 30 and 50 minutes at an easy paceand without stopping. The swimming is also a suitable sport, as swimming not only improves aerobic capacity, but also works muscles throughout the body. The bicycle both in the mountains and on the road is also recommended.

However, once winter approaches, and your desire to ski increases, it is recommended to do activities that are more like skiing. Skating with a sticks is one of the best options, as apart from working on your physical condition, you also improve your technique. 

Muscle preparation

As ski touring consists of walking in the mountains, climbing peaks and spending hours walking non-stop, good muscular preparation is necessary. Not forgetting the muscle tone to face the descents safely. For optimal preparation, it is necessary to improve the musculature of large parts of the body..

On the one hand, as in ski touring skiing the ascents are very common, it is essential to be well prepared. the lower body. When walking, the feet are the ones that make the most effort; therefore, having the right feet is essential. strengthened calf and quadriceps will improve performance.

On the other hand, ski touring requires weight to be carried on the back. backwhich varies according to the duration of the activity. If your plan consists of a day of skiing, a small or medium-sized rucksack will be sufficient. However, if you plan to do the activity for days, you will have to carry the weight of a tent, sleeping bag, etc. What this means is that it is advisable to have a highly developed postural musculatureIf you have abdominals and lower back If you are properly prepared, carrying the weight of your backpack will be more comfortable and your back will suffer less.

Finally, the upper body muscles The muscles that take part in the activity by propelling themselves and helping themselves with the poles must also be properly prepared. We are talking about the muscles found in the upper body such as the triceps, biceps, pectoralis, etc. To efficiently work all the body parts and muscles we have mentioned above, you can use the gym to do exercises with the help of weights; or if you prefer, you can work on your strength using autoloadsi.e. by using your own body weight. The squats, push-ups, sit-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups barbell are some of the simplest and most common exercises.

Specific training for ski touring.

The activities mentioned above can be used for ski touring as for any other sport. However, once the basic set-up has been carried out, it is advisable to go out on cross-country skis, or to do simulations, e.g. with the help of skates and poles.. The objectives of this part of the specific preparation are mainly twofold:

Maintain or improve aerobic capacity

To achieve this goal, as in the basic preparation, it is necessary to continue doing aerobic activities, that is to say, activities that require resistance, with a constant rhythm and giving priority to the resistance versus explosiveness or intensity.

Raising individual anaerobic thresholds

However, especially when you are focusing your preparation to compete or to give the maximum in your outings, anaerobic exercises should be performed to raise the threshold.

These exercises aim to be able to do the activity at a higher intensity, but without excessive lactic acid build-up on the working muscles. This is achieved by performing exercises divided into sets or repetitions.

This can be done in two ways. One possibility is to make short sets at the highest intensity with time for recovery in whole or in part.

Another possibility is to make a more constant activity but with changes in intensitywhere you work both above and below your threshold. The key is to keep the activity constant without stopping completely.

However, once they have entered the in the seasonin case we are carrying out specific activities, it is not advisable to carry out muscle preparation activities. Activity aimed at increasing muscle strength should be kept to a minimum, and the focus should be on maintaining the muscle tone achieved during the previous phase.

In case you find it difficult to simulate ski touring activities due to lack of time or any other reason, it is recommended to maintain the endurance strength of your muscles by doing activities with low weight and for a long time, in order to get your body used to having to carry weight for a long time.