How to Pace Yourself While Hiking Uphill

Cyclist Lance Armstrong, of Tour de France fame, would not need to be concerned about pacing himself while on a recreational mountain hike with his friends. But for most of us, pacing ourselves while hiking uphill is an issue. I listen to my body, and go at a sustainable pace. Going at an arbitrary fast pace, and trying to 'tough it out' is not a viable long-range strategy.

If our uphill hiking is properly paced, we won't need to take rest breaks, because we'll never get winded. However our dogs (feet) may get tired.

And for some newbie hikers, the quadriceps (upper front leg muscles) may be the limiting factor in uphill hiking performance. The high-resistance strength training that I do for these muscles has made a difference. I've described a less intense exercise for working the quads in another hub. LINK.

Anyway, do stop for frequent sips of water. Do stop for carbohydrate snacks when you're hungry.

By all means, do stop to take photographs, and to enjoy the wildflowers. But if you feel the need to stop and catch your breath, you're walking too fast.

The art of pacing is not in our genetic blueprints; it's a skill that must be cultivated on mountain hikes. On level city sidewalks, we may be accustomed to zooming along at 3 mph (5 km/hr). On a mountain hike, a part of us wants to walk at that same speed. But at a high elevation, a fast pace on a steep uphill grade is unsustainable for most mortals.

In the mountains, fast uphill walking requires considerably more effort than walking at that same speed on level ground. On the uphill parts of a hike, newbies may unintentionally fall into in a rhythm of walking fast for several minutes to the point of being winded, resting for an equal amount of time, etc. That's no fun.

Experienced Sierra hikers have an average pace of approximately 2 mi/hr (3.2 km/hr). They go faster than that on the downhills, and considerably slower than that on steep uphill grades at high altitude. However trying to maintain a constant ground-speed of 2 mi/hr on a mountain hike is not practical for most people.

More to the point, one size does not fit all. Learn to recognize your comfortable all-day uphill pace (ADUP), adjusted for the altitude, and for the steepness of the upgrade. Attempting to go even 10% faster than your ADUP can transform an enjoyable hike into a 'death march'.

Here's a counter-intuitive principle that's not well-known outside of hiking circles: If you're in good health, walking up a steep hill is not more difficult than walking up a more moderate slope--provided that you have adequate traction. A second caveat: The rate of elevation gain must be the same in both cases.

When we start to walk up a steep hill, we need to downshift, to use an automotive metaphor. In other words, slow down. However this is sometimes difficult to do. Why is that? Because we're so accustomed to walking at a certain speed on flat suburban sidewalks. That habit can be deeply ingrained.

In the beginning, mindful uphill hiking at an all-day pace feels a bit awkward. Sustainable uphill hiking is a skill that requires practice. In the interim, here are three tips for pacing yourself on the uphill parts of your mountain hike. Pick the one that works for you.

1. Don't walk faster than you can talk. This works better for women than for men.

If you're on a group outing, start up a conversation with the nearest hiker. If you're breathing too fast to keep up your end of the conversation, slow down. Then you'll automatically walk at a reasonable pace.

2. For a hiking buddy, choose an out-of-shape friend, who is healthy in all other respects. Let them set the pace, and be very patient. If your friend is skilled at pacing, that's great. If not, that's OK too. They will get winded long before you do. And don't begrudge them the long rest periods that they need.

3. Mindfulness. Learn to recognize your all-day uphill pace, and then never go faster than that. Your all-day uphill pace is not measured in miles per hour; it's measured in breaths, in heartbeats, and in the burning sensation (if any) in your upper legs. At first, the maximum all-day uphill pace will feel absurdly slow. In fact, that's how you recognize the sustainability zone at first. If you don't feel that you're going too slow, then you're going too fast!

With practice, uphill pacing will become second nature. And like me, you'll come to regard hiking as the most fun that you can have with your boots still on.

Copyright 2011 and 2012 by Larry Fields