How to Train for a Multi-Day Hike

We believe multi-day hikes offer some of the best adventures. Not only do they challenge you to test your fitness, strength and endurance, they are an opportunity to venture beyond the beaten path to discover more remote and untouched landscapes.

However, with this exciting adventure comes risks and challenges. This is no walk in the park, after all! To confidently and safely enjoy a multi-day hike, take some time to prepare both your mind and body.

We’ve done plenty of long-distance hikes in our time, so if want to prepare for a multi-day hike, here are our top tips to ensure you’re ready to hit the ground running (or walking!)

1. Walk Regularly

Not sure how to train for a hike or where to begin? The first step is simple: walk regularly. Get outside and get your steps in. Slowly increasing your distance until it’s as close to the daily distance you’ll be covering on your multi-day hiking route. 

Gradually building up is key. The last thing you want is to push yourself too hard by jumping into longer hikes too soon. Risking an injury could prevent you from participating in the main event altogether. 

Consistency is just as important as distance when training for hiking. Aim to walk multiple times a week, gradually increasing the duration and intensity of your treks. 

Regular movement will help condition your body, improve your stamina and strengthen the muscles you’ll rely on during your hike. That being said, don’t forget to incorporate rest days into your hiking training plan. You don’t want to overexert yourself to the point of burnout.

It’s about sustainable progress, not pushing yourself until you’re exhausted or injured.

2. Plan Back-to-Back Walks

Another important way to train for a multi-day hike is to plan back-to-back walks. It’s one thing doing a one-off 25km walk and it’s another doing multiple 20-25km treks for 8 consecutive days as you make your way along the West Highland Way!

An easy way to get into the habit of this – especially when you have a full-time job – is to plan to walk both days of the weekend. Back-to-back treks are key to training, helping your body adapt to limited recovery time

 Skipping this can leave you in agony by day two, far from completing your planned route. Incorporating this into your long-distance training requires allowing your body to recover. Stay hydrated, stretch regularly, and fuel up with nutrient-rich meals.

This will help your body cope with the continuous demands of a multi-day hike.

3. Understand the Nature of Your Trek

Understanding the nature and specifics of your trek is also very important, especially while training for mountain hiking trips. By this we mean, figure out the conditions in which you’ll be walking.  If you’re tackling the Welsh 3000s Route, look up the specifics of the landscape, distance, climate and so on, so you know what to expect during your multi-day trek. 

Being clear on this early into training for long-distance walking will help you get your mind and body as ready as possible for your trek. 

Some points to consider include:

• How many hours will you be walking each day?
• What kind of terrain is it? For example, flat, uneven or mountainous 
• Will you be carrying a backpack? If so, around how much will it weigh?
• What is the weather likely to be like? If it’s hot or cold, what will you need to be wearing?
• Will you be walking at low or high altitude?
• What footwear will you be wearing? Will it require walking boots or shoes?

Each of these factors will affect how you feel on your multi-day hike. Keeping them in mind while training for your trek will help you ensure you are in the best shape physically and mentally, when the time comes.

4. Match the Terrain

The next thing you need to do when training for a hike over multiple days is ensure at least some of your training walks are on similar terrain to the one you’ll encounter during your event.

This isn’t always easy to do – especially depending on where you live, as this can mean travelling quite a distance from your home. We’re very lucky to live in the hills of North Wales but while that makes us generally hill-fit, we have to travel a little further into Eryri national park to make sure we stay mountain fit for those bigger hikes.  Getting out for just a few trips to somewhere further afield that gives you access to tougher terrain will help you prepare mentally as much as physically.

Of course, hiking is excellent exercise no matter where you’re doing it and racking up the miles will benefit you on the day, no matter where you’ve been trekking. However, we see all the time how surprised hikers can be by how much more difficult it is to hike the same distance on uneven terrain or at a steep incline/decline. 

Many people find it difficult to transition from walking on flat ground to the undulating terrain of their event’s hilly location. Avoid this pitfall by including treks on similar terrain in your training programme.

5. Fuel Your Body

When training for a hike, what you fuel your body with is just as important as the effort you put in. Nutrition is key. 

There are the obvious high-energy, healthy options but it’s also about understanding your body and what works for it in particular. What gives you energy and makes you feel fuelled and ready during the day – especially things that will be easy to access during your hiking trip?

What about snacks and lunch? Figuring out what works best for you when you’re going to have long days on your feet is essential. Finding food that fuels you, is gentle on your stomach and easy to carry is key to a comfortable day on the trail. 

Our personal preference is to avoid the high-sugar, ultra-processed energy foods you find in stores and instead, we make our own simple but tasty and nutritious energy balls and bars. A bag of trail mix with your favourite dried fruit, seeds and nuts is also a great on-the-go snack that will keep your body fuelled with good energy, avoiding the inevitable sugar crashes of sweets and chocolate bars.

Also, don’t forget to think about how you best keep your body hydrated. This is very important when you’re preparing for a hike. Staying hydrated helps maintain your energy and focus.

Prepare for your multi-hike by ensuring you have a water bottle or hydration system that’s easy to access while hiking. Electrolyte supplements are also an important consideration to ensure you can replace vital salts lost through sweating, especially on hot sunny days, but even when it’s cooler too. For this reason, we always carry two bottles, one with plain water and one with electrolytes to keep us topped up during a long day on the trail.

6. Get Comfortable In Your Hiking Kit

Getting comfortable in your hiking kit is also very important when preparing for a hiking trip. The most crucial item to ensure that it fits well and feels comfortable is the hiking boots or shoes that you’ll be wearing for your event. 

The likelihood is that this is the footwear you’ll be wearing for multiple days. If they cause blisters on day one, you’ll dread putting them back on for day two. For this reason, it’s always best to train for your multi-day hike in the same shoes that you’ll be wearing for the event and ideally have two pairs that you can switch between. 

This is important for both training and during the event. Being able to wear one pair of hiking shoes/boots one day and another the next, means you can alleviate pressure points that may build up during the day, as the alternative pair is unlikely to press on the exact same point.

I’ve also seen people use their old faithful, comfy shoes for training then whip out shiny, new stiff pairs on the day. This never ends well! Wear what you trained in, no matter how scruffy they look, your feet will thank you for it!

One important yet often overlooked step in how to prepare for a hike is trying on the clothes you’ll wear during each day of your trek. Make sure your shorts, trousers, base layers, tops, waterproofs and backpack are all comfortable and that you’ll be able to wear them for consecutive full days in a row. 

A small niggle in your clothing or a faulty waterproof may not seem like a big issue on a short hike, but over several days of walking for hours, these little issues can quickly add up and become quite uncomfortable.

7. Train Carrying Your Kit

An essential part of training for mountain hiking – or long hikes in general – is to practice carrying the gear you’ll bring on your multi-day trek. Even on shorter walks, pack your backpack with all the essentials, like spare layers, food, at least two litres of water, a first aid kit, head torch, map, power bank and a tent if you’re camping.

These items add up and amount to a significant weight when you’re hiking for multiple days. To prepare your body for the pressure and build the necessary strength, make sure to practice carrying this load in advance as part of your training for mountain hiking.

8. Practise Your Navigation

One last thing to consider when thinking about how to prepare for a long hike is your navigation skills. Whether you’re a beginner or just haven’t used them in a while, practising navigation is crucial.

You don’t want to accidentally veer off course and get lost early on. Instead, practise your navigation on familiar trails closer to home. This will help you get comfortable with reading maps, using a compass and understanding your surroundings. 

This way, if you do find yourself in a tricky situation in an unfamiliar area, you’ll feel more confident to navigate your way out of it.

When you’re out in the wilderness, equipping yourself with the right skills to handle unexpected situations or challenges is the only way to have a safe – and enjoyable – adventure. 

Summary

There’s nothing like the excitement of overnight trekking adventures. With so many incredible and varied landscapes to explore in the UK, you’ll have your pick of places to hike. 
In the Scottish Cairngorms, you can experience the wild beauty of the Highlands and spot Red Deer and Mountain Hares. If you’re looking for a winter trip, our four-day small group Cairngorms Winter Hike is a fantastic option.

During the Spring and Summer months, you can set yourself the challenge of ticking off the 14 Peaks Experience on an incredible journey across Eryri National Park’s highest mountains. 

However, when it comes to how to train for hiking over several days, there’s a lot to consider. Doing your research and creating a realistic training program is the best way to prepare for the journey.

Thinking about how to train for a mountain hike because you’re dreaming of an epic trekking adventure? Take a look at our awesome range of guided hiking holidays. Or why not take on the challenge of a self-guided multi-day hike on some of the UK’s longest trails, from the Great Glen Way in Scotland to Offa’s Dyke Path North, Mid, and South along the Welsh-English border? From conquering Wales’ toughest peaks on the 14 Peaks Experience to exploring the wilds of the Scottish Highlands on a Cairngorms Winter Hike, our trips promise an adventure of a lifetime. Reach out to explore the UK’s most unspoilt landscapes on our trekking holidays.