Assessments & Progress

A baseline assessment shows where you are starting from, so later progress is measured against your own numbers, not guesswork. The tests and loads are set inside your FITR programme; this guide is about making the results trustworthy.

In short: Test the same way each time, read results across strength, aerobic capacity and pack carrying, and focus on trends, not single numbers. Leave time to recover before departure.

Progress is measured against your own starting point. Peaksted photo archive.

Make tests comparable

• Prepare the same way each time: similar sleep, food and warm-up, so what changes between tests is your fitness and not the conditions.

• Keep the route, load and effort the same each time. Small changes in conditions can hide or exaggerate real progress.

• Record what is asked, honestly. The result is only useful if it reflects what happened.

Read results as a whole

Look across strength, aerobic capacity and pack-carrying performance together. No single number tells the whole story of your readiness, and small changes can be noise rather than real change, which is why consistent conditions matter. Compare with your own earlier results, not with other people’s.

Timing

Do not schedule your final assessment right before departure. Leave enough time to recover so you arrive fresh, not fatigued from testing. Follow the schedule in your FITR programme.

If a test goes badly

One poor test is often about sleep, stress or conditions. Note what was different, keep training, and read the trend over several weeks. See Recovery & Adjustments. If a test causes sharp pain, stop and seek advice.

Use it to guide training

Your results show where to focus. Pair them with the Trek Readiness Check, which shows how your preparation compares with your objective, and with Training Basics for how to adjust your week.

Reading a change

Small changes between tests can be noise from sleep, weather or mood. Look for a trend across two or three tests, and treat a single unusually high or low result with caution. If a change is large and consistent with how your training feels, it is more likely to be real.

When a test goes badly

• Note what was different (sleep, food, stress, weather).

• Do not change the whole plan on one result.

• Repeat under similar conditions before you conclude anything.

Coach’s tip: take a photo of your test setup (route, load, equipment) so next time you can match it exactly.

Frequently asked questions

What if my results drop?

Look for reasons first: fatigue, illness, conditions. If the trend continues, adjust your training or ask a coach.

How often should I test?

As prescribed in your FITR programme. Testing too often can add fatigue without extra information.

Can I compare with a friend?

It is best not to. Bodies, starting points and conditions differ, so your own trend is the useful comparison.

Last updated September 2026. General education, not medical advice or a personalised prescription. Stop and seek qualified advice if you have sharp, increasing or persistent pain, or a health condition that may affect exercise.

Keep exploring

• Getting Started

• Training Basics

• RPE & Choosing Weights

• Recovery & Adjustments

• Check your trek readiness

Research behind the advice

• Atkinson and Nevill (1998), measurement error and reliability in sports medicine

About the author

Nathan Gee is Peaksted’s founder: a sport scientist (BSc Sports Science) with a strength and conditioning background and eight years of coaching experience, focused on hiking and trekking performance. Meet the Peaksted team.