How to train for long hikes: building up to six, seven, eight hours on your feet
A two-hour walk and an eight-hour mountain day aren't the same thing with extra minutes. Around hour five, your feet, your fuel and your legs start asking different questions.
By Nathan Gee, BSc Sports Science, strength and conditioning coach · 4 min readWhy long days are their own kind of hard
Legs that keep going
Thousands of steps up and down tire your muscles in a way a short walk never does. Time on your feet is what builds it.
Feet and skin
Blisters come from repeated rubbing, made worse by moisture. Six hours finds every weak spot two hours missed.
Fuel and fluid
After a few hours, what you've eaten and drunk starts to matter a lot. Plenty of “I hit a wall” moments are really an empty tank.
Your head
Long days reward people who start slower than feels necessary and don't race the first hour.
How long will your hike take?
Start from an example, or set your own day:
Longest walk you've done comfortably in the last 8 weeks?
Based on Naismith's rule plus about ten minutes' break an hour. Rough ground, a heavy pack, a group or altitude will make it longer.
How to build up to long hikes
- Measure it in time, not distance. Hours on your feet is what your trek asks for.
- Grow it in small steps and keep it easy: you should be able to talk in full sentences.
- Add hills, and later your trek pack. Change one thing at a time.
- Every third or fourth week, go a bit shorter so your body can catch up.
- A few weeks before you go, I'd aim to have done one walk close to your longest trek day.
The research in more detail
Is the 10% rule real?
It comes from running. When Buist and colleagues (2008) tested it with 532 new runners, the group building up 10% a week got injured just as often as a group on a standard plan (about 21% and 20%). Small, steady steps still make sense; 10% just isn't a law.
Where Naismith's rule comes from
William Naismith, a Scottish climber, proposed it in 1892: about three miles an hour plus an hour for every 2,000 feet climbed. Today it's usually given as 5 km an hour plus an hour per 600 m. Treat it as a floor, not a promise.
Use long walks to rehearse, not just to train
- Eat and drink little and oftenSnack every hour or so and sip regularly, rather than one big lunch and a thirsty afternoon.
- Deal with hot spots earlyStop the moment something rubs. A 2017 review found weak evidence for most blister products; paper tape over problem spots had the best support.
- Test your kitBoots, socks and pack should all have done long walks before the trek. A long trek is a terrible place to break in boots.
- Pace the first hourStart slower than you think, and take short, regular breaks rather than one long stop.
Related guides: Back-to-back hiking days · Pack training for hiking · The full endurance plan · How much to eat and drink on a hike · How to pace a long climb · Easy pace and the talk test · Training without mountains nearby
Research referenced in this guide
- Buist I, Bredeweg SW, van Mechelen W, et al. (2008). No effect of a graded training program on the number of running-related injuries in novice runners: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 36(1), 33–39.
- Worthing RM, Percy RL, Joslin JD (2017). Prevention of friction blisters in outdoor pursuits: a systematic review. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 28(2), 139–149.
Questions people ask
How long should my longest training hike be?
Build up to roughly the length of your longest trek day, in hours, at least once a few weeks before you go. You don't need to do it every week, and you don't need to go longer than your trek.
How do I build up to a 20 km hike?
Grow one weekly walk in small steps, measured in time rather than distance, and keep the pace easy. Add hills as you go. If you already walk regularly, a couple of months is realistic for many people.
How long does a 20 km hike take?
Using Naismith's rule, about four hours of walking on good, flat paths, plus an hour for every 600 m you climb, plus breaks. Rough ground, altitude or a heavy pack add more. The calculator above does the sums for your route.
How do I train for a long hike in the gym?
Use an incline treadmill or stair machine for steady climbing, keep two strength sessions a week, and do your long walk outdoors whenever you can. Our hill repeats guide covers incline treadmill sessions.
What should I do the day before a long hike?
Keep it easy: a short walk at most, eat normally with plenty of carbohydrate, drink well, pack the night before and get to bed early. Don't try new food or kit on the day.
Why do my legs hurt at the end of a long hike?
Usually it's muscular fatigue from thousands of steps, especially on descents, sometimes made worse by running low on food and water. Building time on your feet gradually, plus strength work, makes the end of the day easier.
How do I avoid blisters on a long hike?
Well-fitted, broken-in boots, socks that suit you, keeping your feet as dry as you can and stopping to deal with hot spots early. Evidence for most products is weak; paper tape over problem spots has the best support.
The free readiness check shows where your endurance, strength and climbing stand for your trek. About five minutes.
Want it built around your trek, your body and your week? That's what Peaksted coaching is for. Or follow Trek Ready, our eight-week plan.
