Plan your training, week by week
Pick your trek, how long you've got and how many days you can train. You'll get the shape of each training week, a long-walk build to follow, and an honest read on whether your timeline is enough.
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Kilimanjaro: 16 weeks, 3 days a week
16 weeks can work, but there's not much slack. Protect the long walk each week and don't skip the lighter weeks to "catch up".
With a longest recent walk of 2–4 hours, most people do best with about 18 weeks or more. Longest day on Kilimanjaro: 12–15 hours on summit night. Fitness doesn't replace a sensible acclimatisation itinerary.
- Week 1–4Get consistentBuild a rhythm you can repeat. Nothing heroic yet: the win is turning up every week.
- Week 5–11Build capacityThe long walk grows, the climbs get bigger and the pack starts coming along. Every fourth week is lighter on purpose.
- Week 12–14Rehearse the trekYour longest walks, real terrain, full pack and back-to-back days. This is the dress rehearsal.
- Week 15–16Arrive freshLess volume, same habits. Fitness doesn't vanish in two weeks; fatigue does.
Your training week
3 days, in any order that fits your life. Keep a rest day before the long walk if you can. In the rehearsal weeks the long walk becomes two days in a row.
Legs, trunk and upper body: single-leg work, slow step-downs, rows, push-ups and carries. Short and done well beats long and sloppy.
Sustained climbing at a pace you could talk at. Practise coming down slowly too, not just going up.
The backbone of the plan: hours on feet, your boots, your pack. Targets are in the table below.
Your long-walk build
Targets for the long walk each week: hours on feet, total climb and pack weight. Roughly is fine. If a week goes badly, repeat it rather than pushing on.
| Week | Long walk | Climb | Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Get consistent | 2.5 h | ~400 m | 3 kg |
| 2Get consistent | 3 h | ~500 m | 4 kg |
| 3Get consistent | 3 h | ~550 m | 4 kg |
| 4Get consistent | 2.5 hLighter week: let it sink in | ~400 m | 4 kg |
| 5Build capacity | 4 h | ~650 m | 4 kg |
| 6Build capacity | 4 h | ~700 m | 5 kg |
| 7Build capacity | 4.5 h | ~800 m | 5 kg |
| 8Build capacity | 3.5 hLighter week: let it sink in | ~600 m | 5 kg |
| 9Build capacity | 5.5 h | ~900 m | 5 kg |
| 10Build capacity | 5.5 h | ~950 m | 6 kg |
| 11Build capacity | 6 h | ~1000 m | 6 kg |
| 12Rehearse the trek | 6.5 h + 4.5 hBack-to-back days | ~1100 m | 6 kg |
| 13Rehearse the trek | 6.5 h + 4.5 hBack-to-back days | ~1150 m | 6 kg |
| 14Rehearse the trek | 7 h + 5 hBack-to-back days | ~1200 m | 6 kg |
| 15Arrive fresh | 4 hShorter walks, keep strength light | ~700 m | 4 kg |
| 16Arrive fresh | 3 hTrek week: short, easy, nothing new | ~500 m | 4 kg |
You don't need to rehearse a 14-hour summit night. Arriving fit and fresh beats arriving tired from training, and the altitude sets the pace up there anyway.
What Kilimanjaro asks of you most
- Aerobic base. A big engine at easy effort. At altitude it's the difference between plodding steadily and stopping every ten steps.
- Time on feet. Hours, not kilometres. Feet, hips and focus all need practice at being out there all day.
- Downhill durability. Descents are where legs (and knees) get found out. Slow, controlled lowering matters as much as climbing.
The same plan, built around you
This plan doesn't know your knees, your job, or the week everyone at home gets a cold. Coaching is where it gets adjusted as real life happens.
How Peaksted coaching works →How long should you train for a trek?
Shorter than most people fear, longer than most people leave. Here's a rough guide from a base of regular 2 to 4 hour walks. Starting lower? Add four to six weeks.
| Trek | Longest day | Suggested training |
|---|---|---|
| Tongariro Alpine Crossing | 6–8 hours, one day | 10+ weeks |
| Routeburn Track | about 6 hours, 2–4 days | 12+ weeks |
| Kepler Track | 6–8 hours, 3–4 days | 14+ weeks |
| Milford Track | 6–8 hours, 4 days | 14+ weeks |
| Te Araroa | 7–10 hours, day after day for months | 26+ weeks |
| Everest Base Camp | 6–8 hours, about 12 days | 18+ weeks |
| Annapurna Base Camp | 6–8 hours, 8–12 days | 16+ weeks |
| Everest Three Passes | 8–10 hours, about 18 days | 22+ weeks |
| Annapurna Circuit | 8–10 hours on Thorong La day | 18+ weeks |
| Kilimanjaro | 12–15 hours on summit night | 18+ weeks |
| Tour du Mont Blanc | 7–9 hours, 10–11 days | 18+ weeks |
| Alta Via 1 | 6–8 hours, 8–10 days | 16+ weeks |
| Torres del Paine (W or O) | 8–10 hours, 4–8 days | 18+ weeks |
| A big day hike | 6–8 hours, one day | 10+ weeks |
How the planner builds your weeks
The long walk is the backbone. Everything else supports it. It grows steadily from where you are now to about the length of a normal day on your trek, not the longest one.
Every fourth week is lighter. Fitness gets built in the recovery, not the session. Skipping the easy weeks to "get ahead" is a classic way to arrive tired.
The pack comes in gradually. You'll be carrying your real trek weight by the rehearsal weeks, and for multi-day trips you'll practise back-to-back days.
Then you back off. The last week or two are shorter so you arrive fresh. Nobody has ever failed a trek because they rested the week before.
Want the why behind it? Read how long to train for a multi-day trek and the seven capacities every trek tests.
Questions people ask
How many weeks should I train for a trek?
For most multi-day treks, 12 to 16 weeks from a reasonable base of regular walking. Shorter treks and big day hikes can work in 8 to 10. Long, high or heavy trips like the Three Passes or Te Araroa deserve 20 weeks or more. If your longest recent walk is under two hours, add four to six weeks.
Can I train for a trek in 8 weeks?
Often, yes, if you're already walking regularly and the trek isn't long or high. Eight weeks won't build a huge engine, so the plan focuses on getting your long walk and your descents ready. If it says tight, think about a shorter version of the route or more time.
How long should my training hikes be?
Work up to about your trek's normal day, not its longest one. For most treks that's 6 to 7 hours on feet with real climbing, plus back-to-back days for multi-day trips. You don't need to rehearse a 14-hour summit night.
Should I train with a weighted pack?
Yes, but build it up. Start light and add weight over the first half of the plan, so you're carrying your real trek pack by the rehearsal weeks. Jumping straight to full weight is a fast way to annoy your knees and shoulders.
What if I live somewhere flat?
Use stairs, step-ups and an incline treadmill for the climbing, and keep your long walks for time on feet. The planner swaps hills for those options when you pick flat or stairs.
Numbers here are Peaksted's estimates to plan around, not official route data or medical advice. Adjust for your health, history and conditions on the day.
