From climbing Kilimanjaro to walking the Camino de Santiago, we asked guides, travelers, and explorers for hacks on how to train for these trips of a lifetime.
The start of a new year often inspires people to tackle bucket list travel goals: rafting the Colorado River, scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, exploring the poles. But how does an entry- to intermediate-level adventurer start preparing to make these big dreams a reality?
In 2010, to train for an assignment that required living for weeks at Mount Everest Base Camp (elevation 17,598 feet), I began by snuggling into my cold-weather sleeping bag on the deck outside my home in northern Minnesota during a few weeks of sub-zero temperatures in January. I started with a few hours in daylight and eventually slept out all night without a tent. This exercise helped me determine the number of clothing layers needed to stay warm and eased my fear of freezing to death.
The best training isn’t always physical; sometimes it’s psychological or even spiritual. Every adventure requires developing a specific set of skills. That’s why we’ve asked the following experts for their advice on how to approach seven iconic travel experiences.
Scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef
“It’s best to learn to dive in warm, clear water, as poor visibility can be disorienting and cold water makes it difficult to equalize and breathe deeply,” advises Carrie Miller, co-author of National Geographic’s A Diver’s Guide to the World. The Great Barrier Reef, off Australia’s northeastern coast, is ideal for this purpose, offering visibility between 30 to 100 feet depending on the season, with water temperatures ranging from 72°F in the austral summer to 84°F in the austral winter.
Many dive training organizations allow you to complete coursework and pool sessions in your hometown and then finish your course on the Great Barrier Reef.
“Not everyone takes to scuba diving immediately, and that’s okay,” Miller notes. “Struggling with skills like mask clearing is common, and the experience can feel overwhelming.” To prepare, practice laps in a pool with a mask half-filled with water to get accustomed to the sensation of water around your nose.
(Scared to scuba? Here are five reasons it’s finally time to learn.)
It’s important to know that the reef has already lost half of its corals. Rather than expecting pristine beauty, use your trip as “an opportunity to learn about the pressures facing the reef,” Miller advises.
Whitewater Rafting the Grand Canyon
Extreme heat and submersion are significant risk factors when rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon—conditions that are difficult to prepare for in advance, says Kevin Fedarko, a former Colorado River guide and author of the forthcoming book, A Walk in the Park: The Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon.
“There’s an old saying among river guides: ‘If you’re hot, you’re stupid.’” To beat the summer heat, which often soars well above 100 degrees, Fedarko advises rafters to jump into the river’s calm sections with their clothes on several times a day, always under the supervision of their guides. “The Colorado River is the best air conditioning you’ve got,” he explains. “Getting all your clothing completely wet allows evaporative cooling to help regulate your body temperature.”
Regarding the shock of being thrown into a massive rapid, Fedarko suggests, “Unless you’re a Class V kayaker, the shock of being tossed in is so overwhelming that there’s little you can do to prepare other than filling your bathtub with 59-degree water and simulating the experience.”
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
The journey to the “Roof of Africa,” standing 19,340 feet above Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania, doesn’t require technical climbing skills but demands caution. Many climbers ascend too quickly without proper acclimatization, often succumbing to altitude sickness. To prepare physically, Dave Hahn, a mountaineer and guide for RMI Expeditions, recommends extending pre-trip workouts beyond one or two hours at a time. Spend entire days outdoors engaged in various activities—whether skiing, snowshoeing, or pulling weeds. “Be slightly uncomfortable for twelve hours at a time,” he advises.
(Here’s how the pursuit of one European peak gave rise to modern mountaineering.)
On Kilimanjaro, Hahn aims to reach Uhuru Peak at sunrise, which necessitates a near-midnight start followed by a nearly 10,000-foot descent back to Mweka Camp. “Summit days are extremely long, from about 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Kili.”
Skiing the Alps
“Skiing in the Alps is quite different,” compared to the U.S., says Gordy Megroz, author of National Geographic’s 100 Slopes of a Lifetime. “The resorts are enormous and often interconnected.”
For instance, Matterhorn Ski Paradise, the highest ski area in the Alps, spans Switzerland and Italy. Megroz prefers staying in Switzerland, where the hotels are superior, and skiing 6.5 miles under the Matterhorn to Cervinia, Italy, for lunch. To prepare for such epic runs, he recommends building endurance and strength by enrolling in two- or three-times-per-week CrossFit (a high-intensity, functional movement workout) or Orange Theory (a heart-rate zone training workout) classes a few months in advance. Alternatively, consider hiring a personal trainer to develop a specific ski training plan.
(Climate change is altering how visitors experience Switzerland’s Eiger mountain.)
“There are no easy ski areas in the Alps,” Megroz notes. He advises beginner or intermediate skiers to stick to groomed trails, known as “on-piste,” in Europe. For advanced intermediates interested in off-piste skiing, Megroz suggests hiring a guide. Unlike in the U.S., many ungroomed runs in Europe are not avalanche-controlled by ski patrol. “You can certainly ski off-piste on your own,” says Megroz, “but it’s dangerous.”
Cycling in Tuscany
Few experiences are more idyllic than cycling through the olive groves and vineyards of the Tuscan countryside. For trips like these, “endurance matters more than speed,” says Lauren Hefferon, founder of Ciclismo Classico, a bike tour company with 35 years of experience.
“I always remind people that on a bike trip, you have the entire day to cover 35 to 40 miles from point A to point B,” she explains. “But even if you ride three to four times a week before the trip, that alone won’t fully prepare you for the hills of Tuscany.”
Take a road trip through Tuscany’s breathtaking countryside.
In addition to logging hours on your bike, Hefferon recommends attending the gym two to three times a week to build core strength. She emphasizes that multi-day cycling trips are not races. “Speed can lead to exhaustion, disappointment, and accidents.”
Exploring the Poles
“People often focus on the final achievement of big trips,” says Eric Larsen, the polar explorer who, in 2010, became the first person to reach both the North and South Poles and climb Mount Everest within a single year. “What you don’t see is the extensive preparation involved.”
This January, Larsen will lead an eight-day polar training course designed to prepare BIPOC polar adventurers. His co-leader is Emily Ford, the first Black woman to hike Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail. “I follow a philosophy: Train hard, travel easy,” says Larsen. During the course, held on Lake of the Woods in northern Minnesota, participants spend three days learning how to dress properly before stepping onto the ice for training.
“It’s very intentional how slowly we proceed,” Larsen explains. “We’re not just throwing people into the wilderness with minimal gear and instructions. The more time you spend outdoors learning about your body, the better prepared you’ll be.”
Walking the Camino de Santiago
Millions of people have traversed the Camino de Santiago, the historic pilgrimage route established by the Catholic Church in the ninth century. According to Andrew McCarthy, the iconic journey is one bucket-list experience that doesn’t require extensive preparation.
In the 1990s, McCarthy, an actor and writer who describes himself as a “long-ago lapsed Catholic,” walked the route from Saint Jean Pied-de-Port, France, over the Pyrenees, and eventually to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, covering 500 miles. During the journey, he had a transformative moment halfway through, breaking down in a field and realizing how fear had controlled his life—a story he recounts in his book The Longest Way Home. McCarthy returned to Spain in 2021 to walk the Camino again with his then-19-year-old son, an experience that inspired his latest book, Walking with Sam.
(Here are three ways to plan a Camino de Santiago hiking pilgrimage.)
What makes this path so compelling? “I find walking to be a powerful process,” McCarthy explains. “It aligns with the natural rhythm at which we are meant to process our thoughts and emotions.”
His advice? “Go! Buy your ticket and set off within a week. The beauty of the Camino is its simplicity—just bring a good pair of walking shoes.