Brisbane peregrine/as - where did you hill train

[GlendaMac]

Hi everyone,
I live in Brisbane (Australia) and am undertaking my first (delayed from 2020) Camino in September.
My friend and I have continued our regular walking since 2019 and have done a few multi-day hikes Gold Coast hinterland walk + WA's Cape to Cape) so feel we are reasonably prepared.

I would like to ramp up our hill training. My general area (Kedron, Stafford, Wavell Heights, Grange) has lots of hilly streets, and when it gets cooler we will head to the Mt Coottha tracks for less even ground etc.

Are there other spots fairly close to the city you could recommend to get our hill stamina bedded in?
cheers
glenda

 

[Saint Mike II]

G'Day @GlendaMac I am not really all that familiar with Brisbane but from the sound of it your training more than meets the Camino. The Cape to Cape is a good multi day hike that puts those KMs into your legs.
If you are considering the Camino Frances - via the Napolieon,Orrison a bit of hill walking with about 7/8/9 kg in your backpack is another good bit of training as this section starts with an 800 metre climb out of St Jean.
Given your previous walking experience I would recommend not " stressing too much" . My usual advice is to take the first 3/4/5 days " slowly slowly" until you get what I call " camino fit" - getting use to the walking, the strange beds, the noise in the albergues etc. As for a timetable of events that is up to you but I often recommend a day off in Pamplona, Burgos and Leon especially if you have not been to this part of Spain.
Happy to answer any other questions. Maybe do a bit of research by looking back through these pages. Cheers for now, Buen Camino.

 

[Robo]

I agree @Saint Mike II Sounds like you are ready to go @GlendaMac

Don't walk your Camino before you walk your Camino

 

[GlendaMac]

Thanks for the encouragement @Saint Mike II and @Robo. We plan to go via Valcarlos and have the first week or so mapped out in short sections, so think we have the 'start slowly' sorted. We have factored in a few rest days so we can really see the larger places, but there is always that niggling anxiety about the ups and downs.
We found the Cape to Cape tough, but did it - the sand walking was hard but doable, but the rocky sections nearly broke us, just so hard underfoot. Just hoping we don't get too many stretches like that on the Frances.

 

[Robo]

Thanks for the encouragement @Saint Mike II and @Robo. We plan to go via Valcarlos and have the first week or so mapped out in short sections, so think we have the 'start slowly' sorted. We have factored in a few rest days so we can really see the larger places, but there is always that niggling anxiety about the ups and downs.
We found the Cape to Cape tough, but did it - the sand walking was hard but doable, but the rocky sections nearly broke us, just so hard underfoot. Just hoping we don't get too many stretches like that on the Frances.

The ups and downs are not that bad really. And not a lot of them. At least major ones

 

[Kiwi-family]

Where I live you can't go anywhere without encountering a hill, so I am very lucky. I remember someone posting once that in the absence of out door hills, they climbed stairs in skyscrapers in their city. Struck me as a good (but hideous!) solution.

 

[Silus]

Mount Glorious and Mount Nebo have some trails with some up and downs, not too far from the CBD, and the Samford Valley has some nice trials, but not with inclines. For longer days or a multi-day walk you could check out the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.

 

[Leanne21]

Opposite side of town to you but you could try Mount Gravatt. It has a circular track up to the lookout with some good ups and downs. The circuit takes about 45 minutes and gives you a good workout.

 

[GlendaMac]

Where I live you can't go anywhere without encountering a hill, so I am very lucky. I remember someone posting once that in the absence of out door hills, they climbed stairs in skyscrapers in their city. Struck me as a good (but hideous!) solution.

OMG. I hate stairs so that would be the absolute last resort!

 

[GlendaMac]

Mount Glorious and Mount Nebo have some trails with some up and downs, not too far from the CBD, and the Samford Valley has some nice trials, but not with inclines. For longer days or a multi-day walk you could check out the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.

Great idea @Silus. Don't often head that way but can add it in for variety. Thanks.

 

[GlendaMac]

Opposite side of town to you but you could try Mount Gravatt. It has a circular track up to the lookout with some good ups and downs. The circuit takes about 45 minutes and gives you a good workout.

Thanks @Leanne21. I'm familiar with the area from uni days, so will add Mt Gravatt to the mix.

 

[Former member 104756]

I remember someone posting once that in the absence of out door hills, they climbed stairs in skyscrapers in their city. Struck me as a good (but hideous!) solution.

I have found stairs to be great training! But definitely the outdoor variety.

For the 14 day Larapinta trail in 2021 and our Chemin du Piemont in 2022 - the main training we did was going up and down a set of steep stairs in our nearby national park. One set was 100 stairs, the other was 200. Typically we climbed up and down to make a total of 1,000 - sometimes up to 1,500 stairs each time. It was a great workout and it didn't take long. One day we did 1700 stairs - as my (french) husband said 'today we climbed up and down the Eiffel Tower'. We worried that maybe we hadn't done much distance walking in advance as we used to do - but muscle memory kicked in. We felt the stairs really helped with endurance.

Sounds to me like you'll be just fine @GlendaMac - but if you're looking for a bit more up and down - just find some 'outdoor' stairs.

PS. Can't class myself as a Brisbane peregrina - but I was born and raised there. Buen camino!

 

[GlendaMac]

I have found stairs to be great training! But definitely the outdoor variety.

For the 14 day Larapinta trail in 2021 and our Chemin du Piemont in 2022 - the main training we did was going up and down a set of steep stairs in our nearby national park. One set was 100 stairs, the other was 200. Typically we climbed up and down to make a total of 1,000 - sometimes up to 1,500 stairs each time. It was a great workout and it didn't take long. One day we did 1700 stairs - as my (french) husband said 'today we climbed up and down the Eiffel Tower'. We worried that maybe we hadn't done much distance walking in advance as we used to do - but muscle memory kicked in. We felt the stairs really helped with endurance.

Sounds to me like you'll be just fine @GlendaMac - but if you're looking for a bit more up and down - just find some 'outdoor' stairs.

PS. Can't class myself as a Brisbane peregrina - but I was born and raised there. Buen camino!

That sounds absolutely torturous to me @ Pelerina, but it clearly works. We did a fair few stairs on the Cape to Cape, one set of 350, but they were unevenly spaced and mostly in sand so a very different experience.
Can only think of 1 set of about 75 steps which I do have on my list to add in, but was not planning to do them that many times. You are a champion!

 

[Former member 104756]

That sounds absolutely torturous to me @ Pelerina, but it clearly works. We did a fair few stairs on the Cape to Cape, one set of 350, but they were unevenly spaced and mostly in sand so a very different experience.
Can only think of 1 set of about 75 steps which I do have on my list to add in, but was not planning to do them that many times. You are a champion!

Honestly I’m an inherently lazy person - we started with 400, then worked up to 1000. I was surprised how little time it took to reach that number, and more. It felt like a shortcut approach to training, but it seemed to work well.

Walking in sand is much more difficult I think.

 

[Robo]

Where I live you can't go anywhere without encountering a hill, so I am very lucky. I remember someone posting once that in the absence of out door hills, they climbed stairs in skyscrapers in their city. Struck me as a good (but hideous!) solution.

I go up and down the stairs in a multi story car park

Just a few times.......

So I feel I have really 'trained', which I don't really.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

G'Day @GlendaMac I am not really all that familiar with Brisbane but from the sound of it your training more than meets the Camino. The Cape to Cape is a good multi day hike that puts those KMs into your legs.
If you are considering the Camino Frances - via the Napolieon,Orrison a bit of hill walking with about 7/8/9 kg in your backpack is another good bit of training as this section starts with an 800 metre climb out of St Jean…
.

Doesn’t sound like you easterners have a problem in this respect. Try my side of the continent - it’s flat as a tack for several hundred kiilometres in every direction, bar west of course. But there is an exception, a sand ridge just outside town, where NASA built a tracking station for Apollo in the early sixties. Nothing left except the concrete foundations. But there is a sad excuse for a bitumen road going up to the top, which reaches the dizzying height of 33m. The 800m climb to Orisson had me so worried that I went up and down it 25 times to convince myself that I could make it. The things we do!

 

[GlendaMac]

Doesn’t sound like you easterners have a problem in this respect. Try my side of the continent - it’s flat as a tack for several hundred kiilometres in every direction, bar west of course. But there is an exception, a sand ridge just outside town, where NASA built a tracking station for Apollo in the early sixties. Nothing left except the concrete foundations. But there is a sad excuse for a bitumen road going up to the top, which reaches the dizzying height of 33m. The 800m climb to Orisson had me so worried that I went up and down it 25 times to convince myself that I could make it. The things we do!

I feel for you @Peregrinopaul. Might have been better to ignore the road and just slog up and down the sand ridge. That's a workout!

 

[Peregrinopaul]

I feel for you @Peregrinopaul. Might have been better to ignore the road and just slog up and down the sand ridge. That's a workout!

Not on a bike!

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Here I am stuggling to the "summit". (The horizon tells the story). The concrete pad is the location of the control room. Just right of centre are the foundations of the big dish which communicated with Armstrong et al back in the day. This should be a world heritage site. Sad.

 

[hikingcat]

Hi everyone,
I live in Brisbane (Australia) and am undertaking my first (delayed from 2020) Camino in September.
My friend and I have continued our regular walking since 2019 and have done a few multi-day hikes Gold Coast hinterland walk + WA's Cape to Cape) so feel we are reasonably prepared.

I would like to ramp up our hill training. My general area (Kedron, Stafford, Wavell Heights, Grange) has lots of hilly streets, and when it gets cooler we will head to the Mt Coottha tracks for less even ground etc.

Are there other spots fairly close to the city you could recommend to get our hill stamina bedded in?
cheers
glenda

Hi Glenda,
You might like to try the Somerset Circuit in D'Aguilar National Park. It's about 13km, with lovely views, and a few good hills.

I did the Cape to Cape in 2021 - it was fantastic! Loved it. But oh, the sand...

 

[t2andreo]

G'Day @GlendaMac I am not really all that familiar with Brisbane but from the sound of it your training more than meets the Camino. The Cape to Cape is a good multi day hike that puts those KMs into your legs.
If you are considering the Camino Frances - via the Napolieon,Orrison a bit of hill walking with about 7/8/9 kg in your backpack is another good bit of training as this section starts with an 800 metre climb out of St Jean.
Given your previous walking experience I would recommend not " stressing too much" . My usual advice is to take the first 3/4/5 days " slowly slowly" until you get what I call " camino fit" - getting use to the walking, the strange beds, the noise in the albergues etc. As for a timetable of events that is up to you but I often recommend a day off in Pamplona, Burgos and Leon especially if you have not been to this part of Spain.
Happy to answer any other questions. Maybe do a bit of research by looking back through these pages. Cheers for now, Buen Camino.

Saint Mike is correct about that first climb out of St. Jean Pied de Port. It IS daunting - very daunting. I have seen first-day pilgrims quit the Camino over this single obstacle.

NOTE: There are legitimate ways to leap-frog over this obstacle. But I will not discuss them here. It sort of devalues the experience in my view.

But, you also MUST consider that it is the WORST (steepest) climb of the entire 800 km Camino Frances. The view is worth taking your time.

Once past this challenge, there are other climbs and longer climbs. But none is so challenging - especially right out of the starting blocks. Just go slow and pace yourself. Moreover, when you reach Alberrgue Orisson, at the near top of the climb, the cold beer tastes oh so much better, knowing you have earned it.

As regards training, until recently I was living in Florida. I had a lady friend from there who trained by walking to her local high school athletic track / pitch, then climbing and descending the bleacher seats.

Mind you, she was in her mid-70s at that time, all of maybe 45 kilos dripping wet, 160 meters tall, but had legs like a marathon runner. But back in 2013, she ate up the Pyrenees like they were a billiards table. Wonder what she is doing nowadays?

On that second day - after the first overnight at Orisson, she left the rest of her Camino family in the dust. I did not see her again until a month later at the Pilgrim Mass in Santiago. Go figure.

The school bleachers to train for hills - who would have thought it?

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[GlendaMac]

Here I am stuggling to the "summit". (The horizon tells the story). The concrete pad is the location of the control room. Just right of centre are the foundations of the big dish which communicated with Armstrong et al back in the day. This should be a world heritage site. Sad.
View attachment 139659

I see your challenges . Totally agree that something with historic significance should have been preserved.

 

[GlendaMac]

Hi Glenda,
You might like to try the Somerset Circuit in D'Aguilar National Park. It's about 13km, with lovely views, and a few good hills.

I did the Cape to Cape in 2021 - it was fantastic! Loved it. But oh, the sand...

Hi @hikingcat
Thanks for that suggestion. I haven't been there so not on my radar at all. Sounds like a good one for weekends, interspersed with Mt Coottha.

Re the cape to cape: we found the beach walking ok, the sand dunes a bit more difficult, but the rocks. They were enough to nearly bring me to tears - my poor battered feet! Seeing a whale (who gave us a great display) helped me carry on.

 

[GlendaMac]

Hope this helps.

Tom

Thanks @t2andreo. We are going via Valcarlos, and to be honest the Pyrenees (either route) doesn't really worry me as a one off. It's the constant up and down that is a bit daunting, and I feel I might need more leg/lung stamina overall. Time will tell.
I have heard bleacher training is very good, but our schools don't have them - generally just grassy ovals/football fields etc. Not sure entry to larger sporting venues is possible for this purpose. Will have to investigate.
cheers
Glenda

 

[JMac56]

I just walked my local area, West End and Highgate Hill, doing around 9km per day. Once I did the first day from St Jean to Roncesvalles via Route du Napoleon I figured I could tackle anything else that came on the CF. Buen Camino.

 

[rainforestgirl]

Hi everyone,
I live in Brisbane (Australia) and am undertaking my first (delayed from 2020) Camino in September.
My friend and I have continued our regular walking since 2019 and have done a few multi-day hikes Gold Coast hinterland walk + WA's Cape to Cape) so feel we are reasonably prepared.

I would like to ramp up our hill training. My general area (Kedron, Stafford, Wavell Heights, Grange) has lots of hilly streets, and when it gets cooler we will head to the Mt Coottha tracks for less even ground etc.

Are there other spots fairly close to the city you could recommend to get our hill stamina bedded in?
cheers
glenda

Head up to Maleny!!
I’ve done long walks through the hinterland hills. My Cooths is probably your best option & I’m sure you’ll be more than ready.

 

[GlendaMac]

I just walked my local area, West End and Highgate Hill, doing around 9km per day. Once I did the first day from St Jean to Roncesvalles via Route du Napoleon I figured I could tackle anything else that came on the CF. Buen Camino.

Good to know @JMac56. Are we related ? I'll just keep on and hope my outcome is similar to yours. Thanks.

 

[GlendaMac]

Head up to Maleny!!
I’ve done long walks through the hinterland hills. My Cooths is probably your best option & I’m sure you’ll be more than ready.

Thanks @rainforestgirl. Probably good for a weekend away, but the front end of this year is already busy, and it's a bit cool for my liking in winter. Will see how things shape up.
cheers
Glenda

 

[JMac56]

Good to know @JMac56. Are we related ? I'll just keep on and hope my outcome is similar to yours. Thanks.

Ha ha, I doubt it Glenda. I'm actually an Mc but JMac was my work nickname so it has stuck. Might interest you to know that I was 58 years old, overweight and unfit when I walked my first Camino. I guess persistence paid off and The Camino has become my passion. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions. Best of luck to you and your friend.

 

[Risky]

Hi everyone,
I live in Brisbane (Australia) and am undertaking my first (delayed from 2020) Camino in September.
My friend and I have continued our regular walking since 2019 and have done a few multi-day hikes Gold Coast hinterland walk + WA's Cape to Cape) so feel we are reasonably prepared.

I would like to ramp up our hill training. My general area (Kedron, Stafford, Wavell Heights, Grange) has lots of hilly streets, and when it gets cooler we will head to the Mt Coottha tracks for less even ground etc.

Are there other spots fairly close to the city you could recommend to get our hill stamina bedded in?
cheers
glenda

Hi Glenda, my wife and I live in the hills district and before we head over for a Camino we will walk from Arana Hills over the range to Samford and back, via fire trails. It's about 20 km return trip with plenty of altitude gain (about the same height as Mount Cootha) and we have a light breaky at Samford before returning home.

Cheers, Kenton.

 

[dick bird]

Thanks for the encouragement @Saint Mike II and @Robo. We plan to go via Valcarlos and have the first week or so mapped out in short sections, so think we have the 'start slowly' sorted. We have factored in a few rest days so we can really see the larger places, but there is always that niggling anxiety about the ups and downs.
We found the Cape to Cape tough, but did it - the sand walking was hard but doable, but the rocky sections nearly broke us, just so hard underfoot. Just hoping we don't get too many stretches like that on the Frances.

It’s a walking track, so parts may be steep but generally the ground underfoot is fairly firm. You’ll be right.

 

[GlendaMac]

Ha ha, I doubt it Glenda. I'm actually an Mc but JMac was my work nickname so it has stuck. Might interest you to know that I was 58 years old, overweight and unfit when I walked my first Camino. I guess persistence paid off and The Camino has become my passion. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions. Best of luck to you and your friend.

Thanks @JMac56. We will be 68 and 70 for our first time, but neither of us is overweight and we are both reasonably fit - I have a dog (so 2 walks most days, shared with husband); we both do reformer Pilates a couple of times a weeks, walk together 3 times a week and do an occasional yoga class or bike ride. Retirement has its benefits!

My friend did about half the Francigena in 2015 before tendinitis stopped her, and we are up for a challenge. Not sure if we want to become addicted though to Camino. We can hear the SW Coast walk in the UK starting to call...

Thanks for the well wishes.

 

[GlendaMac]

Hi Glenda, my wife and I live in the hills district and before we head over for a Camino we will walk from Arana Hills over the range to Samford and back, via fire trails. It's about 20 km return trip with plenty of altitude gain (about the same height as Mount Cootha) and we have a light breaky at Samford before returning home.

Cheers, Kenton.

That is a great idea Kenton. I'll check out those trails for the winter months just before we leave. I particularly like the idea of brekky half way - that's my kind of walking .

 

[freyam]

I live in “The Hills” district and am also walking Frances later this year after a couple of postponements. The Samford Conservation Park is on our doorstep and we walk there most days with lots of hills. As a guide there is about 200m elevation gain in a 6-7km walk. Shared with mountain bikers and horses but mostly very respectful of each other. Iron Bark Gully is a good access point for this. Bunya Conservation Park is also good but way too many mountain bikes on the weekend.
We’ve done Three Capes in Tassie, Kumano Koda in Japan as wel as the W Trek in Patagonia (a story for another day) but still feel a bit daunted by the sheer length of the Camino. Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in on our agenda when the weather is cooler as a “gear check” walk.
Maybe I will see you out there on the trails in the coming months.

 

[Former member 71219]

Wow, you live in/near Kedron? So do I! Amazing. Unfortunately my Camino dream for this year is not to be and I'm now looking at Spring 2024. Bummed about that but I think I might have been overly optimistic with my plans. I'm not actively training since my Camino is delayed but as you mentioned there are some fantastic hills around here. Kitchener Road is a beauty! When the time comes I'll be doing lots of walking in our neighbourhood, plus weekend trips to summit Mt Cootha and also Mt Glorious. The steps at Kangaroo Point are also a good option if you're into that kind of punishment!

Happy training and buen camino, I look forward to following your Camino.

Sharon

 

[igailfh]

Glenda Mac, I walked my first two Caminos, Lisbon to Fatima, & Porto to Santiago, after a huge amount of training on Mt Coot-Tha. The tracks there are marvellous for training for the Camino. There are the easier, kinder trails to start with, then you can proceed through the different grades of difficulty. You can practice with hiking poles on the more challenging trails. There is a map available showing the degree of difficulty on the various trails. For me the final challenge was to walk/climb the Kokoda trail which I only tackled climbing upwards. I never tried to descend that one, too daunting for me. And yes, one of the trails on Mt Coot-Tha is really called the Kokoda.
Since then I have completed 3 Caminos in Portugal & Spain, & walked Hadrians Wall in the UK.
Mt Coot-Tha was definitely a great training ground!

 

[Miki Goldie]

Hi everyone,
I live in Brisbane (Australia) and am undertaking my first (delayed from 2020) Camino in September.
My friend and I have continued our regular walking since 2019 and have done a few multi-day hikes Gold Coast hinterland walk + WA's Cape to Cape) so feel we are reasonably prepared.

I would like to ramp up our hill training. My general area (Kedron, Stafford, Wavell Heights, Grange) has lots of hilly streets, and when it gets cooler we will head to the Mt Coottha tracks for less even ground etc.

Are there other spots fairly close to the city you could recommend to get our hill stamina bedded in?
cheers
glenda

What about walking up (and down) the Story bridge? I remember walking up the Sydney Harbour bridge and gained a lot of confidence in myself, before my first Camino Francis in 2016. I have always got jittery before subsequent caminos....love

 

[GlendaMac]

I live in “The Hills” district and am also walking Frances later this year after a couple of postponements. The Samford Conservation Park is on our doorstep and we walk there most days with lots of hills. As a guide there is about 200m elevation gain in a 6-7km walk. Shared with mountain bikers and horses but mostly very respectful of each other. Iron Bark Gully is a good access point for this. Bunya Conservation Park is also good but way too many mountain bikes on the weekend.
We’ve done Three Capes in Tassie, Kumano Koda in Japan as wel as the W Trek in Patagonia (a story for another day) but still feel a bit daunted by the sheer length of the Camino. Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in on our agenda when the weather is cooler as a “gear check” walk.
Maybe I will see you out there on the trails in the coming months.

Hi @freyam
Thanks for the info on Stamford Conservation Park. Sounds like a perfect place to work the legs and build stamina. Will check it out and get organised.
When are you heading off to Spain?
cheers
Glenda

 

[GlendaMac]

Wow, you live in/near Kedron? So do I! Amazing. Unfortunately my Camino dream for this year is not to be and I'm now looking at Spring 2024. Bummed about that but I think I might have been overly optimistic with my plans. I'm not actively training since my Camino is delayed but as you mentioned there are some fantastic hills around here. Kitchener Road is a beauty! When the time comes I'll be doing lots of walking in our neighbourhood, plus weekend trips to summit Mt Cootha and also Mt Glorious. The steps at Kangaroo Point are also a good option if you're into that kind of punishment!

Happy training and buen camino, I look forward to following your Camino.

Sharon

Hi @Shaz Celeste
Kitchener Road is one of my hills, and the little side street from Appleby to Webster (just past the shopping centre), parallel to Rode Road is a killer. I also do the hills on Shaw Road.
We often walk in the city, along the river and Kangaroo Pt + most of the bridges, and yes the steps are steep and narrow. Going up once is all I can manage .

Pity you can't get away this year and know how you feel. When our May 2020 trip was COVID cancelled I fell in a bit of a heap and didn't walk or do any exercise for 6 months. Sanity soon prevailed, thankfully, and we got a dog - forced me to get back into it. Happy planning.
cheers
Glenda

 

[GlendaMac]

Glenda Mac, I walked my first two Caminos, Lisbon to Fatima, & Porto to Santiago, after a huge amount of training on Mt Coot-Tha. The tracks there are marvellous for training for the Camino. There are the easier, kinder trails to start with, then you can proceed through the different grades of difficulty. You can practice with hiking poles on the more challenging trails. There is a map available showing the degree of difficulty on the various trails. For me the final challenge was to walk/climb the Kokoda trail which I only tackled climbing upwards. I never tried to descend that one, too daunting for me. And yes, one of the trails on Mt Coot-Tha is really called the Kokoda.
Since then I have completed 3 Caminos in Portugal & Spain, & walked Hadrians Wall in the UK.
Mt Coot-Tha was definitely a great training ground!

Hi @igailfh
Thanks for the prod to get back to Coottha. We trained there late 2019 and early 2020 for our planned May 2020 Camino. I went on holidays to South America, my walking partner fell on one of Coottha's trails and broke her elbow (2years of recovery/physio and all is good now), covid struck and the rest is history.
Mahogany is a nice track, and the one to channel 9 is a killer. We have done one on the other side but avoided Kokoda like the plague. Perhaps we need to make it our last one before leaving for Spain...?
cheers
Glenda

 

[GlendaMac]

What about walking up (and down) the Story bridge? I remember walking up the Sydney Harbour bridge and gained a lot of confidence in myself, before my first Camino Francis in 2016. I have always got jittery before subsequent caminos....love

Hi Miki
Always a possibility I guess, although we usually walk over the Story bridge, through Kangaroo Point, and weave over and back across the river on the Goodwill, Victoria, Go Between and the other bridge whose name escapes me at the moment. I imagine there are lots of steps up and down the bridge, so a great workout. Will suggest it and see how we go.
Thanks, Glenda

 

[AlwynWellington]

I would like to ramp up our hill training.

I have no problem with "hill work", living as I do at 90 m asl with sl just 2 km away.
And the surrounding hills get up to 400 m asl.

There are several work arounds I have not seen mentioned yet.

• stationary bike - to give the muscles in the upper legs a work out as well as heart and lungs
• rowing machine - same and add upper body and arms
• medicine ball - between small of your back and a wall - do squats
• how to walk going up, and down, a hill.

The last is not so obvious, so here it is:

• be match fit before you start
• dress for mid-morning - short sleeve top is my usual - you do warm up
• on the flat - normal stride and pace
• hill steepens - shorten stride - maintain pace - breathe in on left foot fall
• really steep - miniscule stride - heel rests by the other instep - maintain ...
• and adjust as slope lessens

I had already walked from Le Puy - 750 km - 3.5 weeks before starting from Saint-Jean about 07h30 in early May. (There are no significant hills after Le Puy)

It wasn't long before I encountered walkers stopping, taking off their pack, opening their pack to exchange the heaving outer for something a little lighter.
While I was not fast I was fit - even so, no-one passed me while walking until near the top, on the track against the fence. Because of the low cloud I stopped at Orisson to ask about the weather - no troubles I was told. I also paused at the Last Sello caravan - I was getting a chill so quickly moved on. And I had a loo stop going down through the forest. Even so, I arrived at Roncesvalles about 12h30 and was one of the first half dozen to register for a bed.

So @GlendaMac, from this side of the ditch I say kia kaha, kia māia, kia mana'wa'nui (take care, be strong, confident and patient) and get fit.

 

[GlendaMac]

I have no problem with "hill work", living as I do at 90 m asl with sl just 2 km away.
And the surrounding hills get up to 400 m asl.

There are several work arounds I have not seen mentioned yet.

• stationary bike - to give the muscles in the upper legs a work out as well as heart and lungs
• rowing machine - same and add upper body and arms
• medicine ball - between small of your back and a wall - do squats
• how to walk going up, and down, a hill.

The last is not so obvious, so here it is:

• be match fit before you start
• dress for mid-morning - short sleeve top is my usual - you do warm up
• on the flat - normal stride and pace
• hill steepens - shorten stride - maintain pace - breathe in on left foot fall
• really steep - miniscule stride - heel rests by the other instep - maintain ...
• and adjust as slope lessens

I had already walked from Le Puy - 750 km - 3.5 weeks before starting from Saint-Jean about 07h30 in early May. (There are no significant hills after Le Puy)

It wasn't long before I encountered walkers stopping, taking off their pack, opening their pack to exchange the heaving outer for something a little lighter.
While I was not fast I was fit - even so, no-one passed me while walking until near the top, on the track against the fence. Because of the low cloud I stopped at Orisson to ask about the weather - no troubles I was told. I also paused at the Last Sello caravan - I was getting a chill so quickly moved on. And I had a loo stop going down through the forest. Even so, I arrived at Roncesvalles about 12h30 and was one of the first half dozen to register for a bed.

So @GlendaMac, from this side of the ditch I say kia kaha, kia māia, kia mana'wa'nui (take care, be strong, confident and patient) and get fit.

Thanks for the advice Alwyn. You really can walk hills if you're that fast from St Jean to Roncesvalles! I have a stationary bike and started using it again a couple of weeks ago. Good for the legs, not so much the bum .
All good with hill walking technique, just need to do more of it to feel confident on Camino.
cheers
Glenda

 

[AlwynWellington]

kia māia, ka pai (be confident, you will be fine)

 

[Camino Madonna]

Hey Glenda - I live & train in Brissie. Late 50’s. Did Camino Frances through to the Atlantic pre covid & planning via podiensis this June. For training I walk my local area (Coorparoo) during the week & do Mt Cootha very early every Saturday for 2 hours (trying to avoid summer heat!) for the big hills. Yes - the Kokoda trail in Mt Cootha is a ripper but my experience is that if you can walk that once a week for training (even very slowly) then you’ll be well prepared for your Camino & any other experiences. That training has prepared me fantastically for many Australian & NZ walks; Everest Base Camp & a bunch of European walks.

For training further afield, I love the walks in Main Range/Scenic Rim (eg Mt Cordeaux / Bare Rock / Mt Mitchell / Mt Mathieson ) - they’re within 1.5 hours of Brisbane & good distances & such incredible views.

Good luck - personal message me if you want to meet up at Cootha for a walk together!

 

[Eamonrodden]

Hi everyone,
I live in Brisbane (Australia) and am undertaking my first (delayed from 2020) Camino in September.
My friend and I have continued our regular walking since 2019 and have done a few multi-day hikes Gold Coast hinterland walk + WA's Cape to Cape) so feel we are reasonably prepared.

I would like to ramp up our hill training. My general area (Kedron, Stafford, Wavell Heights, Grange) has lots of hilly streets, and when it gets cooler we will head to the Mt Coottha tracks for less even ground etc.

Are there other spots fairly close to the city you could recommend to get our hill stamina bedded in?
cheers
glenda

Don’t get too anxious. I walked the French Camino in my mid 60s. The first part out of St. Jean is the steepest of the lot. Take your time do not push too hard. If can have a night in Orisson. It is a good place to meet people early, good communal dinner.
My experiences on Caminos has seen many people who are fit and able, get a little caught up in pumping out the kilometres and end up pushing themselves too hard. Take your time, listen to your body, enjoy the walk and the people.
Hope you have a great experience.
P.s I live in Brisbane too.

 

[GlendaMac]

Hey Glenda - I live & train in Brissie. Late 50’s. Did Camino Frances through to the Atlantic pre covid & planning via podiensis this June. For training I walk my local area (Coorparoo) during the week & do Mt Cootha very early every Saturday for 2 hours (trying to avoid summer heat!) for the big hills. Yes - the Kokoda trail in Mt Cootha is a ripper but my experience is that if you can walk that once a week for training (even very slowly) then you’ll be well prepared for your Camino & any other experiences. That training has prepared me fantastically for many Australian & NZ walks; Everest Base Camp & a bunch of European walks.

For training further afield, I love the walks in Main Range/Scenic Rim (eg Mt Cordeaux / Bare Rock / Mt Mitchell / Mt Mathieson ) - they’re within 1.5 hours of Brisbane & good distances & such incredible views.

Good luck - personal message me if you want to meet up at Cootha for a walk together!

Thanks @Camino Madonna. I think we'll spend a few weeks reacquainting ourselves with Coottha before tackling the Kokoda trail. Sounds like it really kicks butt, so once a week on top of ordinary walking is a good idea. As soon as the weather gets a bit cooler (probably from Easter) we'll head on up. That will give us 4 months before we leave.
cheers
Glenda

 

[GlendaMac]

Don’t get too anxious. I walked the French Camino in my mid 60s. The first part out of St. Jean is the steepest of the lot. Take your time do not push too hard. If can have a night in Orisson. It is a good place to meet people early, good communal dinner.
My experiences on Caminos has seen many people who are fit and able, get a little caught up in pumping out the kilometres and end up pushing themselves too hard. Take your time, listen to your body, enjoy the walk and the people.
Hope you have a great experience.
P.s I live in Brisbane too.

Thanks Eamon. We have no desire to break records or pump out the kms- much more stop and smell the roses and admire the scenery/history types. Looking forward to it, just a few butterflies as with anything new and different. This will be the longest distance we've walked by a long way, and that in itself is a bit scary... but one step at a time.
cheers
Glenda

 

[Eamonrodden]

Thanks Eamon. We have no desire to break records or pump out the kms- much more stop and smell the roses and admire the scenery/history types. Looking forward to it, just a few butterflies as with anything new and different. This will be the longest distance we've walked by a long way, and that in itself is a bit scary... but one step at a time.
cheers
Glenda

You will enjoy it. Enjoy the wine, you will do fine. Good luck

 

[Katykay]

Hi everyone,
I live in Brisbane (Australia) and am undertaking my first (delayed from 2020) Camino in September.
My friend and I have continued our regular walking since 2019 and have done a few multi-day hikes Gold Coast hinterland walk + WA's Cape to Cape) so feel we are reasonably prepared.

I would like to ramp up our hill training. My general area (Kedron, Stafford, Wavell Heights, Grange) has lots of hilly streets, and when it gets cooler we will head to the Mt Coottha tracks for less even ground etc.

Are there other spots fairly close to the city you could recommend to get our hill stamina bedded in?
cheers
glenda

Hi Glenda,
If you feel like a drive on the weekend you could go to Mt Beerburrum. Very steep and similar to the gradient to Orrisson and beyond. Buen Camino! Kay

 

[nandogdc]

Bunyaville Conservation Park is my training ground, it has ups, and downs, flats and friendly people which is all that you need for the Camino. Good luck

 

[GlendaMac]

Hi Glenda,
If you feel like a drive on the weekend you could go to Mt Beerburrum. Very steep and similar to the gradient to Orrisson and beyond. Buen Camino! Kay

Hi Kay
I've recently been talking to a dog park friend who has been doing some walks at Mt Beerburrum - she will be hiking in the Dolomites in Italy. Sounded like useful training but finding the time to get there and back is the problem. Might have to be a long weekend option.
Thanks for the idea.
cheers
Glenda

 

[GlendaMac]

Bunyaville Conservation Park is my training ground, it has ups, and downs, flats and friendly people which is all that you need for the Camino. Good luck

Thanks. Will check it out.

 

[Katykay]

Hi Kay
I've recently been talking to a dog park friend who has been doing some walks at Mt Beerburrum - she will be hiking in the Dolomites in Italy. Sounded like useful training but finding the time to get there and back is the problem. Might have to be a long weekend option.
Thanks for the idea.
cheers
Glenda

You’re welcome. Sounds like you’ll be fine anyway. Hills can be daunting but taking them at your own pace always gets you through. Enjoy your Camino! Cheers Kay

 

[LdnWalker]

I think if you can do the trails around Mt Coot-tha you’ll be fine. Just being generally hill ready is helpful but there’s only a few places where a good part of of your day is hill (like out of St Jean). Take snacks, have rests and heed the advice of the pilgrim office in St Jean. Don’t be tempted to race through that first day, getting to Santiago is more a marathon than a sprint, and you don’t want to gather injuries that could end to your journey early.

 

[Katykay]

Thanks for the encouragement @Saint Mike II and @Robo. We plan to go via Valcarlos and have the first week or so mapped out in short sections, so think we have the 'start slowly' sorted. We have factored in a few rest days so we can really see the larger places, but there is always that niggling anxiety about the ups and downs.
We found the Cape to Cape tough, but did it - the sand walking was hard but doable, but the rocky sections nearly broke us, just so hard underfoot. Just hoping we don't get too many stretches like that on the Frances.

I felt anxious prior to each hilly bit even when I knew I could do it. I tried to accept the feeling and make good plans as you are doing. Rocky bits happen but your feet adapt and you also have flat smooth bits. Feet are a topic of conversation all the way. Part of the experience unfortunately. Part of the achievement too, if that makes sense?

 

[Eamonrodden]

You will enjoy it. Enjoy the wine, you will do fine. Good luck

Remember the downhills are more dangerous than the climbs