How to Train for High-Altitude Trekking as an Aussie Woman

If there’s one piece of advice worth taking seriously before a high-altitude trek, it’s this – the better you prepare, the more you will enjoy it. That’s not about being the fittest woman on the trail – it’s about arriving with enough strength and stamina to actually be present. To chat with the group instead of gasping for breath. To look up at the mountains instead of just watching your feet.

Training for high-altitude trekking is different from training for a regular hike and it’s a different challenge again for Australian women, because most of us are training from sea level with nothing higher than a decent hill nearby. Here’s how to actually prepare – properly and without turning it into a second job.

Two treks, twenty years apart

I’ve felt both sides of this argument firsthand. Back in 2005, I trekked to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal with next to no specific training behind me – I was young and generally active and figured that would carry me through. It didn’t. Every uphill stretch at altitude left me gasping, recovery overnight was rough and I spent more of that trek grinding through it than actually taking it in.

Twenty years later, in 2025, I trekked the Lares Trek in Peru having trained properly for it first – the same kind of program laid out in this guide. I’ll be honest with you – I still ended up in hospital with altitude sickness on that trip, which proves the point made earlier – fitness doesn’t make you immune to it and my own body was living evidence of that. But even with that setback, I felt noticeably stronger and more capable throughout the rest of the trek than I ever did in Nepal and I recovered faster. The training didn’t stop altitude sickness from happening to me – nothing reliably does – but it changed how my body handled everything else the trek asked of it.

That’s the honest version of the case for this guide – training won’t guarantee you avoid altitude sickness, but it changes what the rest of the trek feels like, before and after.

The Australian problem – no altitude to train on

If you live in Australia, there’s an inconvenient truth and reality – you can’t train at altitude here. Mount Kosciuszko, our highest peak, tops out at 2,228 metres – barely a warm-up on a trek like the Inca Trail, where you’ll cross a pass above 4,200 metres, or Kilimanjaro, which summits above 5,800 metres.

That means Australian trekkers have to get clever. You can’t simulate thin air on a Saturday morning walk, but you can build the two things that make altitude far more manageable when you get there: cardiovascular fitness and hiking-specific strength. Neither prevents altitude sickness outright – physical fitness does not protect against acute altitude illness and nobody is immune to it regardless of fitness level. But a well-conditioned body handles the physical exertion of high altitude far more comfortably than an unconditioned one and that difference shows up in how much you enjoy your trek.

The four pillars of altitude trekking fitness

Everything else in this guide comes back to four areas. Focus your training time here.

Time on your feet. The single best preparation for trekking is walking – regularly and for increasing lengths of time. Build up from 30-45 minute walks to multi-hour outings and eventually to back-to-back days if your trek involves consecutive trekking days (many high-altitude treks, including multi-day treks to Machu Picchu, do). This matters more than speed.

Hills, stairs and elevation. High-altitude treks involve sustained climbing and descending, often on uneven terrain or stone steps. Training on hills, stairs or an incline treadmill builds the specific strength and control your knees and ankles need – especially on the way down, which is where most trekkers underestimate the effort involved.

Strength and leg endurance. Squats, lunges, step-ups and core work build the muscular endurance that keeps your legs strong on day three of a trek, not just day one. Strong glutes, quads and a stable core also protect your joints on long descents and help you carry a day pack comfortably.

Cardiovascular fitness. A strong heart and lungs won’t prevent altitude illness, but good cardiovascular fitness does help your body adjust more comfortably to reduced oxygen levels and makes the physical effort at altitude feel more manageable. Running, cycling, swimming, or brisk walking 3-4 times a week all build this base.

How long do you actually need to train?

Most guides – and my own experience participating women’s trekking trips – point to the same range – three to six months of consistent training before a high-altitude trek, with six to eight months being ideal if you’re starting from a lower fitness base or the trek involves back-to-back trekking days.

The key word is consistent. Two or three solid sessions a week for six months will get you further than an intense six-week cram before departure. Start with shorter, easier sessions and progressively add duration, hills and pack weight as your trek gets closer. In the final two to three weeks before you fly out, taper down – reduce volume, keep frequency and prioritise sleep so you arrive rested rather than run down.

What women specifically need to know

Most training advice for high-altitude trekking is written without women in mind, which is a gap worth closing. A few things are worth flagging specifically for women preparing for altitude:

Women are more likely to have low iron stores, particularly around menstruation and low haemoglobin can compound the effects of reduced oxygen at altitude. Research on women, iron and altitude suggests women heading to altitude benefit from a ferritin level above 80 µg/L – a level most menstruating women don’t naturally have. If you’re several months out from a big trek, it’s worth getting a blood test to check your ferritin level – it gives you time to address any deficiency well before departure, rather than discovering it on the mountain.

Hydration needs also increase more than people expect at altitude – you lose water faster through respiration at elevation, sometimes close to double the rate at sea level – so building a genuine hydration habit during training (not just on trek days) makes a real difference.

If you’re training around your cycle, know that energy and recovery can fluctuate through the month. That’s normal, not a sign you’re not fit enough – plan your bigger training sessions around the days you tend to feel strongest where you can.

Don’t forget your gear

Your gear needs training too. Buy your hiking boots or shoes several months out and break them in gradually on your training walks – never wear brand-new boots on trek day. Trial the actual socks you plan to wear, train with the day pack you’ll carry (loaded to a realistic weight) and if you’re using trekking poles, practise with them on hills and stairs so they feel natural before you need them.

Trekking at altitude is never a race

Every woman training for a trip like this starts from a different place and that’s completely normal. The plan above is a framework, not a rule book – adjust the pace to suit your body and your life. What matters is consistency over months, not intensity over weeks.

The better you prepare, the more you’ll enjoy your trip. Slow and steady, done consistently, beats cramming every time – and it’s what will let you actually take in the mountains you’ve travelled so far to see.

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Thinking about a high-altitude trek of your own?

I host small-group trekking adventures for Australian women who want to take on trips like this without going it alone – including our upcoming trip trekking to Machu Picchu through Peru’s Andes. If a high-altitude adventure has been on your list, find out more about our Peru trip here.

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