[HOW TO]
One simple technique that can add miles (and mountains) to your endurance
SKILLS, TIPS & TRICKS TO GET YOU HIKING LIKE A PRO
The ‘rest step’ is a technique often utilised on high-altitude expeditions and winter mountains, but it can make any uphill more efficient – here’s how to do it:
DO Begin on an upward slope
– it’s the angle of the ground to your body that makes this possible – it doesn’t work on flat ground or downward slopes.
DO Start an upright ‘resting’ position, with one leg straight downhill and one leg bent uphill.
DO Lock your knee over the downhill leg, relaxing the muscles so that your body weight falls mainly through the bones of your downhill leg and isn’t upheld by muscle strength.
The uphill leg should be relaxed, not taking any weight.
DO Take a quick step up. Straighten the uphill bent leg, naturally pulling the downhill leg up too. Stand all the way up like this, letting your weight fall through the now active uphill leg with the downhill leg dangling, using the toe for balance.
DO Lift the dangling downhill leg at the knee and plant it so that it is now the uphill leg. The weight should be falling through the other leg so that the foot lands in a controlled way with little weight falling through it.
DO Rest like this. You can pause in this position for as long as needed. On high altitude peaks, this can be for up to a minute.
DO Ensure that your uphill foot comes to rest on a solid platform so that you can easily transition your weight when taking the step up. If in snow, this might mean kicking steps as you go.
DO Keep a steady pace. Stopping and starting will use more energy – the goal is to keep up a regular plodding rhythm.
DON’T Take big lunging steps. Smaller ones use less energy and so are more efficient, especially on days with a lot of uphills or when carrying a heavy pack.
DON’T Lean over your legs, which will cause your body weight to fall more through your arms and core and activate the muscles in the leg. Imagine leading with the hips, keeping your body upright.
KNOWLEDGE
Cervus elaphus
Q Why do you drop your antlers each year?
A Antlers have two main uses – to impress the hinds, and to intimidate/battle competitors. They get a lot of wear and tear in a season, so casting them means they grow back stronger next year. It happens in spring when a drop in testosterone weakens the pedicle, the attachment part.
■ PUB QUIZ
A: How old is Scotland’s oldest Scots pine tree?
B: What are the five regional tops (highest mountains in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man)?
C: In which National Park did beavers recently get the okay for release?
A: At least 565 years old. The tree, at Glen Loyne, was dated to at le
