What did you guys/girls do to get into Mt. Goat shape?

[gerry35]

You don’t want to know.

Don't think I do.....

 

[chucko]

Load your pack with exactly what you carry on your hunt including your rifle if possible. That way you can tweak your gear load to fit right . Make sure you do some overnights carrying all your gear . Eat what you will eat on your hunt- get used to freeze dried food -at the end stand in a cold shower and have your wife whip you with devils club

 

[buzzy]

You’re on a solid path. Hiking with your pack weighted and stair master are your friends. I hunted with Bob a year ago and had an amazing time. If you have to use snow shoes that will slow you down. He gets pretty far into the backcountry with the quads but you could be hiking up some dam steep terrain so make sure your legs are in top shape. Altitude isn’t a problem and you take the steep grades slow and steady. Good luck and you will have a blast with Bob and his son Bobby. Plus their 2 pups who tag along on the hunts and are very well behaved as you glass foe goats.

 

[Bakey]

I have a sheep hunt in NM, this is very helpful.

Have started riding my bicycle to work for a baseline but am going to start hiking with some weight.

I did the Bataan marathon a few years ago so am going to follow that prep I did.

 

[DuckDogDr]

appreciate this thread

 

[JP100]

Without a doubt the best way to get into mt goat shape is by doing a few months of tahr hunting....

Pack on in steep and broken country is the best you can do. If you dont live next to mountains then its tough.

The thing i notice with clients is not necessarily "fitness" but their efficiency in walking in steep and broken terrain. Walking on a trail or pavement with a pack on is better than nothing, but is not comparable to actually climbing mountain

 

[DuckDogDr]

I will say in my limited experience. Agree with the hiking over rough terrain. My lower calves / high ankles .. those muscles were not used to having to balance the 2nd to last elk trip I went on…

Less than 300 yards in marble sized knots on each side of leg and lost feeling in my feet over !!

 

[BDWMT]

I had a goat tag in the Absarokas 2 years ago. I did usual strength training 4 days a week with alternating cardio days of trail running and weighted hikes. I’m fortunate to have a good trail system with steep climbs 5 minutes from my gym and can double up. The weighted pack was probably most beneficial. I stared with a 25lb plate on my frame pack and worked up to 2 45lb plates. Normal loop was 2.8 miles and 900 ft elevation gain. Also did a lot of backpacking into mtn lakes on the weekends. It was a great experience but I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much if I wasn’t as prepared. They live in physically challenging locations.

 

[MTGunner]

I drew a tag in the Cabinet mountains at age 64. I hiked, I dieted, I hiked with weighted pack and acclimated to up to 8000’. I was in darn good shape. Altitude can be daunting and good gear is essential particularly good boots. First day was brutal, second worse, last successful. It can be a true mental challenge. Work hard, be in the best condition possible. Practice shooting up and down extreme grades. REMEMBER….each ounce equates to pain to pack. Prepare yourself for an incredible adventure. MTG

 

[adamkolesar]

Lots of great advice here. Just a couple of specifics. Core strength is paramount as controlling that pack during the ascent/decent in the alders and devil's club will test your constitution.
The other unexpected "test" of fitness was the huge steps up and down to clear obstacles (many obscured by vegetation).
Pulling movement may be under appreciated as a supplement to any workout as you'll use that vegetation to self assist on those ascents in the jungle.

 

[bat-cave]

I have only been one 1 Mtn Goat hunt (2 years ago) at age 54. I did my normal Crossfit workouts ~5 days / week and my body did great. I think rucking is great, but for me it's easier and less time consuming to spend cycles on squatting (Front / Back / Box), weighted walking lunges, running, weighted box step overs etc ... Core is a given - IMHO. I do lots of pull-ups and shoulder work (Crossover Symmetry is worth it's weight in gold for an archer).

 

[Viper*6]

Goat and sheep hunts will certainly push you beyond what you trained for. Sounds like you have a good excercise program and dopping down in weight. All good advise here. I used to run the stadium stairs2-3 time per week and then began to add weight to a small backpack. Weight training and cardo is important. Work those legs. Training and hiking with a backpack in high altitude areas works great to get in shape.

 

[carsonkeys]

I’ll add to this: I did a goat hunt in 2019 and lived in Dallas. What Dallas lacks for in hills, it makes up for in tall buildings. Taking the hunt on short notice, I climbed up and down flights of stairs for a few weeks (with a weighted pack) leading up to the hunt and was in great shape.

My Achilles heel was (pun intended) my heels. Every foot strike on stairs, and stair-masters, is perfectly flat with no heel slippage of any kind. I’m yet to find a mountain that meets that criteria.

The day I got into the bush I had blisters and had to grunt through it for the remaining 9 days. It was an incredible hunt, but I made it way tougher than it needed to be. Life is hard, and it’s harder if you’re stupid.

For the record, I’d worn the boots I used on this hunt for many other less demanding hunts and never had issues.

 

[KHNC]

This year i am riding the shit out of my MX bike on my track we built. Mainly for elk season tho. But should be good for anything else too. Much more entertaining than going to the gym this summer.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I typically just do a bunch of hiking (usually with a weighted pack), in the same type of terrain and using the same equipment that I hunt goats in.

 

[WBT]

I’ve been fortunate to hunt goats twice and a bunch of other high altitude critters. You’re already on the right track losing weight. In my case, I’ve found cycling to be great exercise. You’ll develop strong legs and work on cardio simultaneously. Of course, I’ve also found rucking with 50 pounds on my back to be very helpful too. It gets you accustomed to carrying extra weight.