Do you work at staying in backpacking shape in the shoulder/off season? I belong to a fun run club in the winter, go to the gym (or at least I will start again now that the snow is starting to stick) and cross-country ski (including carrying day packs and backpacks for occasional cabin trips) -- but I wouldn't call any of it training.
Maybe it is, but compared to an article I read recently in the local paper -- it isn't. This group meets once a week, load up backpacks and climb a long set of stairs that go from the river valley bottom to the top of the ridge, take the easy route down -- and then do it all over again (up to 7 times). And they're not doing it for fun -- it's pure training.
Wow.
Cheers,
Megan
