PLEASE, PLEASE, PAHLEEEEESE GET FIT FOR YOUR HUNT IN AFRICA..!

[DOC-404]

Late last year I was asked to help a close PH friend with a wounded leopard. Sorted. Then I met the 'hunter' that caused the problem. At first, I thought the guy was just filthy-rich-spoilt-rotten, but it didn't take me long to realize that he was just too damn lazy to shit. And extremely unfit. Every 200 yards, the BWANA had to have his chair, umbrella and cooler-box. It's not the first time that I have met hunters who have planned a hunt in Africa for two years, have the fancy artillery, all the bells and whistles, but they can't walk a mile without passing out.

Guys, Africa is a beautiful place to hunt but, she's a also a real bitch. She'll chew you up and spit you out quickly if you don't prepare for her physically as well. At least get walking fit before your hunt. If you are able-bodied and can do it, being able to walk 5 miles a day, at a brisk pace, without breaking too much of a sweat, is where you should be to really enjoy yourself in Africa.

So, for your own sake, add a bit of PT to your list of 'things to do' before you get on the plane.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I can understand DOCS frustration. A PH wants to do his best to support and orchestrate a great hunt for us and they can't do their job without us playing our part.

You may have health issues and want to get that once in a life time hunt off of the bucket list.
Let the PH know that you are "actually" working on your bucket list. BE HONEST.

If you are going to come from a cold weather country be prepared for your need for water in a dry, hot land.
Be prepared. I now drag a camel back along. I have always carried a water bottle.

Your fitness level does severely limit what you can accomplish and certainly the species and terrain you can operate in.


Africa is not flat. Honest.

Climbing can be involved.

It can be a long walk to anywhere in very sandy soil. It's not a sidewalk.

That "Hill" / Mountain in the back ground in the background is about 500 yards in a straight line up the slope.
It will take you most of a morning to climb it. (Where do you think those big Kudu hide.

This is a loping track of a Giraffe. They can cover ground like nobodies business.

During that prep work for your trip throw in some crouching as you walk.
Bending and sliding underneath those thorny trees is a must.

This does not even begin to cover the "jungle" or a "marsh".

Happy hunting.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Late last year I was asked to help a close PH friend with a wounded leopard. Sorted. Then I met the 'hunter' that caused the problem. At first, I thought the guy was just filthy-rich-spoilt-rotten, but it didn't take me long to realize that he was just too damn lazy to shit. And extremely unfit. Every 200 yards, the BWANA had to have his chair, umbrella and cooler-box. It's not the first time that I have met hunters who have planned a hunt in Africa for two years, have the fancy artillery, all the bells and whistles, but they can't walk a mile without passing out.

Guys, Africa is a beautiful place to hunt but, she's a also a real bitch. She'll chew you up and spit you out quickly if you don't prepare for her physically as well. At least get walking fit before your hunt. If you are able-bodied and can do it, being able to walk 5 miles a day, at a brisk pace, without breaking too much of a sweat, is where you should be to really enjoy yourself in Africa.

So, for your own sake, add a bit of PT to your list of 'things to do' before you get on the plane.

This can be said of pretty much any hunt. I know Africa is no Stone sheep hunt but when I was guiding the #1 reason for people not getting their ram is lack of physical fitness. Even those who run or walk for a few months prior to their hunt would be well served to incorporate some stairs or even better yet, actual hills to their regimen as well as starting their fitness regime at least 6 months or more prior and instead of plateauing at some pre-set fitness goal, continue to challenge yourself right up to and during your hunt. Despite being in good shape prior to arriving in Kyrgyzstan, I walked along with the horses wherever I could to get my lungs and muscles used to working in low oxygen atmosphere so that I would not be having to figure it out when the ram of a lifetime was finally spotted, it paid off when I was faced with a long difficult stalk on an Ibex.

Also a great exercise if real hills are not an option is standing with the ball of your foot or preferably just toes on a step (hang onto something) and drop your heels as low as possible then raise yourself as high as you can until exhaustion. Natural terrain is uneven and steep, these stretching/strength exercises will prepare you for actual terrain far better than the nice ergonomic level surfaces that we engineer into our daily lives (including our exercise equipment).

 

[graybird]

Pictures sometimes don't do the country justice! A few pictures while hunting mountain reedbuck in the Eastern Cape.

You better be ready for these 'hills'!!!

 

[Diamondhitch]

Pictures sometimes don't do the country justice! A few pictures while hunting mountain reedbuck in the Eastern Cape.

You better be ready for these 'hills'!!!

My pic that doesn't seem to show up is also Mountain Reedbuck hunting in the EC. I take back the "not like Stone sheep hunting" comment. LOL

Ill try the pic again.

 

[Royal27]

Great thread...

I completely agree on getting in shape, walking shape, not running shape. My personal experience over the last two years is this:

Two years ago i was in better running shape - I could average an 8:30 pace for a 10K. Last year I was much slower running, but walked more, and switched to "zero drop" running shoes which built up the muscles in my feet and calves much more (transition slowly if you do this - you WILL be sore!!!!). Take a wild guess which year I actually fared better in the mountains on an elk hunt? Oh, and last year I had much more comfortable boots too. Footwear CANNOT be overstressed. Great shape and bad boots = slow walking in misery.

 

[BRICKBURN]

My pic that doesn't seem to show up is also Mountain Reedbuck hunting in the EC. I take back the "not like Stone sheep hunting" comment. LOL

Ill try the pic again.

View attachment 25735

In some areas it can certainly compare to sheep hunting. 9000 Feet Elevation and steep.
This is not where you are chasing your typical first timers list though!

 

[toxic111]

I know I tried to get in better shape before I left last May for my first trip, I did as much walking on the treadmill (with hill climbs) as I could, but due to plantar fasciitis in both feet it was a struggle, I did my best.

The one comment about running shape over walking shape. If you can run 5 or 10k in 30-60mins a 5k or 10k walk is nothing (that is assuming you work in varied terrain) I can remember when I used to be able to run that 5k, a 8+k walk in south west Saskatchewan (which is not as flat as people think) was nothing.

But all that said, the last 2 days of my hunt were killer, walked about 6 miles a day trying to get me my warthog... & that was in the hills of the Eastern Cape near Fort Beaufort. Next time I will try to be in better shape if I am able too.

 

[James.Grage]

Walking is always in mind when planning a safari.

My goal is to be able to walk 4 miles in about 45 minutes. This Is in sandy rolling's side hills.

What I did not do well with is the bent over running, that is required at time in difficult and rocky side hills.

Having broken in shoes is the only way to go and I usually take 2 well broke in pair to allow drying time if needed.

Walking up and down stairs is not the best activity. Doing this in addition to my walking almost cost me my first safari. After Climbing the stairs daily for months, I developed knee issues and had to go see a doctor, you see I developed baker cysts behind both knees about the size of a baseball. I was taken off my daily exercise routine until the swelling went down. I was only cleared to walk a little about 2 weeks prior to leaving. And as you imagine the cysts ballooned up bigger than ever on the safari.

So if we are climbing up an down a lot while on safari and my knees are becoming a bother to me the little bugger is safe.

 

[Royal27]

I know I tried to get in better shape before I left last May for my first trip, I did as much walking on the treadmill (with hill climbs) as I could, but due to plantar fasciitis in both feet it was a struggle, I did my best.

The one comment about running shape over walking shape. If you can run 5 or 10k in 30-60mins a 5k or 10k walk is nothing (that is assuming you work in varied terrain) I can remember when I used to be able to run that 5k, a 8+k walk in south west Saskatchewan (which is not as flat as people think) was nothing.

But all that said, the last 2 days of my hunt were killer, walked about 6 miles a day trying to get me my warthog... & that was in the hills of the Eastern Cape near Fort Beaufort. Next time I will try to be in better shape if I am able too.

Agree on the walk itself. I wasn't saying I couldn't do it, or even that it was hard. What I did find out though was that as the muscles used were different I wore down more over the course of the trip and that I dealt with more soreness.

Which brings up another point. If you are going to use a backpack, even a light one, train with it. I've made that mistake before too. Again, not that if couldn't do it, but I did have to deal with some extra soreness.

 

[Diamondhitch]

In some areas it can certainly compare to sheep hunting. 9000 Feet Elevation and steep.
This is not where you are chasing your typical first timers list though!

Agreed

Thanks for fixing my pic as well.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Good info. I knew nothing about zero drop shoes and had no idea how much mechanical advantage an elevated heel generates. Makes sense. Now picture the angle of the foot climbing a hill and multiply that by the leverage of most, if not all, of your weight being on the ball of your foot and toes. Additionally when running you are rocking heel to toe which is likely aided by your momentum and it is easy to see why conventional flat training and even using stairs is lacking. Those calves always get burning in steep country no matter how much flat training you do. (I am including stairs as flat here since the treads are in fact flat).

 

[Diamondhitch]

Walking is always in mind when planning a safari.

My goal is to be able to walk 4 miles in about 45 minutes. This Is in sandy rolling's side hills.

What I did not do well with is the bent over running, that is required at time in difficult and rocky side hills.

Having broken in shoes is the only way to go and I usually take 2 well broke in pair to allow drying time if needed.

Walking up and down stairs is not the best activity. Doing this in addition to my walking almost cost me my first safari. After Climbing the stairs daily for months, I developed knee issues and had to go see a doctor, you see I developed baker cysts behind both knees about the size of a baseball. I was taken off my daily exercise routine until the swelling went down. I was only cleared to walk a little about 2 weeks prior to leaving. And as you imagine the cysts ballooned up bigger than ever on the safari.

So if we are climbing up an down a lot while on safari and my knees are becoming a bother to me the little bugger is safe.

I am no physical therapist but overdoing anything is not good. I stand by the stairs training, start small and increase slowly. However if I had to choose just 1 exercise it would be the one I mentioned on the edge of a step, it works wonders.

 

[graybird]

Don't forget about going downhill, as well. Some of the most difficult times I've had in the mountains were with a heavy load on my back and heading downhill. Downhill training needs to be incorporated into a complete exercise program.

 

[Rob404]

After I made my decision to Hunt Africa I went on a Diet which was difficult as I'm a Chef by trade,,after shedding 30# in a little over a year I,m working on dropping that last 10#,,,I'm on the move for in my kitchen for 10 hours ,,and I'm beat by end of the day,I'm also breaking in my 2nd pair of shoes, Iv'e set a goal for my self to start a weight lifting as well as a Stair stepper program a month before I go,,I hope this will at least give me a Fighting chance of surviving a week in SA

 

[enysse]

I agree with the above statements. Walking in sand is very tough, climbing the hills of the East Cape can be brutal if you don't get in shape. Some of that terrain is very vertical.

 

[BRICKBURN]

After I made my decision to Hunt Africa I went on a Diet which was difficult as I'm a Chef by trade,,after shedding 30# in a little over a year I,m working on dropping that last 10#,,,I'm on the move for in my kitchen for 10 hours ,,and I'm beat by end of the day,I'm also breaking in my 2nd pair of shoes, Iv'e set a goal for my self to start a weight lifting as well as a Stair stepper program a month before I go,,I hope this will at least give me a Fighting chance of surviving a week in SA

That stair climber will be the ticket.

 

[sestoppelman]

Walking is always in mind when planning a safari.

My goal is to be able to walk 4 miles in about 45 minutes. This Is in sandy rolling's side hills.

What I did not do well with is the bent over running, that is required at time in difficult and rocky side hills.

Having broken in shoes is the only way to go and I usually take 2 well broke in pair to allow drying time if needed.

Walking up and down stairs is not the best activity. Doing this in addition to my walking almost cost me my first safari. After Climbing the stairs daily for months, I developed knee issues and had to go see a doctor, you see I developed baker cysts behind both knees about the size of a baseball. I was taken off my daily exercise routine until the swelling went down. I was only cleared to walk a little about 2 weeks prior to leaving. And as you imagine the cysts ballooned up bigger than ever on the safari.

So if we are climbing up an down a lot while on safari and my knees are becoming a bother to me the little bugger is safe.

I am a very fast walker and I can manage a 20 minute mile for 3 miles in an hour. On flat ground.
I dont think its possible to 'walk' 4 miles in 45 minutes, especially on "rolling's side hills". Run? Yes, Walk? No.

 

[enysse]

They say average of good walker is 15 minute mile, even when I was younger I found it consistently hard to do long term.

 

[sestoppelman]

They say average of good walker is 15 minute mile, even when I was younger I found it consistently hard to do long term.

No way Eric. 20 minutes a mile is fast walking. That would be 4 miles an hour. No way. Run yes, walk no.