One of the most important lessons I have learned in recent years is to pace yourself. I often see (and sometimes hike with) people that charge ahead on the trail at full bore for 30 or 45 minutes. Then they stop for 15 minutes to recover. I used to be one of these people and I was convinced that this was the only way to hike. As I went higher, the ‘pace’ would be 10 fast steps and then rest for a minute. It really made some of my ascents rather miserable.

While in Nepal, I was introduced to a slower, more constant pace. Some call it a “guide’s pace” as this is the pace that your guide sets to make sure you keep moving. The goal is to move without stopping for 2 hours. From personal experience, I find that it takes about 30 minutes to get a rhythm while hiking. Once I get into that rhythm, each step takes less effort. This makes the next 90 minutes much more enjoyable.

Your pace is not a constant, but it will vary according to the terrain. As the trail becomes steeper or higher up the mountain, the pace slows, but you don’t stop (well not quite). You might stop between steps (this is often referred to as a rest step), but you keep moving.

Left foot forward
Breath in
Right foot forward
Breath out

One benefit from this pace is that you are able to look around and enjoy the scenery.