Extreme Uphill Walking Technique

[pyrat]

Been looking online for techniques for walking uphill fast and efficiently. In hill races when the gradient gets too great (ben nevis etc) the competitor has to walk.

Would anyone like to share their preferred extreme uphill walking technique?

Long strides vs short, bent spine vs straight back, high cadence vs low?, hard pushoff vs efficient muscle usage?

Share your thoughts please.

[graeme]

Long, slow cadence. I prefer upright to maintain airflow to the lungs.

Curiously, as I get older, I find I'm running more of the climbs. No faster than walking though

[Gillian]

Long strides like Graeme, but leaning forward. Cadence - depends how fast I want to go, but generally slow for efficiency. I use my hamstrings, quads and gluteals far more than my calf muscles.

If I'm running up-hill, I have much shorter strides and use my calfs more.

Unlike Graeme, the older I get, the more I seem to be walking uphill...

[EddieH]

I used to be at my strongest on long climbs, and I was one of the first to walk. (I run in training where I would walk in a race.) I remember in a very steep road race passing a whole pack of runners going up - basically walk a bit and keep the ame pace as them while resting my calves, then run past a few, before walking again etc.

The walk has the biggest strides possible body forward, and push hard with the rms on the thighs.

[ER]

Read somewhere (could be a past Fellrunner Magazine) that by placing the whole foot down rather than by walking and pushing up only on the front part of the feet, muscle soreness in the calves is reduced. But what works for one person may not work for the next - it will depend on fitness, strength levels and traction. Different types of terrain may require a different type of action eg. walking up on rock will be different than climbing a scree or wet grass.

[Supersaint]

I tend to go for the long stride with arms swinging by my side, then as i get more tired towards the top of the climb revert to putting hands on thighs. I always try to run up where possible, though, even if it's a few metres at a time. If the gradient is ever steep enough i'll always try to pull myself up by grabbing clumps of grass in front of me as well (doesn't always work - the grass usually comes out of the ground!)

[Kitch]

You're not going to learn what works best for you without going out and practising.
There is a skill, there is a technique, but its your own, it depends on the terrain (long strides on scree is no use for example), it requires you to develop your leg strength, your own rhythm. Different rhythms for different conditions: smooth; tussocky; heathery; rocky.

Basic advice - careful foot placement, controlled and directed power, concentrate and plan every step to avoid wasting energy.

The best thing you can do is train, experiment and practise.
The technique changes with practise. If you are not used to it you will waste energy

(like spinning on a bike - takes a couple of weeks before you stop bouncing aroung in the saddle and put all your energy through the pedals)

[pyrat]

Thanks for the input, im going walking training (hehe) soon and will let you know how it goes.

I'll go to 'the trainer' aka dumgoyne.

[ifor]

Have to agree with Kitch foot placment is the first thing, sliping realy messes you up. I am not sure what style I use, bent forward and with my arms most of the time if it is realy steep I think. If I am realy going for it I try and lengthen my stride every now and then. The ground dictates where your feet normaly go but where there is a choice I go for the upper option and try and keep the cadance up.

When there is daylight during the summer I do one session a week training for this. 10 mins just about runable to warm up then three reps of just under 10 mins each, I can run about the first quarter then it steepens up and I walk the top three quarters.

Ifor