HELP HIKING STEEP INCLINES
HELP HIKING STEEP INCLINES A number of years ago Jason, my 2 nd of three older brothers, and I hiked Matanuska Peak. It was my first real mountain climb; Jason, on the other hand, spent his childhood running up and down mountains, including attending a lengthy summer NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) trip at the age of 16. While we were trekking along, Jason gave me a piece of hiking advice which has served me very well, “Let your heels touch the ground.” This advice helped me successfully completed the Matanuska Peak Challenge, just 2 years after that first trip. OUR TENDENCY: When hiking up steep inclines it is natural to want to walk on your toes. It feels more comfortable (at first) because you are keeping your foot level and avoiding the initial protest of your calf muscle stretching. However, this means that every single step you take you are putting all your weight on the ball of your foot and using your calf muscle and Achilles tendon to ...