A day on the Markha trail, from tea at 6.30 to lights out
What a walking day actually looks like on our Markha trek: the timings, the pace, the stops and the evenings in camp.
Am I too old or unfit for a Himalayan trek?
The question we hear most from first-time trekkers in their forties, fifties and sixties, and an honest answer about who does well up high.
Most weeks we get a call that begins with an apology. “I am 52 and I have never trekked. Is Markha too much for me?” The honest answer is that age matters much less than people think, and preparation matters much more.
Our oldest trekker on Markha was 71. Some of our most comfortable walkers are in their fifties and sixties, because they walk at a steady pace and listen to their bodies. Young, fit runners sometimes struggle more on the first days, because they rush up the trail. Altitude affects people in ways that are hard to predict, and it has little to do with age or fitness. Our two rest days in Leh and our slow climb are there for everyone.
Fitness is a different matter, and you can build it. Six weeks before the trek, start walking every day, working up to two hours, and once a week go for a long walk of four to five hours, with stairs or hills and a light day pack. Climbing ten floors of stairs twice without stopping is a good sign you are ready. We send a six-week training plan when you book.
Tell us about any heart, lung or blood pressure condition, and see your doctor before booking; they know your health, and we do not. If Markha seems too much, the Sham valley walk is a lovely first step. Many of our trekkers do Sham one year and come back for Markha the next.
