Big adventures require proper preparation. All the cool gear in the world won’t get you up the mountain if you neglect the two most important pieces of equipment: your brain and your body. Whether you are tackling a big peak like Mt. Whitney or a long trail like the John Muir Trail, you need to arm yourself with knowledge and the trail smarts to handle the unexpected. And your body needs to be physically prepared for the strain of long, steep miles at altitude.
When I developed my training plan for the John Muir Trail, it included several weekday conditioning hikes, longer weekend hikes, weight-bearing hikes and most importantly, hikes at higher altitude with substantial elevation gain.
As I researched my options, I settled on a series of six peak-bagging hikes, each progressively more challenging and all within a couple hours drive from anywhere in Southern California. These six peaks provided great preparation for the JMT, but they are also perfect for hikers training for Mount Whitney or other big adventures.
The SoCalHiker Six-Pack of Peaks
With that in mind, I organized a series of hikes called the Six-Pack of Peaks. Here they are, in sequential order:
#1 - Mt. WilsonDistance: 14 milesElevation: 5,713 feet Vertical gain: 4,200 feet |
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#2 - Cucamonga PeakDistance: 11.6 milesElevation: 8,859 feet Vertical gain: 4,300 feet |
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#3 - Mt. San Antonio (aka Mt Baldy)Distance: 10.2 milesElevation: 10,064 feet Vertical gain: 3,900 feet |
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#4 - San Bernardino PeakDistance: 16.5 milesElevation: 10,649 feet Vertical gain: 4,702 feet |
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#5 - Mt. San JacintoDistance: 11.4 milesElevation: 10,834 feet Vertical gain: 4,689 feet |
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#6 - San GorgonioDistance: 17.3 milesElevation: 11,503 feet Vertical gain: 5,840 feet |
It adds up to 27,108 feet of elevation gain over 82 miles!
The first year I led this with small groups. I had anywhere from 7-11 friends with me on each hike. And we brought along an actual 6-pack to toast the completion of each hike.
Take the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
Are you up to the challenge? Register for the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. We now have challenges across the country, giving you an opportunity to flex your adventure muscles and explore new mountains.
You can feel good about signing up, with a portion of your registration going to support Big City Mountaineers.
Sign-up today!
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