Many of our recently joined members which are new to trekking  frequently express doubts on the required physical fitness level to join CTC  treks.

Although every individual is unique and has his/her own fitness level, I will try to give some general guidelines as to what it takes to join a moderate/difficult CTC trek. Easy treks within CTC should be accessible to most out there.

The key requirements of trekking are the following:

(1) stamina

Walking 3km along Marina beach is not at all comparable to a trek in  CTC. There are several aspects that make a trek much more difficult  then a typical walk in the city -

1.1 Terrain

Mostly we do not walk along a plain, flat walkable trail without  obstacles. On most treks we will be walking along either -

b) Small trails surrounded by (thorny) bushes
c) Mountain tops with long grass and sprinkled with rocks
d) slippery rocks in wet streams
e) uneven river bed with knee deep water
f) loose gravel along mountain slopes

1.2 Forest/bush

We mostly trek in forest areas to escape from the hot sun. Although we  try to trek along an open trail, we sometimes need to walk through  denser vegetation and bushes. Sometimes we encounter thorny bushes.

1.3 Streams/water

We try to trek along mountain streams with running water to have  drinkable water and reduce the need to carry much water. We mostly  trek on the side of the stream, however in many treks we need to walk  along the river bed filled with boulders and rocks and sometimes walk  in knee-deep water or wade across deeper water pools.

1.3 Climb

All CTC treks include walking along an inclining trail. Two aspects define the incline -

a) altitude - total ascent or increase in altitude along the trail.  Ascending 300m in hot climate with a heavy backpack requires a  tremendous effort.

b) slope/gradient - climbing a 300m hill becomes much more difficult  along a very steep (45 degree) incline over short distance, compared  to climbing the same hill along a less steep gradient (15) over a  longer distance.

c) terrain - in many cases climbing a hill involves some amount of  rock climbing rather then walking along a even trail.

1.4 Distance

On most treks we cover between 10 and 20km each day. Again, remember  that this is not comparable to walking the same distance over a flat  city or tourist or sightseeing location. This covers uneven terrain,  uphill and bushes/forest.

1.5 Climate

Probably the most challenging aspect of a trek in South India is the  hot, tropical sun. Although we try to trek under the forest cover part  of the trek will always be in the open sun. Trekking over uneven  terrain or uphill with a backpack under a hot sun triggers heavy  transpiration and dehydration. A given trek during a cool climate can  be much more difficult in case of hot sun. Rainy weather also  increases the difficulty of a trek - slippery rocks, sliding mud, wet  shoes.

1.6 Weight

During the entire trail you are required to carry a backpack with  water, food, sleeping bag, clothes and personal items. This easily  adds up to 4 to 6kg. Walking with this additional weight over a longer  distance, uneven terrain, sometime uphill under a tropical sun makes  it non comparable to an early morning city walk along the beach.

1.7 Night

As we mostly trek along new, unknown trails we do not always reach the  camping site before sunset. Therefore, we sometimes trek for around 1  hour in the darkness. Walking with an LED torch over uneven terrain  adds some additional challenge.

(2) BMI

BMI or Body Mass Index. Due to the modern lifestyle many of us are a  bit overweight and do not do much regular physical activity. This  quickly affects our stamina. Before even considering of joining CTC on  a trek it's important to get into proper shape by doing regular  physical activities that restore your BMI and build up your stamina.

(3) mental

A CTC trek is not a sightseeing trip to Kodaikanal or picnic to Tada  or visit to Mahabalipuram beach.

3.1 Camping

We do not stay in guest houses or lodges or dormitories. We camp in  open spaces on hill tops or in the forest, sleep under the stars, use  tarpaulin sheets to protect against rain, lay down on thermocoil  sleeping mats on uneven, sandy, sometimes rocky surface. We use  bedsheets or sleeping bags to protect ourselves from the early morning  chillness on the higher altitudes.

obviously there are no urban bathroom/toilet facilities out there.  However there is lots of forest and bushes to ensure your privacy for  changing wet clothes and going to the toilet.

separate camping tents are provided for female members. Any specific  concerns can be addressed to gals@chennaitrekkers.org which includes  10 frequent female trekkers.

3.2 Food

We don't provide three star food on our treks. We however provide a  healty basic diet. Breakfast mainly consists of bread and jam. Lunch  includes parotta's, teplas, rusk, fruits, snacks. We typically try to  provide warm dinner including soups and cup noodles. When the group is  small we cook fresh food - rice and vegetables.

3.3 Endurance

Walking 30km for 2 continuous days over uneven, rocky terrain with  bushes, sometimes climbing uphill in a tropical climate with limited  water requires mental strength. More then physical, a positive minded  attitude is key to survive a CTC trek.

(4) attitude

We want more members with good, volunteering attitude showing good  team work during treks, helping each other overcome obstacles, rather  then complaining, nagging, passive participants. Every CTC trek is a  mission that can only be accomplished as a team, not as a group of  individuals.

CTC is a non-profit group of volunteers who spend lot of their free  personal time in organizing a trek. Sometimes we do not approach the  same standards as a commercial trekking organization. So in case we do  not meet your expectations we are open to your valuable (anonymous)  feedback and will use this to improve future treks. After each trek we  send out a feedback form.

(5) Examples

5.1 Some examples of activities to get you in the right shape before  joining a trek in CTC

Any sports that builds stamina (frequent movement) - football,  jogging, running, gym (cardio), tennis, badminton, swimming, long & regular walks  (10+ km)

Climbing a small hill

5.2 Some examples of activities which are not much related to trekking  - yoga, short or infrequent walks, gym (weights)