HikeStrong Podcast
The HikeStrong Podcast is where I share practical guidance on hiking, backpacking, and trekking preparation. Each episode blends fitness insight with real-world training strategies to help you build strength, endurance, and confidence for any trail.
I sit down with guests to break down how to train for demanding hiking, backpacking, and trekking goals using smart strength training, endurance training, and conditioning approaches. You’ll hear clear advice on altitude training, uphill training, and injury prevention, all woven into training conversations that support preparation for major destinations such as Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, Rim to Rim, Tour du Mont Blanc, the Camino de Santiago, Patagonia, Machu Picchu, the Alps, and the Dolomites.
Because training is never one‑size‑fits‑all, I also bring listeners inside real programs. In select episodes, I interview clients in a deep‑dive format that reveals week‑by‑week training details — real data, real challenges, and real solutions — offering a clearer picture of how people actually prepare for hiking, backpacking, and trekking goals.
A cornerstone of my approach is elevation‑gain training. I believe that consistently building weekly elevation gain is one of the strongest predictors of success on any major adventure. In each episode, I share clear, actionable ways to develop that strength — even if you don’t have access to hiking terrain — so you can stay on track whether you train on hills, treadmills, stair machines, or step‑ups.
If you're preparing for a major trip, gearing up for a multi-day backpacking route, or building a long-term plan for tougher hiking or trekking challenges, you’ll find episodes that support every step of your training.
Beyond training, some episodes feature voices from across the hiking, backpacking, and trekking worlds — guides, operators, storytellers, and industry experts whose insights can shape how you think about adventure. These conversations broaden your perspective and influence your outdoor experiences, even when the focus isn’t directly on training.
Listen, train with purpose, share with your adventure partners — then take on at least one unforgettable hiking, backpacking, or trekking experience each year. Train | Hike | Repeat
I’m Marcus Shapiro, a hiking strength and conditioning coach and an early pioneer in online training for hiking, backpacking, and trekking, helping adventurers get physically ready for everything from local elevation goals to high-altitude expeditions.
HikeStrong Podcast
Swiss Alps Hiking at 63 – Part 3: Planning a Swiss Hut-to-Hut Adventure | HikeStrong | Ep. 32
Thinking about a Swiss Alps hut-to-hut hike but don’t know where to start? How do you actually plan it—and what do most first-timers get wrong?
In the final episode of this series, Marcus and Alex, founder of The WanderWeGo Co., dive into the practical realities of hiking in Switzerland. Alex shares what makes the Swiss Alps different from hiking in the U.S., including cultural norms, trail design, and the Swiss trail rating system—an area that often surprises American hikers.
They break down what a mountain hut really is, what it’s like to stay in one, and why hut-to-hut hiking is far more welcoming than many people expect, even for solo travelers or beginners. Alex also explains the logistics behind route planning, booking huts, packing smart, and preparing for the elevation gain that defines alpine hiking.
This episode is a roadmap for anyone inspired by Dave’s story and wondering how to take their own first step toward a Swiss Alps adventure—with clarity instead of overwhelm.
Topics covered:
- Hiking in the Swiss Alps vs. the U.S.
- Understanding Swiss trail ratings
- What the hut-to-hut experience is really like
- Planning routes, booking huts, and packing smart
- Common mistakes first-time Alps hikers make
- How beginners can confidently start planning
Get expert advice on hiking in the Swiss Alps from Alex, founder of The WanderWeGo Co.
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