Training for the GDT

The first time we wore shorts and a T-shirt for our training!

The Great Divide Trail is approximately 1,123 kilometers in length (697 miles) and has a total elevation gain of nearly 38,000 meters (Mt. Everest is 8,848 meters). I say approximately 1,123 kilometers because the trail is very much a “choose your own adventure” type of trail, some areas lacking a formal trail all together. Along the GDT there are plenty of alternative routes that one can take that may lead to easier travel, access to civilization or more epic views. The choice is yours! 

In order to walk this far in 54 days we have been following a loose training schedule, curated by yours truly. Once a week, we walk.

That’s it. Simple. 

We started on 10k walks with 9kg bags in early March and now we are walking 15k with 14kg bags, which are in excess of the weight we will actually be carrying on the trail. On our current training walks we use our bags as if packed for the trail with all of our gear, minus food, and supplemented with 7 liters (7kgs) of water. Obviously we will not be carrying 7 liters of water on our day to day walking, somewhere between 2 or 3 liters depending on water availability. That leaves us with 4 kgs of excess weight, and figuring food will be around 3kgs (a guesstimate?) after resupplying, we are training with approximately our maximum expected pack weight on trail. 

Looking back to 8 weeks ago when we started training it was an activity that would eventually lead to us being able to hike the GDT. At the current moment it feels like we are rapidly approaching our start date with a decent fitness foundation. The time from when we started training to now is the same amount of time from now to when we start the trail. 8 weeks. 

Our training won’t vary too much from what it is currently, we do live an active lifestyle which supplements much of our singular hiking activity. We plan on doing our fair share of mountain biking prior to beginning which will be great to strengthen our legs and boost cardio while being low impact. We will also be trail running for cardio fitness and to strengthen our lower limbs and joints to prevent injury while on the trail. I also enjoy wearing a weighted backpack around with me everywhere I walk. By wearing a weighted pack daily it becomes normalized and I will be familiar with all the associated aches and pains when I need to wear a pack for 2 months straight. 

Green Chili Chicken Casserole

I drove to the States in October to visit home and a visit wouldn’t be complete without the customary loading up on food supplies. One of the prized possessions of my trip were two massive jars of Hatch Green Chili salsa from New Mexico. A flavor so fine is coveted in the US, let alone Canada where traces of Mexican food, where found, are quite often sub-par. With the great responsibility of a single jar of salsa remaining, the opportunity to ensure it’s longevity needed to be seized.

OUR RECIPE

• 4 Cups of rice (dry)

• 3 Cups of black beans (dry)

• 1 Can of corn (341 ml)

• 1 Can of olives, sliced (371 ml)

• 4 Cans of chicken, drained (197g each)

• 500g Hatch Green Chili Salsa

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 tomato, diced

• 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 Tbs + a dash of kosher salt

• 1 Tbs cumin

• 1 Tbs Coriander

• 1 Tbs Garlic Powder

Cook rice.

Cook beans with a dash of salt, 1 tbs garlic powder. Drain.

Add cooked beans and rice to a (quite) large bowl.

Add corn, sliced olives, drained chicken, salsa, salt, cumin, and coriander to bowl.

Place onion, tomato, coriander, and a dash of salt in a food processor; blend well. Add to bowl.

Mix everything in the bowl.

Add to dehydrator sheets in thin layers.

Makes 1,510g OR 11 meals of 130g plus 80g of excess.

Chili-Mac

Chili-Mac ready to dehydrate!

This chili recipe is the BOMB. It is a vegan chili and we used our artistic liberties to make some small changes. Meats, especially those high in fats, are prone to becoming rancid and do not keep well. We chose to add ground turkey (500g) due to its low fat content and pasta (350g) for additional filling and carbs, therefore we don’t need to make as many batches.

When we made the chili, we used 1 Tbs of oil, rather than 3 Tbs. We’ve also added sliced olives in the past, which is a tasty addition to the already delicious meal.

The chili recipe can be found at www.rainbowplantlife.com.

After dehydrating we produced roughly 1,300 grams of dried chili-mac, or in terms of meals, 8 whole meals at 150g plus an additional 100g for a “practice” meal.