2024 Bucket List Hiking Challenge
What is your bucket list hike? Take a moment to really consider a part of the country you have been itching to explore. Maybe you’ve scrolled through Instagram and saved epic-looking reels of places you’ve always wanted to go, or you have been telling yourself, “One day, I’ll finally do this trip….”
It’s not effective enough to just think about what hikes you want to do. To truly accomplish a dream, you must take tangible steps and stay committed!
Our 2024 Bucket List Hiking Challenge is designed to help you plan and complete your bucket list hikes. Time to hang up excuses and instead focus on how to make your trips come true!
Whether it’s a modest hike, a challenging day trip, or a multi-day adventure, you can do it, and you can do it this year! Let us help.
Your path to crushing your bucket list hike starts now!
There are hikes that people dream of completing, and then there are hikes that people actually go out and conquer.
What is your bucket list hike? Take a moment to really consider a part of the country you have been itching to explore. Maybe you’ve scrolled through Instagram and saved epic-looking reels of places you’ve always wanted to go, or you have been telling yourself, “One day, I’ll finally do this trip….”
It’s not effective enough to just think about what hikes you want to do. To truly accomplish a dream, you must take tangible steps and stay committed!
Our 2024 Bucket List Hiking Challenge is designed to help you plan and complete your bucket list hikes. Time to hang up excuses and instead focus on how to make your trips come true!
Whether it’s a modest hike, a challenging day trip, or a multi-day adventure, you can do it, and you can do it this year! Let us help.
Your path to crushing your bucket list hike starts now!
ACCESS FREE BUCKET LIST BUILDER SYSTEM
- This chart is available both online and as a printable version, with a well-organized layout.
- Jot down hiking ideas on the chart and select 1-4 hikes for 2024.
- Includes links to National Park Hikes, Mountain Hikes, World Wonders, and more to inspire a long list of epic destinations.
- Includes access to 3 FREE 12-Week Hiking Training Plans
Step 1: Create Your Bucket List
Let’s start by brainstorming. Close your eyes and take a moment to envision your dream hiking adventures. Don’t be afraid to think big! This is a beautiful world with lots to see.
- Start with our Bucket List Builder. Download or print this to jot down areas or places you have always dreamed of visiting or hiking.
- Aim to add 4-10 hikes to your bucket list. Any less and you’re not dreaming big enough. Add any more and you may be setting unrealistic expectations.
- Do not limit yourself!
- You rob yourself of true possibilities by only picking trails you can physically complete now!
- Put aside logistics or finances for now; you can tackle those later!
Committing to achieve a bucket list hike can be intimidating. Fit For Trips has worked with hundreds of individuals each year who complete their dream hikes that they initially did not believe were possible.
People delay achieving their bucket list hikes for a multitude of reasons. We’ve heard every excuse in the book! “I’m hiking too slow and holding up the group. I can’t hike long at high altitudes. I don’t have enough hills where I live to train properly. I can’t go downhill because my knees hurt….”
You get the picture. And you may have had several thoughts that have held you back from completing your dream hikes. That’s where Fit For Trips comes into play.
Step 2: Formulate Your Training Plan
Now that you have a completed list of Bucket List Hikes, we’ll look at the next steps needed to make them happen!
We offer 3 FREE 12-Week Hiking Training Plans. Yes, free. Each plan focuses on a different level, described below. Take at look at your Bucket List Hikes and see which level they fall into:
Level 1
Beginner with Minimal Training
Hiking - Up to 6 miles per day on gentle to moderate gradient trails
Altitudes - Below 6,000 feet
Level 2
Experienced Hikers with Consistent Training
Hiking - Up to 10 miles per day on well-formed backcountry trails with some significant gradient inclines and declines
Altitudes - Up to 10,000 feet
Level 3
Expert Hikers with Consistent Training
Hiking - Up to 14 miles per day and 4,000 feet of elevation gains and losses that cover steep and rugged terrain
Altitudes - Exceeding 10,000 feet
So, what makes these 3 FREE 12-Week Hiking Training Plans effective?
There are 5 pillars of hiking training called the Fit For Trips Big 5. We believe every training program for hikers and hiking trips should incorporate these pillars into their training to be effective. We certainly have incorporated them into our 3 Free Plans! The Fit For Trips Big 5 is as follows:
- Walk inclines
- Walk stairs
- Walk lunges
- Walk far
- HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
Combining these 5 activities with volume and intensity is what makes our training plans effective.
If you don’t have access to hikes with varied terrain and steepness, there are options for you too. Below are training substitutions for those with limited time or access to hiking areas.
- Treadmill
- Hills or walking with inclines
- Stairs
- Stepper Machine
We recommend you have access to all 4 listed substitutes to properly supplement trail hiking. If you don’t have access to all 4 of those alternatives, you can still succeed! However, we recommend talking with Coach Marcus Shapiro to maximize your training time.
Step 3: Pick a Hike and Start Training
Now for the hardest part of the journey: picking one bucket list hike to train for. This hike should be selected with practicality in mind. Do you have 12 weeks to train for it? Is this within your budget to accomplish during this calendar year? If not, that’s okay, but don’t take it off your list! We’ll save it for later.
Remember, we are doing baby steps here! Keep those big trips on the list, but let’s start with one that you know you can achieve.
If you have picked a hike that is on your bucket list, it's time to start preparing! However, if your hike is more than 12 weeks away, you can use Level 1 or 2 from the FREE 12-Week Hiking Training Plan to build your base. Once you have 12 weeks left before your trip, you can switch to Peak training. This will help you to be fully prepared for your hike.
Step 4: Encourage Friends to Join You
Friends are the best motivators. They help keep you accountable and motivate you on the days you need it most. Simply ask them to join you for a training hike, or better yet, train for a bucket list hike together!
If you know someone who needs inspiration to pursue their goals, you can share our Bucket List Builder signup link with them. It can help them get started on their own goal-setting journey. Additionally, you can send them our free 12-week Hiking Training Plans that can help structure a successful training program to get in top shape for their trip.
Going on a bucket list hike with a friend can turn into an annual tradition. It would be amazing to see friends committing to taking a yearly trip together and making lifelong memories by exploring the world one hike at a time! So, feel free to share your list of Bucket List hikes with them.
Step 5: Consider Getting a Coach
Fit For Trips specializes in helping hikers succeed with their goals. A free consultation with coach Marcus Shapiro will steer you in a personalized direction to ensure your fitness isn’t keeping you from achieving your bucket-list dreams!
Remember:
If you’re having trouble creating bucket list hikes or just need some inspiration, we’ve combed the internet and found several dreamy locations and destinations to inspire you. They can be found in the Bucket List Builder System.
ACCESS FREE BUCKET LIST BUILDER SYSTEM
This chart is available both online and as a printable version, with a well-organized layout.
Jot down hiking ideas on the chart and select 1-4 hikes for 2024.
Includes links to National Park Hikes, Mountain Hikes, World Wonders, and more to inspire a long list of epic destinations.
Includes access to 3 FREE 12-Week Hiking Training Plans
The Hiking Lifestyle Is Amazing – Here’s Why
Creating a hiking bucket list can be a powerful and enriching experience. Most important is committing to at least one bucket list hike in 2024. Hiking is the most rewarding recreational experience on earth and here’s 10 reasons why:
- Sense of Accomplishment: Completing a bucket list hike provides a profound sense of accomplishment. Each hike represents a personal challenge and conquering it contributes to a positive self-image and increased self-esteem.
- Connection with Nature: Hiking connects us with nature and fosters appreciation for its beauty.
- Physical Fitness: Hiking provides cardiovascular benefits, improves fitness, engages muscles, boosts endurance and supports well-being.
- Mental Well-being: Nature has proven benefits for mental health. It reduces stress, anxiety and enhances mood. Being in natural settings promotes mindfulness and provides a mental break from daily life.
- Adventure and Exploration: Creating a bucket list of hikes encourages a spirit of adventure and exploration. It inspires individuals to step out of their comfort zones, try new trails, and embrace the thrill of discovery.
- Cultural Exploration: Hiking can offer a rich cultural experience by exploring unique regions with local traditions and histories.
- Bonding with Others: Hiking fosters bonds through shared challenges and triumphs with others, creating lasting memories and strengthening social connections.
- Life Enrichment: Completing your bucket list hikes enriches one's life with stories, lessons, and personal growth.
- Appreciation for the Journey: Hiking promotes valuing the journey, not just the destination. It highlights the beauty of each step, the landscapes along the way, and personal growth achieved.
- Inspiration for Goal Setting: A bucket list of hikes serves as a tangible list of goals to aspire to. It provides motivation to stay active, set and achieve personal milestones, and continuously seek new challenges.