Conquer The Planet: Get Fit In The Great Outdoors
Ditch the sweaty gym: pros on mountain biking, surfing, rock climbing and trekking – what each is good for, how to prep, where to do it in India and abroad, and the essential kit – plus four next-level extreme sports.
Pop quiz, gentlemen: would you rather get fit in a sweaty, artificially lit gym surrounded by grunting men, or get fit in glorious fresh air surrounded by pretty girls in flowery dresses? No contest, right? So what are you waiting for? Get outside and start making the most of the massive 45 days of weekend/bank holiday freedom we Indians have between the beginning of June and the end of October. Over 1,000 hours of freedom you can use to build muscle, burn blubber, get a six-pack and meet lots of cute girls by taking up one of these adrenaline-arousing outdoor sports.
Mountain biking: burn calories and tone up
Pro mountain biker Rob Jarman
What’s it good for? “Unlike road cycling, mountain biking builds huge muscles in your legs and your upper body.”
How can you prep for it? “Your core is the key to linking your leg and arm muscles, so sit-ups will get you in shape.”
Skill tip: “When speeding downhill, stick your bum as far back as you can, to have a good centre of gravity.”
Tunes tip: “We like full-on hardcore rocks.”
Nightlife tip: “After a race there’ll be loads of barbecues, music and beer.”
Where can you do it? Home: Mountain biking is regularly organised at various resorts in Rishikesh, Dhanaulti and Chamba. Dehradun is one of the best locations for cross country mountain biking. Plans start at Rs 6,500 per person for two nights, inclusive of stay, meals and mountain bikes at www.aranyam.in. Abroad: Try Spain’s Marina Alta mountains.
Essential kit: Basecamp Outside Tripmate Bag, Rs 2,499; Knox Cross Guard Knee, Rs 3,499; BTWIN Padded Cycling Shorts, Rs 899. “Don’t turn up in lycra,” pleads Jarman. “That’s for roadies.”
Surfing: intense upper-body workouts
2009 UK Pro Surf Tour champ Alan Stokes
What’s it good for? “Surfing builds all-round fitness – it’s anaerobic, aerobic, gives you great abs and tones your legs and arms. Plus, girls go crazy for surfers – the stereotype of beach bodies, sun and surf is pretty attractive.”
How can you prep for it? “Lie on your stomach, leaping up and landing in a parallel stance, like on a skateboard. You can do it on your bedroom floor.”
Skill tip: “In between lessons, practise paddling with your board. It will build the right muscles to be ready for the real stuff.”
Tunes tip: “I’m into Deer Tick, White Lies and Awolnation, but love Ben Howard and Lana Del Rey for chilling out.”
Nightlife tip: “It’s all about chilled-out music and guitars on the beach. Wear skinny jeans and a T-shirt and you’ll fit right in.”
Where can you do it? Home: Surfing is slowly picking up in India. A group called Surfing Yogis has been promoting surfing holidays around Puri in India. A few sundry surfing trips happen around Goa and Pondicherry as well, though it has not yet become very popular among Indians. Abroad: Hossegor in France is Europe’s coolest surf hub (three nights from Rs 24,000).
Essential kit: Rash vest, Rs 2,400 onwards; Blue Seventy Axis Wetsuit, Rs 9,915 (“It keeps me warm in cold waters,” says Stokes); get a hoody too.
Rock climbing: tone and build muscle fast
Top UK climber Leo Houlding
What’s it good for? Climbing is an intense fat-stripper, but it’s also good for your abs, pecs and legs. Like a gym workout, but more fun.
How can you prep for it? Just do lots of pull-ups.
Skill tip: “Your feet are as important as your hands. Keep them high and let them support your weight instead.”
Tunes tip: “I’ve been listening to Ray LaMontagne and Ed Sheeran but I get psyched up with classic, old-school dance music like Reactivate 14.”
Nightlife tip: “Rock climbing weekends always revolve around a local pub where you tell brave tales, sink beers and meet girls.”
Where can you do it? Home: In India, rock climbing destinations can be found in practically every region. In South India, you can try it around Bangalore in Ramanagaram (where Sholay was shot), Savandurga, Thuralli and Kabbal. In Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, you will find some of the toughest and most exciting rock climbing options in the world. Around Kolkata, you can opt for Purulia, Matha Buru, Jai Chandi and Susunia Hills. There are also several good rock-climbing destinations near Mumbai like Kanheri Caves in the Borivali National Park, Mumbra Boulders and Manori Rocks (packages start at Rs 6,500 on www.whisperingpines.co.in). Abroad: Head to Finale on the Italian Riviera for climbing and beaches (Rs 41,000 for three nights including B&B).
Essential kit: Vuarde Climbing Shoes, Rs 3,499; PETZL Elios lightweight and durable helmet, Rs 3,350; carabiner and kernmantle rope for Rs 750 and Rs 10,000 onwards respectively.
Trekking: low-cost fat burner
Ed Stafford, the first person to walk the length of the Amazon River
What’s it good for? “Trekking gets you seriously fit. It’s good all-round conditioning – the hills build leg muscles and stabilising a pack works your core.”
How can you prep for it? “Stuff your backpack with books and climb the stairs.”
Skill tip: “When hill-walking, let your leg lock out vertically on each step. It gives the muscles a micro-rest, which keeps you fresh. And pack some energy bars. In the Amazon I ate a dead Jaguarundi that tasted like microwaved cat.”
Tunes tip: “I’d go for Example and Plan B, but also some old-school anthems.”
Nightlife tip: “Everybody finishes by trekking to the nearest pub to hang out, eat pub grub and drink pints.”
Where can you do it? Home: India is a haven for trekking enthusiasts. Try Ladakh where the trekking trips can even last for three months. That’s a lot? We say, no, it isn’t. If not Ladakh, you can explore Markha Valley, Agumbe and Kudremukh in Karnataka, Tapovan in Uttarakhand, and Roopkund in Garhwal Himalayas. Abroad: Shack up at the Strasshofer Hotel in scenic, beer and trail-filled Austria (from Rs 33,000 for three nights).
Essential kit: Some stylish khaki cargos that you can pick from any apparel store; two-man alpine or dome tent, Rs 3,800 to Rs 10,000; Victorinox Swiss Army knife, Rs 596. “An essential man tool,” says Stafford.
Next-level extreme sports
Surfing too tame for you? Try one of these loony adventures.
Air! Skydiving. What is it? Falling out of a plane at 120 mph. Where can you do it? Thanks to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara that popularised it, skydiving camps are conducted across Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Gujarat and Indore now. Will you shit your pants? Undoubtedly. You’ll have 60 seconds of freefall, then five minutes hurtling towards earth.
Water! Cliff jumping. What is it? Jumping off massive cliffs into the water. Where can you do it? Rishikesh is known all over the world for cliff jumping activities. Must try! Will you shit your pants? There’s a decent chance: you’ll be tombstoning off cliffs and scrambling over slippery rocks.
Wind! Parasailing. Where can you do it? Goa, that’s the place for anyone who loves to soar like a bird. It will surely set your pulses racing, and frankly it is easy, and sasta, so you can do it again and again.
Underground! Caving. What is it? Squeezing through holes and abseiling into underground chambers. In the dark. Where can you do it? This is not a fully grown sport in India, but they have made a start in Rishikesh where caves can be frequently found. Will you shit your pants? Probably not, but you’ll be in big, dirty, dank and dark holes.
From the June 2012 issue of FHM India.
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