Here in the UK, you might storm up hills in the Lake District at three to four miles an hour, lungs working hard and legs burning.  That pace might earn you some summit satisfaction and a pint when you get down.

On the Everest Base Camp trail?  It’s more likely to earn you a one-way ticket in a helicopter back to Kathmandu.

That approach is a fast pass to altitude sickness.

Whether it’s Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, or Mera Peak, it’s not about fitness bravado.  It’s about slow, steady, sustainable progress.

Walk at a pace where you can hold a conversation without getting out of breath.  Where you can breathe steadily and make consistent progress along the trail without needing to stop all the time.

If you’re puffing and panting, you’re going too fast.

Think one to one-and-a-half miles per hour, not your usual hill walking pace.

At altitude, the tortoise always beats the hare.

Your breathing is your built-in pace guide.  If it feels like it’s getting away from you, ease off.

Here’s my approach:

“I think about my breathing as I walk. If it feels like it’s getting away from me, I slow down.”

Simple.  Effective.  Lifesaving at altitude.

If you use a watch that displays heart rate zones, use it to your advantage.

I use a Garmin, so my zones are colour coded.  Most of the time I try to stay in Zone 2 but often drift into Zone 3 (green) on steeper climbs.

Steeper climbs will increase your heart rate, but the key is to keep your heart rate in the green (Zone 3) as an absolute maximum.  If you are up in the amber (Zone 4) or, even worse, the red (Zone 5), then you are working too hard – slow your pace and let your heart rate drop back down.

It isn’t superhuman fitness.  It isn’t fancy kit, and it certainly isn’t racing to the next teahouse.

It’s this:  a slow, steady pace and the ability to hold a conversation whilst walking.

Breathe easy.  Pace yourself.  Enjoy the mountains.

That’s how you reach Everest Base Camp, the summit of Kilimanjaro, or Mera Peak feeling strong, not shattered.

You can watch this blog on YouTube, and if you’d like more trekking tips from the trail, check out our videos there and subscribe to our channel — we’ve got plenty more insights coming from high places.