The Ramble: The Uphill Athlete Weight Problem

The mountains can feel like they’re calling your name, and sometimes the hardest part isn’t the altitude, the weather, or the miles. It’s looking at the scale, looking at your body, and wondering how you’re supposed to be an uphill athlete when you first have to fight your body. I get personal about that exact struggle. I talk through my history with fitness swings, why trekking in Nepal lit a fire in me, and how Everest Base Camp and a Mera Peak attempt taught me what high altitude trekking really demands. We also get into the messy reality of weight loss when your tools change, including what happened when my insurance stopped covering GLP-1 medication and the weight came back faster than I wanted to admit. From there, I lay out what I’m doing now: recommitting to consistent strength and endurance training, using treadmill and stair climbers to rebuild climbing fitness, and planning a thorough annual physical to get a clear baseline. I share a specific target for next year, Yala Peak in Nepal, plus the mental side of chasing big outdoor adventure goals in your late 40s: motivation, frustration, knee aches, and the choice to keep going anyway. If you’ve ever felt embarrassed, stuck, or behind, I’m hoping this Ramble starts a real conversation in the hiking, trekking, and climbing community. Listen, subscribe, and if this hit home, share it with a friend and leave a review, then tell me: what goal are you training for right now? - https://www.instagram.com/traytablesandtimezones/ - Email and business inquiries: traysandtimes@gmail.com