Gorka endurance

S

Steven F

Joined
Oct 12, 1999
Messages
1,237
I thought I'd share this bit of info that I just came across with my fellow forumites: As you know, Gorkha soldiers are well known for their endurance, especially for their ability to march tirelessly even when going uphill fully loaded with full military gear. This is because in Nepal most rural people, even as children, have to carry heavy loads long distances, often up mountains, according to the book "Trekking in Nepal." The author claims that youngsters often carry 135% of their body weight, and young men carry roughly 160% of their weight, and some adults carry over twice their weight. No wonder the Gorkhas don't have a problem with their military packs -- to them it's probably like carrying nothing at all.

[This message has been edited by Steven F (edited 02-03-2000).]
 
Steven,

Wow! Its amazing the kind of endurance they have. To think I was griping about a 50lb pack I had to carry on my last camping trip, and I weigh 220! Maybe next time I'll just be glad my pack doesn't weigh 250!

Rob
 
Stephen,

I was trecking (among other things) in Nepal in 1979. There aren’t (or at least weren’t) many roads in Nepal, so to get anywhere except the major cities involved walking through a lot of mountainous terrain. I hired a guide and a couple of old porters. The porters carried large pack baskets supported by tumplines. The baskets were heavily loaded. I carried a sophisticated internal frame western backpack, with sternum strap, waist belt, etc. My pack was significantly lighter than the porters’ baskets, and I was much younger than the porters. Nevertheless, my most frequent view of them was their muscular calves, as they receded in the distance up some steep trail.

The women, children, basically everyone who was not an invalid, were all quite fit and had great endurance. Medical care was poor, so they were not necessarily healthy.
 
Better to be silent and let others suspect you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. On the other hand, asking dumb questions gets you answers, and on the third hand...

I'd started to respond then stopped to think, and decided to come back and yell for Howard. By that time he'd already posted.

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I remember the days when I used to trek in my local mountains and had to carry my YUGO on my back. The car never really ran right. I wanna say that these trips would take 20 hours, but my Russian Poljot Factory mechanical watch would only work half the time making me wind it the other half, I guess it really was a communist watch were we both had to keep time, me and the watch.

Seriously though, the military Ruk Saks average about 110 pounds, not including the M-60 belts that everyone has to carry for the "60" operator who carries that nasty thing. Of course the average american is much larger than a Nepalese, but this goes to show what the human body can do when pushed.
 
When I workout I always think of the Gorkhas. This helps me try to stay in shape.

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The hardest hike I've ever had was when I went to NYC and D.C. I had to hike through both cities everyday with a hundred pound girl on my shoulders! She has cyctic fibroses, so instead of taking her wheelchair I carried her. Oh man, the humidity in D.C. was horrible that week too!

- D
 
I have to agree that the Gorkhas and other people of Nepal have to be in superb shape, especially the guides and porters one sees on the various treks and mountain climbing expeditions.

Its a shame that we of Western civilization couldn't be at least 3/4 as fit as they are.

Harry
 
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