@afm
Hi, just another thought. Do you train for incline at a gym or anywhere in between hikes?
When I started section hiking the Appalachian Trail in 1997, I was a runner and living in Florida(flat). I thought I was in shape, but boy was I wrong! It was a rude awakening. I didn’t feel crushing fatigue, but then I was 42 at the time. Started training on incline treadmill and stepclimber at my gym, and what a difference. Also got heavily into strength training, including legs. Big difference.