Fitness & Preparation
Philmont requires rigorous physical conditioning. You will carry 40 lbs for miles every day at high altitude. Preparation starts now.
Conditioning & Hikes
- Running, push-ups, and daily cardio conditioning for months prior to departure.
- Pinnacle & Pulpit Rock (Hamburg, PA) — 9-mile rocky AT loop for boot testing.
- Mount Tammany (Delaware Water Gap) — steep elevation gain simulating Philmont summit pushes.
- French Creek State Park (Elverson, PA) — 5+ mile trail conditioning with fully weighted packs.
School Note
Mandatory Shakedown Trip
Attendance at the troop's overnight shakedown trip is strictly mandatory.
Scouts will need to be pulled from school for one day (Friday) for this shakedown. This can be submitted to the Lower Merion School District as an Excused Educational Absence if the required form is submitted to the district two or more weeks before departure.