Entries from Mountaineering Fitness & Training
July 23, 2013
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Body awareness is the combination of
balance and
agility that allows you to move comfortably and confidently through difficult and challenging terrain.
Balance in mountaineering allows you to climb through challenging conditions - such as uneven and firm snow, steep slopes, or rocky terrain - while keeping your equilibrium and avoiding using excess energy or concentration to stay centered. Simply put, it's being comfortable on your feet even when you're traveling through uncomfortable terrain.
Agility is being able to move quickly and easily - to be nimble and reactive. Agility is the ability to react to the unexpected when in the mountains, catching your own stumble or slip or that of a fellow rope team member, navigating through loose rocks, or stepping over a crevasse.
The good news is that both balance and agility are motor skills and can be improved over time.
BALANCE: Practice a combination of static (stationary) and dynamic (moving) balance exercises to develop your balance skills.
Static exercises can be as simple as standing on one leg. Try it at the gym between strength routines, at home while doing the dishes, or while waiting for the bus or elevator. Too easy? Close your eyes, rock onto your toes or onto your heel and try and hold it. Once you've mastered that, try standing on one leg on a small rubber balance disk, then balancing on a your knees on a balance ball. If that is going well, have a friend toss you a tennis ball and catch it without falling off the ball. As you improve, remember that you can always find new ways to challenge and improve your balance.
Dynamic exercises incorporate a bit of movement. Try to walk heel-to-toe along a straight marked line, such as crease in the carpet or sidewalk crack. Once you've mastered that, try it again but with your eyes closed. You can incorporate dynamic balance exercises into everyday life by constantly finding little balance challenges throughout the day: walk along the edge of the curb when strolling through town or pause to balance along a fallen tree or rail when out for a run.
AGILITY: Agility exercises help you focus and boost your coordination, speed, and power. Examples of agility exercises include skipping rope, high knee skips, plyometric jumps, or laying a rope ladder flat on the ground to run or hop through (much like hopscotch). Many of the drills practiced in team field sports are examples of agility exercises.
Many avid climbers are also talented at “slacklining”, the feat of walking along a taut piece of webbing strung several inches to feet above the ground (like tightrope walking). This is one of the ultimate challenges of body awareness, requiring a delicate combination of balance, agility, core strength, and composure. Yoga is another great activity to incorporate into your training to develop balance and agility in addition to flexibility, core strength, and focus.
You can begin improving your body awareness at any point in your
training process. No matter if your climb is days or months away, every little improvement helps. There is no finish line with these skills. You can always find ways to challenge and increase your balance and agility, regardless of your fitness level or age. The rewards of good body awareness in mountaineering are subtle yet profound: you are more at ease in challenging terrain or difficult climbing conditions, have confidence in your movements in intimidating situations, move more efficiently, and maintain your energy and focus throughout the day.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the
RMI Blog!
July 15, 2013
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Mt. Rainier, everyday, when it’s not cloudy … I get to see
Mt. Rainier. Ever since I moved to the Seattle area 10 years ago, I’ve been looking at that mountain, knowing that I would summit it someday. This September, with
RMI Expeditions, I will be able to attempt the climb and hope that the mountain allows me to summit. Every day for the past 8 months I have been waking up and heading to the gym at 4 AM to work out. I have been part of a fitness program getting back into shape, and now, down 80lbs, I have been inspired to make my summit a reality this fall. The great thing about living in the Pacific Northwest is that I get to look at the mountain almost daily and it serves as a constant reminder of what I am training for. That training has to be incorporated into a very busy life, balancing my work and family schedules, but as many I have talked with, every bit of training you do is more ‘fuel’ in your tank for when you summit - that is what drives me to get up every morning. As someone who works in marketing for a major software company in Redmond, my days are kept very busy, and 9 - 10hr work days on top of training is at times challenging to keep up with. The way I keep life balanced is by starting my days early as it helps me get in what I need to at the gym and allows for some quiet time in the office to catch up on email before the busyness of the day begins. My days look like the following:
•
4 AM: Alarm goes off and I drag myself out of bed.
•
5 AM: At the gym to get in a 60 - 90 minute workout doing either circuit training, or a mountain conditioning class at the Pro Sports Club.
• Around
7 AM I am into work for a full day.
•
4 PM: I either head home for the day to relax or I head to Tiger Mountain’s cable line trail for training on Tuesdays & Thursdays.
• Eat dinner when I get home.
•
8:30-9 PM: Head to bed to rest for another busy day.
Right now I’m doing a combination of circuit training and a mountain conditioning course Monday - Thursday at the gym and on Fridays I workout my bigger muscle groups and do a short 30 min on cardio. On Monday and Wednesday after work I head to the driving range to mix it up a bit and have some fun. Tuesday and Thursdays are my big days where I have both mountain conditioning and I head up and do the Tiger Mountain Cable Line Trail (1000 vertical feet in a little over a mile). I use Fridays to recover and I do major hikes for training over the weekends, and try to include my wife on some of these more “fun” hikes.
Balancing the heavy training schedule with work and a family is very tricky, but I also remember this is only for a short period of life, and I am constantly reminded of the goal ahead when I catch a glimpse of Mt. Rainier peeking out from the clouds.
- Jeff Marcoux
_____
Jeff Marcoux is an avid hiker & lover of micro brews who lives with his wife in Seattle, WA.
July 8, 2013
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Traveling through the mountains and climbing up and down rough and uneven terrain can take a toll on our knees. Knee pain can be debilitating in the mountains and the best strategy to avoid knee pain is to actively prevent it. Prevention begins early in your training process and continues throughout the climb.
During Training
• Remember that getting up the mountain is only half the climb: you still face the entire descent back to the bottom. Keep this mind during your training and include downhill travel in your training routine in order to prepare your muscles and joints to the stress encountered in a climb.
• Build general knee strength. See
this article for an example of different knee strengthening exercises and discuss the specific areas that you need to improve your knee strength with a physical therapist or trainer.
• Take care of your knees during training: don’t beat them up too much and let small irritations turn into major injuries!
On the Climb
Be Prepared:
• Be aware of the weight you are shouldering and avoid carrying extra or unneeded gear.
• Be strategic when pack your backpack: keep the heavy items towards the back of your pack (close to your body) and centered so that the heaviest weight is closest to your center of gravity and your pack sits comfortably and squarely on your frame, not pulling to one side and throwing you off balance (
see more packing tips...).
• Bring trekking poles: poles are a great tool in taking a few pounds of weight off of your knees with each step and can help you protect a knee if it is feeling tired (
learn more about using trekking poles...).
Climb Smart:
• Take small steps on the climb up whenever possible to avoid straining the major muscles around the knees.
• Don’t fight the descent! Take smaller consistent steps coming down and try to avoid the big jarring steps that jolt your body.
• When coming down on moderate snowy terrain and no longer wearing crampons, try keeping the sole of your foot parallel with the slope and sliding a few inches with each step downwards. These little distances add up over the course of a long descent and make the downhill feel just that much easier.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the
RMI Blog!
June 24, 2013
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
I climbed
Mt. Rainier just before my 57th birthday. I am from Boston and live at sea level, so the idea of climbing to 14,411’ was a bit daunting. Since I was climbing with my daughter, an RMI Guide, the pressure was on for me to bring my A game, if you can have such game at my age.
For me, the only way to prepare for Rainier was to go hiking. As I am a 9-to-5-office worker, my options were a bit limited, but in general this was my plan. Eight weeks before my climb, I started my program. I did my best to go hiking at least one day per week. Most of my training was done in the White Mountains since it is a two-hour drive from where I live. I started by hiking Mt. Osceola, a five-mile, 2,100 vertical foot climb while carrying a light pack. From there I quickly moved up to Mt. Moosilauke, a seven and a half mile, 2,600 vertical foot climb.
In between my weekend trips to the White Mountains, I would try and bike between fifteen and twenty miles a few times a week after work. In addition, three times per week I included a core workout. So that you do not get the wrong impression about my interests, I am also an avid sailboat racer. In the weeks leading up to my climb, I was trying to balance my sailing schedule and my work schedule with my training for the Mt. Rainier climb.
After the first few hikes, I started hiking Mt. Lafayette, a beautiful hike located in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. It is an eight-mile hike that climbs 3,600 feet. The first time I hiked Lafayatte I carried a light pack. The following week, I climbed Lafayette again. This time I filled old orange juice bottles with water and added them to my pack for additional weight.
My next move was to add Little Haystack and Mt. Lincoln to my trip. This now created a loop where I could climb 4,400 feet while walking only nine miles. Coincidently, this is comparable to the climb up to Camp Muir. My next step was to add weight to my back and to do this loop two days in a row. Having successfully completed this I felt like I was ready to fly out west to make my final preparations.
A few notes on my final preparations. Most of my hikes were in warm weather and having plenty of water was critical. In addition, occasional cramping in my legs and other muscles were an issue for me. In part the cramping was a fatigue issue, however, it was also a hydration and dietary issue. As I ate more salty snacks and drank sports drinks on my hikes, cramping became less of a problem.
My last concern was the
altitude. One of the challenges of climbing Mt. Rainier is the inability to acclimate. In my ideal world, I would have spent time doing some light hiking at altitude before my climb; however, that was not an option. Instead I was able to fly to Seattle a few days before my climb. I spent a day at Crystal Mountain, rode the gondola to the top of the mountain at 7,000 feet and did a light hike. The following day I went for great hike in the Tatoosh Range in Mt. Rainier National Park. The goal of these hikes was to get some light exercise, while keeping my legs fresh for the following day.
As for my climb up Rainier; it was just Lindsay and me. We left Paradise around nine in the morning and motored up the snowfield, or at least in my mind we did. Then we ate, hydrated and went to “sleep” in the early evening. We woke up in the dark and started climbing. The weather was perfect and we reached the summit just in time to watch the sunrise. By late afternoon we were back at Paradise.
In the end, I felt like my legs were ready for the challenge of the climb. However, I found the altitude to be the biggest challenge. For me, on summit day it was all about finding the rythmn between my climbing and breathing, being mentally tough, and enjoying the climb with my daughter.
- Robert Mann
_______
Robert Mann is an avid skier, hiker, and sailor who lives with his wife and family near Boston, MA.
June 17, 2013
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Climbers commonly joke that it’s either “freeze or fry” in the mountains. Some moments of a climb can feel like a winter ascent of
Denali while others are more like the afternoon heat of a safari in Tanzania. Rarely do the temperatures in the mountains stay at a comfortable level. Even though we are often traveling on glaciers and permanent snowfields in the summer, the days can be hot - especially on the approaches to climbs. Yet, at higher elevations and in the dark hours of the night when we begin our ascents the temperature drops. Throw in a light breeze at 13,000’ and it’s downright cold.
While the temperature does indeed vary between bone chilling cold and bewildering heat, our goal as climbers is to manage those swings in temperature to keep ourselves at a comfortable, even level. Our bodies are pretty good at managing heat and most of us know how to do so well. Protecting ourselves from the intense sun of higher elevations and staying hydrated and replacing lost fluids is critical. It can be a challenge to carry enough water for an all-day climb and a good trick many climbers and guides use is to “pre-hydrate” beforehand by drinking lots of water while it is readily available and then rationing the water you have at your disposal throughout the day so that it will last. For example, climbing to Camp Muir on
Mt. Rainier typically takes about 5 hours with 4 breaks on the way. If you’re carrying 2 litres of water then aim to drink a ½ litre at each stop so that you are still hydrated on your last stretch of the day. Afterwards, re-fill your bottle and drink plenty of water to rehydrate and recover for the climb the next day.
The cold temperatures can have a negative effect on our performance as well by diverting the energy we have for the climb to keeping our bodies warm. Careful, conscious clothing choice is the best strategy to keeping your body at an even temperature level. It’s not uncommon to feel chilly around camp and add an extra layer when you begin climbing only to find yourself overheated in minutes. Then, when you stop for a water break all that perspiration cools and you find yourself shivering. Be strategic in your clothing choices when climbing, wearing the right amount of layers that you need to stay comfortable while climbing and adding layers at breaks to preserve that heat. A hat is great temperature regulator as it is easy to take on and off as needed without having to stop to take off your pack. The cold, dry air of high altitude also dehydrates you, making the need to stay hydrated all the more important.
As you head into the mountains, whether climbing or training, keep these strategies in mind. Begin hydrating before you hit the trail and keep an eye on how much water you have so that it will last throughout the day. Also, try to use the gear you plan to climb with in your training to experiment with different clothing layers and get a feel for the layers that work for you to maintain an even body temperature despite the changes in environment.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the
RMI Blog!
June 10, 2013
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
A "fun" and challenging training session experienced in military training was the "heavy bag". It took the form of a duffle bag full of rocks, gravel, and sand and the goal was to pick up this bag and carry it over a specified distance. The problem was, it weighed about 120 lbs. Just getting it over a shoulder was a challenge sometimes requiring help. I used to think that the purpose of the training was to cause discomfort for the entertainment for instruction staff, but that training was very effective in helping to reframe the concept of what “heavy” actually means. This can be very useful in preparing yourself to carry a pack while mountaineering.
To fit this into your training for climbing, try picking a mid-week stair session and carry a pack which is significantly heavier than your mountain pack for an hour during the session. Exactly how much heavier you choose to make your pack is up to you. Remember to be careful not to overdo it and run the risk of hurting yourself (and be careful to not damage your pack when filling it with extra weight). As a suggestion, if your
Mt. Rainier pack will weigh 35 - 40 lbs, try a session carrying 50 - 60 lbs.
Remember that the goal is not to see how much you can carry but to train with a weight that will make your regular pack lighter in comparison.
Try it out! I’d bet that the next time you shoulder your “normal” weight pack, it won’t feel so heavy and you’ll notice a spring in your step!
- John Colver
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his
adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle.
_________
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Adjusting to the low oxygen of high altitude environments is a natural process that we will all experience if we travel or live at high altitudes. Like all things in life, some people are better at adjusting to high altitude than others. Fortunately, there are ways that each of us can prepare at home and in the early stages of mountain travel before going to the big peaks.
We all experience the low oxygen of high altitude a little differently, but the most prominent symptoms of going to high altitude are categorized as the condition Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). AMS is composed of a group of symptoms that can present themselves after spending some time at high altitude. Symptoms of AMS include headache, fatigue, anorexia, nausea and insomnia. While the severity of these symptoms can vary, AMS does not have to end your climb but should be used as an indication that your body is struggling to acclimatize.
The most important aspect of performing well and staying healthy in the mountains under the stress of low oxygen is by being physically fit. If you have been following a rigorous training program then you are well on your way to being physically fit for your climb. Fitness cannot prevent the symptoms of AMS but if the daily physical tasks of climbing are easier due to your high fitness level, then you have more energy reserves to battle the stress of the low oxygen environment.
Proper nutrition and hydration are also important variables leading up to and during your climb. While you may avoid simple carbohydrates during daily life, at altitude simple carbohydrates are the most efficient and most preferred form of energy for your acclimatizing body. Don’t be afraid to eat those high glycemic foods while working hard at altitude!
Dehydration can certainly be detrimental to your performance and health at high altitude, but you do not need to constantly consume water. Listen to your body, specifically your thirst, it has been finely tuned over many generations to keep you hydrated.
The prescription medication acetazolamide (Diamox) can help with acclimatization to high altitude, but it is not a magic pill that will solve all your high altitude problems. Diamox has repeatedly reduced AMS symptoms and hastened acclimatization during multi-day clinical and laboratory studies. It can work and is a great tool to use if you are not acclimatizing during an expedition even though you are using a standard acclimatization schedule, but its efficacy is less known for a quick overnight summit attempt such as Mt. Rainier. Remember: all medications have side effects that you need to understand before using and Diamox will not make up for a lack of fitness when headed into the mountains.
The bottom line is make sure that your body is fit enough to handle the stress of a high altitude mountain trip, and listen to your body while you are at altitude. If you pay attention, your body will tell you what fuel you need to keep going and how well you are adjusting to the high altitude environment. Have fun and climb safe!
_____
Walter Hailes is a senior guide at RMI and has guided extensively in North and South America. He also works as an exercise physiologist at the University of Montana, primarily studying the human capacity to endure/excel in difficult environments including high altitude, extreme heat and cold.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts on the RMI Blog!
May 27, 2013
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
As the climbing season on
Mt. Rainier gets underway, I want to acknowledge the hard training that has been logged. For climbers attempting mid or late season expeditions, I also want to offer encouragement for the remaining weeks and months ahead.
The Fit To Climb training program is rigorous and to complete it in its entirety requires a substantial commitment of time and effort. Do people follow it to-the-letter? Sometimes yes, often no - people become ill, work or family situations come up and the best plans work on the basis of flexibility.
A quote I find useful is, "My current circumstances do not determine the outcome, merely the point from where I begin." No matter where my fitness is today, my job is to make the best of the remaining time between now and my climb. Practically, I'll assess things in order of importance and re-evaluate strengths. For example, I have a Mt. Rainier climb on July 11th. I'll be a little short on training time during the next month so I need to improvise and adapt. I feel that I have the muscular strength I need now and I'd like to be better prepared to 'go long' and to improve hiking efficiency. So, in order of importance, long hikes, back-to-back long hikes, and stair intervals will go in my calendar as priorities. I'll also pay close attention to
rest and
nutrition to ensure that I can recover well.
I'll also make sure that I focus my attention during training to ensure that I'm doing each session in a way that ensures quality results. For me, that means attention to detail; everything from gear to food - and a full effort, especially on
interval training.
A paradox of training for a major climb is that we want to set the bar high in training in order to replicate the demands we'll have during the expedition, however, we also want to maintain confidence if we fall short of a training session or goal. It's rarely a linear process; sometimes we feel awful just when we expected to be strong, sometimes our perfect plan goes sideways, and sometimes we feel doubt when everything has been completed perfectly.
As you start the final push, think of the key elements of success: Maintain momentum, rest when you need to, push hard when you feel strong, and constantly think about how you can recover well. And most importantly, be confident that your efforts will pay off; many people have climbed and succeeded in their goals while having not completed all of the training or while feeling sub-par. I remind myself that one can miss a few classes and still graduate. It's progress, not perfection, that counts.
- John Colver
Have a question? See the
Fit To Climb FAQ for explanations of specific exercises and general pointers to help you through the Fit To Climb Program.
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his
adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book,
Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.
May 20, 2013
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Fit to Climb: Week 16 Schedule
|
DAY |
WORKOUT |
TOTAL TIME |
DIFFICULTY |
|
1 |
Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min) |
42 min. |
Medium |
|
2 |
Rainier Dozen / Stair Interval Training (30 min) |
42 min. |
Hard |
|
3 |
Rest / Travel Day |
- |
Recovery |
|
4 |
The Climb Begins! |
- |
- |
|
Total |
1 hr 24 mins. |
|
BRIEFING
To be honest, there is no way you can improve your fitness this week. Instead, the purpose of this week’s workouts is to simply allow your body to move, feel the benefit of some light exercise, and manage the stress of the upcoming climb. If any day this week you would rather not exercise at all, you should make that choice. Your top priority is being well rested and prepared by the end of the week!
DESCRIPTIONS OF WORKOUTS
Day 1:
Rainier Dozen + Easy Hiking (30 Minutes)
Today’s hike is a recovery workout and you can always substitute it with a different activity, such as running, biking or swimming. The important thing is to move at a moderate pace for 30 to 45 minutes. The pace can be conversational and you do not need to be dripping with sweat at the end of the workout.
Day 2: Rainier Dozen + Stair Interval Training (60 Minutes)
You are cutting the volume of this workout by 50%. You should also cut the intensity by the same amount. You've been training for 16 weeks and will be working hard on the mountain. You do not want to feel your legs burning in this workout and you certainly don't want to deplete your energy stores. Just get out, have fun, celebrate your last stair workout, and maybe head to a nice restaurant with friends and savor the opportunity to eat with a knife and fork off a real plate.
Warm up for about 10 minutes, and then climb up and down a set of stairs, at a consistent pace, for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool down with some stretching.
Day 3: Rest / Travel Day
Today may be a long travel day for you. If you're traveling by air, be sure to plan ahead to maintain your nutrition intake, paying attention especially to your hydration. If you don't have to travel, consider today a bonus rest day.
Day 4: The Climb Begins!
SUMMARY
Mt. Rainier is a tough climb no matter what amount of preparation you have managed to put in. Remember that all of the training you’ve put in up to this point is just getting you to the trailhead. From here, it’s all about managing the challenges of the mountain as best you can in order to preserve your strength and energy through the entire climb. In the mountains the little things add up: keeping yourself at a comfortable temperature and eating and drinking continuously throughout the day will help you arrive into camp feeling good and with energy to spare. Conversely, ignoring that hot spot on your foot and not taking the time to pull out a snack at a break can mean that by the end of the day you’re dealing with blisters and running out of energy. You know how to manage all of these little things after the training hikes you’ve already completed - carry these habits through to the climb!
And most of all: have fun! Mt. Rainier is a beautiful climb and an unforgettable adventure - enjoy the experience!
Good luck and safe climbing!
- John Colver
Have a question? See the
Fit To Climb FAQ for explanations of specific exercises and general pointers to help you through the Fit To Climb Program.
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his
adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book,
Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.
May 13, 2013
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
EXPEDITION PHASE: PULSE CHECK
As we discussed in the summary of the last week, you really can’t build any more fitness between now and the climb. The other side of that point is there really is the potential to squander the benefits you’ve worked for by doing too much in the coming weeks and arriving to the climb thoroughly exhausted. You’ll note that there is no crux workout this week. For some people, the crux of the week is managing the reduced amount of effort and intensity. In a very similar way to being stuck on a mountain waiting for a storm to pass, this week may test your patience, but you have to recognize that to overdo it now would be akin to stepping out into the storm. There is just no point.
Roughly speaking, the training intensity and volume are reduced by 50%. Some ways to manage the additional downtime can be reviewing your gear, reading about the climb, watching a movie or catching up with friends and family. The last few weeks have been busy and your climb is coming up at the end of next week. It’s time to relax.
Given that your climb is coming up very soon, this week’s and next week’s preparation really blend into each other. As you look ahead at your schedule for the next ten days, bear in mind that it’s perfectly fine to juggle around the days to suit your needs. Another important thing to bear in mind is that it’s certainly okay to skip training days. The goal from now onwards is rest and preparation.
Week 16 is the week all the training has been leading up to. Most people are going to be a little nervous. If your nerves are getting the best of you, now is a good time to start actively practicing relaxation and anxiety management skills. My frank observation is that no matter what concerns or doubts come up between the start and the end of this week, the right thing to do in almost every case is to relax and focus on the next hour. You will need all of your energy to climb this mountain and you should feel confident that the training you have will afford you the opportunity to reach the summit of Mount Rainier.
There are, however, many things that cannot be controlled, weather and snow conditions being the biggest factors. It is easy to worry about both of these things, but I can promise you as a guide I learned not to worry about those things until the time is actually right. The determination of whether to continue or turn back is always a calculated decision made in the moment, and this is one of the fascinations of the challenge. A climbing team can have a hundred percent perfect weather forecast and if there's a slight air pressure change two hours from the summit, this can result in white-out conditions and winds so high that turning around is the only reasonable option. It is also true that many successful climbs start out in poor visibility and inclement weather which dissipates as the team climbs higher. No one knows what the conditions will be like on your summit day and this is why the gear list contains clothing and equipment for all conditions. What you can count on is the knowledge that no matter how many times your guide has walked out of Camp Muir in the middle of the night, she or he does not forget what it was it is like the first time. Try and suspend thinking about what is happening above the clouds; I say this with absolute assurance, you will be supported by a world-class guide team.
On this note, many people report that the experience of being part of a team is one of the most memorable aspects of the climb. Being connected by carabiners and a thin nylon rope is certainly a bonding experience. The famous French guide and writer Gaston Rébuffat often spoke of the "Brotherhood of the Rope" to symbolize the connectedness of everyone on the team. It’s an amazing experience to share the mountains with like-minded climbers!
If at the end of next week, you stand on the summit of Mount Rainier, it will be because you put one foot in front of the other, over and over again, and met the challenge of climbing 9,000’ from the alpine meadows of Rainier’s foot to the glacier capped summit. Along the way, you will find synchronicity with your teammates. You will boost them when they are tired and they will do the same for you.
Fit to Climb: Week 15 Schedule
|
DAY |
WORKOUT |
TOTAL TIME |
DIFFICULTY |
|
1 |
Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min) |
42 min. |
Medium |
|
2 |
Rainier Dozen / Stair Interval Training (60 min) |
72 min. |
Hard |
|
3 |
Rainier Dozen / Rest |
12 min. |
Recovery |
|
4 |
Rainier Dozen / Stair Interval Training (60 min) |
72 min. |
Hard |
|
5 |
Rainier Dozen / Rest |
12 min. |
Recovery |
|
6 |
Equipment and Food Preparation Day |
- |
- |
|
7 |
Hike (4 hrs) |
240 min. |
Medium |
|
Total |
7 hrs 30 mins. |
|
BRIEFING
This week you scale back the volume all of your training sessions and switch back to the easier stair training at a consistent pace. You’ll still do a hike this week, but it will be only 4 hours. After the last week, this should be a walk in the park! Take an extra day of rest from physical exertion on Day 6, but you spend that time in the valuable activity of checking all your gear and making a list of all the food you’ll need for next the climb at the end of the next week.
DESCRIPTIONS OF WORKOUTS
Day 1:
Rainier Dozen + Easy Hiking (30 Minutes)
Today’s hike is a recovery workout and you can always substitute it with a different activity, such as running, biking or swimming. The important thing is to move at a moderate pace for 30 to 45 minutes. The pace can be conversational and you do not need to be dripping with sweat at the end of the workout.
Day 2: Rainier Dozen + Stair Interval Training (60 Minutes)
Warm up for about 10 minutes, and then climb up and down a set of stairs at a consistent pace for about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool down with some stretching.
Day 3: Rainier Dozen / Rest
Begin your day with the Rainier Dozen. Feel free to take another 30 to 60 minutes of light exercise if you feel like it (a brisk walk is a great option). If you feel tired, today is a good opportunity be good to take a complete rest day instead. Listen to your body.
Day 4: Rainier Dozen + Stair Interval Training (60 Minutes)
Warm up for about 10 minutes, and then climb up and down a set of stairs at a consistent pace for about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool down with some stretching..
Day 5: Rainier Dozen / Rest
Begin your day with the Rainier Dozen. Feel free to take another 30 to 60 minutes of light exercise if you feel like it (a brisk walk is a great option). If you feel tired, today is a good opportunity be good to take a complete rest day instead. Listen to your body.
Day 6: Equipment and Food Preparation Day
If you already have all your gear ready, just use this as a rest day. Otherwise, using the lists provided by your guiding service, make sure to go through all your gear and to ensure that you have everything that you need and that everything is in clean and proper functional condition. Make sure to practice packing all this gear into your backpack so that you know how to easily get everything to fit correctly.
Day 7: Hike (4 Hours)
This is your last substantive hike before heading up the mountain. All you’re aiming to do with this hike is to maintain the level of fitness you’ve worked so hard for over the last sixteen weeks. As always, after warming up, hike at an even pace for six to eight miles, or four hours, and bring the proper amount of gear and food to keep you safe and comfortable.
SUMMARY
By this time a week from now, you’ll be at Camp Muir, just one day shy of your summit climb. For now, get plenty of rest, pay attention to nutrition, and know that you are ready.
- John Colver
Have a question? See the
Fit To Climb FAQ for explanations of specific exercises and general pointers to help you through the Fit To Climb Program.
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his
adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book,
Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.
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A climbing instructor once told me that keeping your back straight was an important part of balance. Personally, I’ve always found that using anything (arms straight-out, or treking poles held out, like a tightrope walker’s pole) really helps with balance when crossing a stream on a log.
Posted by: Mike Gibbons on 3/15/2015 at 10:13 pm
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