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RMI Guide Mike King called this morning at 7:06 a.m. The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb team turned at Ingraham Flats due to difficult route conditions. The teams are planning to begin their descent from Camp Muir between 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
It's June already. Do you have a Mount Rainier climb planned this summer? If so, you are probably at the peak of your training efforts and devoting a good amount of energy and time to preparing your body for the big climb. Many people ask,
"What's the most important thing for training right now?"
If you are less than a week away from your climb, you'll want to rest. By all means, do some activity — but just enough to keep you moving — not so much that you arrive fatigued. You'll want to maximize your sleep and relaxation this week. Also, be sure that you're eating plenty of carbohydrates to ensure you start the climb with a full tank.
If your climb is still a few weeks or even months away, then you have a great opportunity to add to your endurance.
I like to keep things simple. My recommendation to people training for mountaineering is to include at least one long hike each week. How long? Well, your summit day will start in the middle of the night and you may well be climbing and descending for upwards of 14 hours. So, it's important to condition yourself to be on your feet for that long.
Practically, if you live near Mt. Rainier you can train on any number of long steep hikes in the area, or even hike up to Camp Muir for practice. One big weekly hike is my minimum, but if you can you'll benefit from back-to-back days of hiking, or maybe even sneak in a midweek hike as well. A man I know was out of shape with only two months to go before his Mt. Rainier climb. He realized he was behind on his training, took vacation time, and hiked Mt. Si, near Seattle, eighteen times in one month! I thought it was a bit extreme and advised him to pay attention to his knees and joints, but he did it — and he made it all the way to the summit and back.
If you live in a flat city you can still get in good training. I've done urban hikes before to get in condition for a climb. Once, when I was getting ready for a big climb while I lived in London, UK, I would put a metal weight and some water-bottles in a pack and walk all day, stopping at restaurants to eat and visiting the occasional museum. It's fun and a great way to see a city. This winter in Seattle I set a goal of walking three miles each day. It's great for the feet, legs, and back and it's easy to plan to walk places instead of driving. Arrive at work or a friend's house and tell them you walked — you'll inspire them too! It might be tough to get elevation in flatter regions, but don't let that stop you from building endurance.
If you can't hike or walk anywhere then bicycling is about as close as you can get to hiking as an alternative. It works the same energy-systems and many of the same muscle groups. If you do a lot of cycling, also do jumping exercises, perhaps even get a jump-rope and use it for a few minutes every day. That will help with the coming-down part of the climb. Cycling builds strength and endurance but doesn't replicate the impact of stepping down. The combination of both is very effective.
Top three tips for June:
1.
Make the main thing - the main thing: It's a long endurance climb with a 35lb pack. Go long in training and wear a pack when possible.
2.
Back up your long hikes with shorter sessions: 60 - 90 minute efforts at a higher intensity. Stairs, stair-master, elliptical machine, cycling or spin class are good options.
3.
Mix up your training: Some long and steady 'conversational' pace sessions; some hard and steady; some intervals of 1 minute of very hard effort followed by 1 minute of rest.
A parting thought: I used to get close to a climb and worry that I hadn't done enough of this or of that. Right now you've done what you've done. Its best to take out a calendar, figure out how many long hikes you can fit in, block out those time and then use the other days for shorter sessions. Take a day or two of rest as well, you'll benefit from doing so. As the guides will tell you on the mountain, don't worry about tomorrow or next week, just focus on now. Focus on how you can complete — and enjoy — today's workout. You've trained hard and what you do now will make a difference on the mountain.
Good luck.
John Colver
Author of Fit By Nature by Mountaineers Books.
www.adventx.com
For more information please see our
resources for mountaineering fitness and training.
Today was officially a rest day. Our team had different definitions of what that means but all in all we are going to bed content.
If you haven’t already guessed we had breakfast at 7:30 am, drank tea and coffee until 9 then prepared to go on a short walk. Being a lazy day, three out of the five departed by 10:15 while two others stayed back to enjoy some down time in the lodge. The weather started cloudy but improved by late morning offering new views of Makalu, the world’s fifth highest mountain and the north side of Ama Dablam which we have been viewing from its more popular side on the west.
Two members of the team hiked to a small summit at 16,600' for some extra acclimatizing while the others went back to the lodge for lunch.
Overall it was a pleasant day here in Pheriche which should set us up for our next stretch to Lobuche tomorrow.
We hope all is well back home.
--RMI Guide Adam Knoff
Long time RMI Guide and Owner Joe Horiskey may have 235 summits of Mt. Rainier via nearly a dozen routes in forty-two years of guiding, but he was even happier to congratulate his 19 year-old son, Robert, who successfully reached Columbia Crest for his very first time on September 8th! Congratulations, Robert! (And congratulations, Joe!)
The Four Day Climb August 25 - 28 was approaching the crater rim of Mt. Rainier at 6:40 am led by RMI Guides Alan Davis and Seth Burns. Alan reported climbing time from Camp Muir to the summit was 6 1/2 hours for the teams this morning. It's a beautiful day to be in the mountains with clear skies and light winds. The teams will enjoy some time at the summit today before retracing their steps and returning to Camp Muir. After a short time at Camp Muir, they will continue the final 4,500' to Paradise and conclude their program at Rainier BaseCamp later this afternoon.
Congratulations to today's climbers!
As Dave Hahn wrote yesterday, my attempt at trying to climb this monster called Mt. Everest is over. I wanted to write today about what went into that decision.
Over the past several weeks we have made several "rotations" on Mt. Everest to higher and higher camps and elevations. During these rotations I have felt quite strong for the most part, and in fact, our entire team has been strong. One of the keys to climbing this beast is that the group work together, and move efficiently and rapidly through the most dangerous parts of the mountain. We have in fact been doing that.
One of the key objectives of our rotations is to acclimatize. What this means is to allow the body to adjust to higher and higher altitudes by moving up the mountain slowly, by climbing "high" and then sleeping at a lower altitude, and then descending to a lower altitude (Everest Base Camp) and starting the pattern all over again.
About a week ago I started to notice that my body was not acclimatizing like the other members of the team beginning at about 22,000 feet. At night at this altitude, when I was attempting to sleep, I would be drifting off to sleep and then I would have to sit up and gasp for air. I would then pant for a minute or two, and then the entire process would repeat itself. This occurred for 4 to 5 nights ALL NIGHT LONG. I tried Diamox (a medicine used for acclimatization), but it didn't help me. During these nights I would look over at Sara (my daughter) who was restfully sleeping in her sleeping bag, and curse her (just kidding).
At about 22,000 feet my body simply stopped acclimatizing like it had been from the beginning of the trip. The result of this was that during the day I would not be rested. During our climbs I would be panting hard, and I would be slower than I had been, and now slower than the rest of the group. I tried hard to figure out how to sleep and get my acclimatization going again, but I just couldn't do it. I was getting weaker (not stronger like the rest of my teammates) every day above 22,000. Sara, on the other hand, would be getting stronger each day that she spent up there. I told her she was never going to get a car and she was grounded (just kidding again).
After our last rotation we returned to Base Camp. I went to bed and woke up LIKE A NEW MAN. Simply descending to Base Camp (which is still at 17,500 feet) allowed me to get a 10 hour night sleep, the first night sleep I had in 6 days. I slept like a rock, and I felt great (and feel great right now). So it's a weird feeling to be sitting at Base Camp, feeling extremely strong, and yet knowing that my attempt at the summit is over.
But, I made the decision that my attempt to climb Mt. Everest is over, and I know it's the correct decision. And here are my considerations:
1. I do not want to be a burden to my teammates. I think the hardest decision a person can make is to evaluate himself (or his children). It is very difficult to make these comparisons. I feel that I am a strong climber below 22,000, and still, above 22,000, I still think that I am an "okay" climber. I can climb forward past many people on the trail, but still, I can not keep up with my teammates, and I can not climb the tallest mountain in the world. These are tough assessments, but must be done honestly and candidly (so, next time one of your kids is cut from a team let it be known that I CUT MYSELF FROM MY OWN TEAM!)
2. This mountain is over 29,000 feet tall. At Camp 2 I would still be 1.5 VERTICAL MILES below the summit. If this mountain were 24k or 25k feet tall there is no doubt in my mind I would make myself summit. But, this is a monster. I have no interest in "high pointing" at Camp 3 or Camp 4. If I can't climb this mountain to the top, then I am done.
3. Sara. I am not simply a member of a typical team of, say, 8 guys. I am also the father of another member of this team. Another consideration that I must always have is what is in the best interest of Sara. And that's easy - to eliminate from the team its weakest member (me) that might cause the team to move slower, or - if I pushed myself beyond my limits - that might cause the team to have to stop to medically rescue me off the mountain. I know that with 6 professional members of our team, and one client (Sara), that, with me dropping out, Sara is in a better place. She will have an entire team of the best climbers in the world working with one client - her.
4. People die on Mt. Everest every year. It's a brutal, unforgiving place. There are many motivations for climbing this mountain (ego, personal challenge, etc.) and sometimes those motivations drive people to ignore the signs that their bodies are giving them and then they push themselves well beyond their limits. Its protocol in these blogs not to write about what you see on Mt. Everest. There are many other teams, many other climbers, and many other people making decisions about whether to proceed with their climb or to end it. Many continue to keep climbing. I am choosing to make sure that I don't die on Mt. Everest. I have a great family, great friends, and a great community, (and many things to do with the rest of my life) and I am looking forward to all of these things in the years ahead.
Dave Hahn and Linden Mallory are terrific guides. Dave has made this my decision, and has said repeatedly that I can "take another shot" and I can keep climbing (this trip is pretty expensive). But there really would be no purpose to trying again. I have been up to about 22,000 feet before and have struggled beginning at that altitude. Before this trip I thought that it was other factors that caused my lack of acclimatization (lack of water, not eating enough, etc.). But now I know that my body is just not made for climbing 8000 meter peaks.
I have climbed a lot of tall mountains (Aconcagua, Denali, Kili, etc..) and I really enjoy the experience. But if you hear of me planning to give an 8000 meter peak another try please GRAB ME BY ME ANKLES and stop me. My body is just not built for it.
I will be hanging out in Base Camp for the next 3 weeks (like a parent on the sidelines at Tophat) cheering on my daughter and the rest of the team. There are many things to do at Base Camp - last night I lost in Jenga, but came in second in a big Yahtzee tournament. And most every night there is a late night poker game (guides from many teams and countries like to play Texas Hold em, it turns out). And I am surrounded by the tallest and most beautiful mountains in the world. So, all is good here at Everest BaseCamp.
I am disappointed that I will not get a chance to summit, but I am happy that I made this journey, that I made it with my 16 year old daughter, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I will remember it forever.
Love and peace to all.
Bill M.
Mental preparation for mountaineering is just as important as the physical training. Often the mental hurdles of the mountains can be just as intimidating and overwhelming as the physical challenges. You’ll want to have some strategies to rely on when the climbing gets difficult and you can use your training to figure out what works to keep you mentally engaged and focused during the climb. Below are a few ideas we’ve gathered from our guides and climbers over the years:
Break It Up
Instead of viewing the climb as single massive undertaking, break the trip into sections, and sub-sections, and sub-sections of sub-sections. If summit day is still days or even weeks away, don’t focus on it when you’re first shouldering your pack. Instead, break the trip in smaller portions: reaching Base Camp, moving to Camp 1, etc. Then segment out the day’s climbing into sections and concentrate on just the stretch you’re on. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the enormity of the climb ahead but by breaking the endeavor into smaller sections of climbing you can separate it out into achievable parts.
Climb Beautifully
When the going gets tough and you find yourself struggling, try focusing all of your attention on the physical movements. Dial in your cramponing techniques, concentrate on
climbing in perfect balance,
focus on your footwork, pay attention to your rope interval. Turning your attention to these small tasks brings your attention to the immediate actions you are taking and keeps you engaged and focused.
Focus on the Now
Much like climbing beautifully, try focusing on the immediate trail ahead and don’t go through the exhausting mental exercises of “what-if”, “maybe”, or “perhaps” of what is over the rise. Instead of worrying about how intimidating the crevasse crossing you heard other climbers mention might be, what the altitude will feel like, how long the descent is going to be, or any other number of possibilities, focus on the route in front of you. By staying focused you won’t burn mental energy exploring unknowns and you’ll stay engaged. When you get to those times of the climb or places on the route, you may just find that they are far more manageable than you led yourself to believe.
Count
When the going gets really tough, try counting steps. Many climbers descend from the mountains with tales of putting their heads down and counting a certain number of steps - 20, 50, 100 - before looking up again. Don’t lose focus of what you’re doing and continue to climb safely and in tandem with your team, but counting is another way to give yourself something immediate to focus on to help get through the challenging sections.
Wander
On most climbs there are many moments such as the approach or the descent where you’re off of the technical sections of the mountain that require active focus and you’re simply walking up or down a trail. It’s okay to let you your mind wander! Stay engaged with what you’re doing so you don’t stumble, but let your mind think about things other than the trail ahead. Maybe it’s thinking about how to plant the garden, remembering quotes from your favorite movie, solving a nagging problem, or even what meal you’ll treat yourself to after the climb - anything that can give you a little mental escape.
Every climber has different mental strategies that work for them. The trick is finding what works for you. Whether it’s a long weekend hike or a tough interval session, you can use your training routine to experiment with different ways of keeping yourself mentally engaged, even when the training get’s tough.
Did we miss something? Share your suggestions on mental strategies and read past Weekly Mountaineering Training Series on the
RMI Blog!
Ice season is almost upon us here in Bozeman, Montana with many other U.S. ice destinations soon to follow. I find it very difficult to train for ice climbing this time of year - you want to get comfortable on your tools again, but there isn’t any ice forming yet. These are a few of my favorite pre-season workouts that can get you stronger before you get to swing those picks into a column of ice.
First, I say any climbing is better than no climbing. The rock gym can be a great place to start building upper body strength, balance, and grip strength. I usually warm up by pulling on plastic for an hour or so, mostly easy to moderate routes with two or three that really push me. The goal is to get a little pumped but not so spent that I can’t do a workout after. I take 10-15 minutes to cool down, drink some water, get out of my climbing gear, and transition to the weights.
When I am training specifically for ice climbing I focus most of my efforts on forearms and triceps with some shoulder and bicep work to stay balanced. In my opinion, the best exercises mimic the actual motions done in ice climbing. So, my first go-to ice climbing workout is simply to grab a light dumbbell, 6-12lbs, and hold it like you would an ice tool. If you can watch yourself in the mirror it can help to make sure you maintain good form. Loosely hold the weight in one hand and cock it back over your shoulder, keep your wrist, elbow, and shoulder all in line, and slowly swing the weight like you would an ice tool. Finish with the wrist flick so the weight is just in front of your body, I like to keep my other hand touching my elbow, which helps to encourage good form.
Dead hangs are another great exercise you can do almost anywhere. If you can use your tools that’s the best; I put the picks of both ice tools over a pull-up bar, grab both tools, and hang with elbows slightly bent for 10 seconds. If you are doing it correctly your shoulders should be engaged. I try to draw my shoulder blades towards each other. Do this for 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 10 rounds; that is one set for me, and I try to do 3 sets per workout. Don’t push yourself and tweak a shoulder though, or all this training is for nothing. Start with what makes sense for you and then slowly add repetitions, sets, or increase the time of each dead hang. I often integrate sets into my whole workout so I don’t get too bored.
Next: pull-ups. Find out what your max is and then go for 50-80% of that for three sets. If 10 pull-ups is your threshold, do three sets of 5-8. Try to increase this number over time. Again I mix these into the whole workout so that I have some time to recover.
There are a number of great exercises for grip strength and forearms; I constantly switch it up. The standing bar – rope - weight workout is a great one. With a small bar, stick, or dowel, tie a 5-foot rope to the center and a weight on the other end of the rope. With your arms straight out in front of you slowly twist the bar in your hands to wrap the rope up and lift the weight then reverse the motion to lower it back to the ground. Maintain good form and keep your arms parallel to the ground.
Another forearm workout that I really like is to grab two dumbbells of moderate weight, 5-15 lbs, and hold one in each hand. Slowly I let the weights roll down my palm and fingers until they are close to falling out of my hands and then bring them back up. The first few will leave you asking, “what is the point of this?” by rep 20 you will be screaming for mercy.
The plate pinch is both a forearm and grip exercise. Grab two plates, 2.5, 5, or 10lbs, and position them together so the smooth sides face out. Simply pinch them together with one hand and let them hang by your side. You are going for time here, see how long you can hold it first and then aim for three sets in each hand. Gradually add more and more time over a few weeks. Finally, another fantastic grip strength workout is a spring or rubber doughnut trainer. I keep one in my car and try to use it at every red light.
These are just a few of the upper body workouts that I use when I am patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for temperatures to drop and ice to start forming. I hope you enjoy these and I look forward to seeing you all out on the ice soon.
_____
Geoff Schellens is a certified AMGA Rock Guide, Apprentice Alpine Guide, and an avid ice climber. He lives in Bozeman, MT, and will be leading an expedition to Denali's Upper West Rib this spring.
Comments? Questions? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
The team led by RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier and Matias Francis reached the summit of Mt. Triumph today! The team climbed Triumph's northeast ridge to the summit where they enjoyed views deep into the North Cascades, including Mt. Baker. The team is making the most of their time in the North Cascades and plan to climb Thornton Peak tomorrow before their program concludes later this week.
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Beautiful picture! Hope to go there in a few weeks and praying for good weather.
Posted by: Joseph Huang on 8/31/2021 at 10:09 pm
Proud of you team! Great effort!
Posted by: Rachel Zimmerman on 8/30/2021 at 7:49 am
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