RMI Expeditions Blog
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 18,701'
Hello everyone on the RMI Blog. I hope you're paying attention. We have a great news to report. Team Mexico is on the Orizaba summit right now. We had just a beautiful day climbing. It took us just under eight hours to get up here. Sun is all out. Clouds below. We've got a beautiful view. We actually can see Popo, La Malinche, as well as Ixta. We of course climbed La Malinche and Ixta, so we have just beautiful views of those mountains we were on just a couple of days ago. And now we capped it off, and it couldn't have been better, on a beautiful day on Orizaba, the third highest peak in North America. Everyone says hello to friends and family. They are all excited, all happy, gaining some strength for the way down. It was a tough climb but they all did really well. This is Elias and JJ here with Team Mexico. We'll check in with you when we get down to Senor Reyes' tomorrow.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
RMI Guide JJ Justman calls from the Orizaba summit.
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,000'
Hello everyone,
This is Team Mexico calling in from the hut at Orizaba. We had a great day yesterday in Puebla, a day of rest and relaxation. We've all recovered and recuperated after our big day on Ixta. But we're here now setting up tents. There is a hut here, as I mentioned, but it's a little nicer to stay outside. We've got some great Mountain Hardware tents that we're setting up right now for the team. The weather was beautiful coming in, we were able to see Orizaba all day long. But, now we're actually in a cloud but it's one of those happy clouds that surrounded the mountain, real calm winds really non existent winds right now, and we're having some good high hopes for tomorrow. Our plan is to wake up around midnight, and start climbing right around 1:30 - 2 o'clock in the morning, and if all goes well will be getting to the top of Orizaba right around 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning, so thanks for following along. Stay tuned, because hopefully tomorrow will have some great news for you.
Take care everyone, adios from Mexico.
RMI Guide JJ Justman, Elias deAndres Martos & Team
JJ Justman and Team Calling in from High Camp on Orizaba
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
RMI Guide JJ Justman created a video of the team's Ixta summit day. Please see link below.
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 17,340'
Hey everyone, this is Team Mexico, and believe it or not! Well, you should believe because I tell what this team is you rocking and rollin'! Hey team on the summit of Ixta what do you say? "Whaoo!" Yeah, I tell you what, that says it all. The team did just a fantastic job. We are on top of Ixta 17,300+ feet! It's a beautiful day, the sun us shining, there are some low lying clouds out in the distance. You can see Orizaba which is our next objective, but the team had a good a good day to get here on top, they did a great job. We are doing a little hydrating, and taking some hero shots on the summit by the crosses here on top, and that is about it! So, Elias, myself and Ulises, our guide here in Mexico all say hello to everyone back home. Hey gang, just give a big shout out to anyone and everyone you want to say hi to back home. (Shouts & Cheers from team)
RMI Guide JJ Justman
JJ and Team checking in from the Summit of Ixta
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 15,400'
Hey everyone, this is Team Mexico calling in from high camp on Ixta. We are at 15,000 plus feet, about 15,400', so we have oh about a couple more thousand to go. The team here is doing really, really well. We're kinda finishing putting up the tents and guiding out the guidelines. And we're gonna start in on some hot drinks and some dinner for this evening. The weather was beautiful this morning as we climbed up here to high camp with heavy packs. Right now we're in a little bit of a cloud but there's light winds and just a little bit of precipitation. We are thinking it's gonna be one heck of a day. I don't wanna jinx us so my fingers are crossed and hopefully your fingers are crossed too for us. Because if all goes well we'll be waking up early in the morning and heading on out to the summit of Ixta at 17,300 plus feet. Again, everyone's doing really, really well and having a lot of fun. Hopefully we'll some great news, one way or another will have some great news for you, but hopefully will be giving you a call on the summit of Ixta tomorrow. Thanks for following along and look forward to another call from us tomorrow.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
On The Map
Posted by: Robby Young
Categories: Guide News Guide Grant
As a professional mountain guide, not only does my job involve spending most of my days in the mountains doing what I love, but also includes a substantial amount of continued coursework and education in order to review and enhance my knowledge and skills. This winter, with the help of the First Ascent / RMI Expeditions Guide Grant, I was able to participate in the American Avalanche Institute (AAI) Level 3 Avalanche Course, completing the highest level of avalanche certification in the United States.
The course was held near my home in the Wasatch Mountains of Northern Utah, home of the “Greatest Snow of Earth”; a claim to fame that surely proved true for the duration of the class. Multiple feet of snow fell over the course of the week, resulting in a widespread natural avalanche cycle that provided us with a fantastic setting for learning, while we observed large destructive avalanches in real time.
The course covered a wide array of topics important for guiding climbers and skiers in avalanche terrain, including snowpack assessment (through snowpit investigations), advanced backcountry travel, mountain weather forecasting, and professional forecasting applications for recreational guiding operations, ski areas, or highways.
Completing the highest level of avalanche education in the US has been a long-time goal of mine and I felt a great sense of accomplishment in doing so. I look forward to using these skills in guiding future RMI climbers around the world.
_____
Robby Young is a Michigan native, graduate of the University of Michegan (Go Wolverines!), and Utah transplant. Robby guides around the world, from Alaska to Peru, for RMI. In the winter, Robby patrols at The Canyons Resort and calls Park City home. When he isn't wearing a uniform, his feet are in ski boots, chasing steep lines and powder wherever they may be found. Robby will be headed to Mexico later this month, and to Mt. McKinley in May.
Completing the highest level of avalanche education in the US has been a long-time goal of mine and I felt a great sense of accomplishment in doing so. I look forward to using these skills in guiding future RMI climbers around the world.
_____
Robby Young is a Michigan native, graduate of the University of Michegan (Go Wolverines!), and Utah transplant. Robby guides around the world, from Alaska to Peru, for RMI. In the winter, Robby patrols at The Canyons Resort and calls Park City home. When he isn't wearing a uniform, his feet are in ski boots, chasing steep lines and powder wherever they may be found. Robby will be headed to Mexico later this month, and to Mt. McKinley in May.
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 12,000'
Buenas tardes from refugio "Altzomoni" at the feet of Ixtaccihuatl.
We are pre-packing as we speak for our move to high camp tomorrow. After our hike up "la Malinche" yesterday, we had an easy day today; on our drive to Amecameca, (Where we bought food for Ixta climb with the highlight being fresh handmade corn tortillas.) We were able to see our objective between the clouds from the road. The skies closed up and fog reigns now at our hut.
We'll keep you posted tomorrow of our progress. Best regards from 12,000'!!!
RMI Guides JJ Justman & Elias de Andres Martos
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
Elevation: 14,636'
Hi everyone! Team Mexico finally checking in. Yesterday we had an epic day! The weather did not cooperate at all as it rained cats and dogs. However, our team toughed it out and we made the summit of La Malinche.
Today we are currently having a great breakfast and then we are off to our next objective, Ixta. Stay tuned to our progress. But for now we gotta go and dry out a few soggy boots!
RMI Guides JJ Justman & Elias de Andres Martos
Posted by: JJ Justman, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
OK! Here we go! The photo may be a bit fuzzy and who is that guy holding his hand up in the mirror? Well folks, the fall season in Mexico is under way.
The team is all here and we have all the typical characters...those individuals who love to travel internationally seeking a little bit of culture and a few high places.
Stay tuned to the blog because I can already tell with this team...we are going to have a lot of fun and a few stories to tell!!
RMI Guides JJ Justman and Elias de Andres Martos
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
For the last 2 years, my focus in my personal climbing has been climbing 8000m Himalayan peaks solo, without the aid of supplemental oxygen. My training program has to reflect the increased mental and physical strains that climbing in this style demands.
My training must change significantly depending on the season of my next expedition - spring versus autumn. The difference lies in what I have been doing already leading up to a climb. My summertime climbs working as a guide on Mt. Rainier are a fantastic aerobic base to train from since the terrain, techniques, and exertion mimic much of the climbing on 8000m peaks. Nothing beats the real thing for training. Since I have not been climbing Mt. Rainier weekly leading up to a Spring climb, I have to dedicate more training time to endurance workouts around my winter-time home in the Sierras. I find that my perceived fitness changes a lot between seasons; in the spring I am able to move faster but with less endurance, while in the autumn I feel a deep reservoir of endurance but a lack of speed.
I break my training into blocks of 10 days, rather than weeks, with each 10 day block building on the last in terms of intensity, distance, and strength. A sample 10 day block would look something like this (descriptions of each workout are below):
Spring Training
• 1 climb with a gain of 5,000’ or more (moving as fast as I can maintain for 2 hour stretches)
• 3 trail runs with a gains of 2,500’ +
• Multi-muscle lifting 2x
• Enduro lifting 1x
• Anaerobic Intervals: 8 intervals, 1x
• Rest day 2x
During the course of my total training program, I also include 2 single push 20+ hour ascents.
Autumn Training
• 2x Mt. Rainier summit climbs (18,000 – 27,000ft vertical gain total) (4 days total)
• Trail run 2x with 2500ft+ gain
• Multi-muscle lifting 1x
• Enduro lifting 1x
• Anaerobic intervals: 8 intervals, 1x
• Rest Day 1x
Similar to my Spring training program, during the summer months leading up to an Autumn climb, I include 4-5 Muir Snowfield “sprints” (goal of sub 2hrs). If I am not working on Mt. Rainier, I substitute another snow climb of a constant grade with gains of 4000 – 5000’.
Specific descriptions of each workout:
Multi-muscle lifting: Clean and Jerk, Deadlifts, Power snatch (Olympic style lifting). I frequently add a Bosu ball (a squishy rubber half circle) into some of my lifting exercises for a balance component.
Enduro lifting: I think of this as anything I can do 15 to 20 reps of, whether push-ups, sit ups, pull-ups, excercises on a weight machine, barbell lifting or Olympic style lifting, and core exercises. My goal for lifting is not to bulk up, but to ensure I have a solid strength base.
Anaerobic Intervals: The goal is to get into my max heart rate zone for as long as I can handle (no more than 2 min, or the anaerobic component is lost). Techniques I “enjoy” are wind sprints, spinning machines, rowing machines or deadlifts. I find that I perform best coming off a solid 2 day rest.
Single Push Ascents: Within my training window I’ll try for a few 20+ hour, single push ascents. These provide a great training benchmark for my physical fitness, and help me build the mental fortitude that long 8000m summit days require
“Snowfield sprints”: I try to find easy to moderate snow climbs, so that the focus is on aerobic fitness and not technical proficiency. My goal is to either single push through the entire ascent or take quick 5 minute maintenance breaks every 2 hrs. I keep the stress high, near my aerobic threshold for the duration of the climb. My go-to choices have been Mt. Baldy outside of Los Angeles and the Muir Snowfield.
Maximizing my training gains:
First off, I have days that I don’t stick to the plan. It’s totally ok! There are days that I just curl up with a box of Cheez-its and watch Netflix. My mind and body need time to recover and its important that I listen to those signals. With a good day of rest, I head into my next workout ready to push until exhaustion!
My plan also has to incorporate the terrain that I have at my disposal. This requires shifting my exercises from the plan somewhat, still with the intention to accomplish the given task: trail runs and body weight exercises to replace lifting can still accomplish my goals of strength and balance training, and give my body new stresses. I try not to sweat missing a particular workout if the terrain simply is not conducive, and focus instead on what I can accomplish.
I change things up, and try to avoid too much of a routine. I know the ways I want to stress my body within this 10 day block but how I go about it changes regularly. For example, I keep a list of strength exercises I use on the wall as an easy way to - at a glance - select a new routine for the day.
Good training partners are essential: their routine will likely take my body out of any established routine I have created, and the extra motivation is invaluable. I add exercises I find fun and effective so that I have a broader program to pull from.
I pay special attention to my diet and nutrition during these intense training periods as well: what I eat can have a huge effect on my recovery and the gains I take away from training.
My plan is a constant work in progress, and is always shifting with the new demands that each new climb might bring. I try to take time after each climb to assess what worked and what didn’t so that my training is even more effective the next time around.
_____
Alex Barber is an associate guide at RMI Expeditions and splits his time between the beaches of Southern California and mountains around the world. Last Autumn, Alex made the summit of Cho Oyu, solo and without bottled oxygen. This past Spring, he made it to 7600m on Shishpangma's Inaki Route. He summited 8156m Manaslu on October 1st, for his third Himalayan climb.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Thank you Alex for sharing insight on your training plan. This is a Top-5 training advice article for mountaineering. I have received the RMI training blog in the three years and in many regards this was the most helpful. I have saved this one to refer to often. Thanks again.
Posted by: TimR on 1/5/2015 at 4:29 am
I <3 THE ROBBY YOUNG.
CONGRATUS MANUS.
Posted by: KIP on 10/23/2014 at 11:32 pm
Congratulations Robby a big achievement.
Posted by: Wally Young on 10/22/2014 at 5:26 am
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