RMI Expeditions Blog
Posted by: Brent Okita, JJ Justman
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
The advice “show up in the best shape of your life” can mean very different things for different people. People from all sorts of different backgrounds come to Mt. Rainier for an adventure and they can all have great success, but it helps to know what you are training for. For an Ironman triathlete, perhaps it isn’t so much about showing up in the best shape of their life, but in the right shape: the physical demands of mountaineering can be very different than those of a triathlon. For someone venturing into the mountains for the first time, building overall aerobic fitness and core strength may be the focus.
Numbers that help to understand the climb:
17,982’ (5480m) of total elevation gain and loss
21 hours on our feet
45-55 lbs of weight potentially in your pack (pack weights do decrease for summit day)
30,000+ steps up and down (no one has ever actually counted them all for us)
2/3 roughly the amount of oxygen available to us at the summit versus sea level.
36 hours in which to do all this (*four day summit climb)
First off, aerobic fitness: For most, summit day on Mt. Rainier will be far and away the longest period of sustained exertion that they have ever done. A typical summit day involves 15 to 16 hours on our feet; as a general guideline that includes an hour of packing and prep, 10 hours of climbing to the summit and back to Camp Muir, an hour of packing and recovery at Muir, and 3 more hours down the Muir Snowfield. Even though the overall pace of our movement is slow, the sheer amount of time on our feet and moving adds up to be exhausting. Now consider that the previous day, the team spent 5 or 6 hours climbing to Camp Muir, and then got maybe 6 hours of somewhat fitful sleep prior to waking for the summit push. Having a deep aerobic base is the only way to be able to push through all these hours, and consequently, the bulk of your training should focus on this realm.
Recovery from anaerobic spurts: While 99.5% of the climb is accomplished in that zone of aerobic endurance, there are small sections of increased effort. It may be just a handful of tricky steps through a boulder jumble on Disappointment Cleaver, or a more sustained section of ice climbing through a tricky, steep section on the Kautz Ice Chute. At altitude, since we are breathing in less oxygen, these increases in effort can quickly become anaerobic, and the ability to recover mid-effort from these bursts is essential. Interval training helps to increase your body’s anaerobic threshold (the level of exertion at which you begin to create large amounts of lactic acid) and also builds your body’s ability to metabolize that lactic acid, effectively recovering. This way, though a few tricky steps may leave you feeling breathless or winded, you are able to recover in a matter of moments with a few deep breathes and fall right back into your rhythm.
Strength: While many focus on overall leg strength — consider that we will essentially be doing shallow squats all the way to the summit — and it is important, core strength and balance are perhaps even more important and more often overlooked. Throughout the climb you will be carrying a pack of varying weight. Your core muscles are responsible for helping to manage a load that is trying to pull you over backwards, keeping it stable and your posture in a position for efficient movement, and a base of core strength allows you to accomplish the more athletic moves that steeper climbing requires. While your core is doing the work to deal with your pack and much of your balance, the small muscles of your ankles and lower legs have to deal with ever-changing terrain: no step is the same, and your ankles and knees have adapt to the changes in slope and pitch to allow the rest of your body to remain in balance. Overall strength is still important, but strength exercises that incorporate an element of balance and coordination or involve your core will pay huge dividends once you find yourself on uneven terrain.
As you build your training plan, take these elements into account, and assess where you already stand. If you come from a strong endurance background, continue with that, but place more of your focus on recovery and core strength. If endurance sports are new to you, start here, focusing on building your base (as that really is the foundation of the rest). Most of all, have confidence that if you follow your plan, your will show up ready for the adventure of a lifetime!
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Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Enjoyed the feedback. Are you solo?
Posted by: Mary on 9/16/2014 at 3:58 am
Posted by: Geoff Schellens, Tyler Reid
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Well done Mike. What a great accomplishment!
Posted by: Mum and Dad on 9/14/2014 at 5:03 pm
Congrats Jason and team! We are so happy to hear about your success. Look forward to celebrating when you get back.
Posted by: Nikki & drew on 9/14/2014 at 10:45 am
Posted by:
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Guide News
Alex,
Thanks for the update and good to hear of your progress.
Posted by: Tim Mason on 9/13/2014 at 9:20 am
RMI Guide Billy Nugent calls from the Mt. Shuksan summit!
Awesome!! So relieved to read the update. Congrats Justin and the rest of the team!
Posted by: Patrice on 9/12/2014 at 3:29 pm
Posted by: Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Looks like earlier I posted this message on wrong climb.
Nice achievement, congratulations.
I just wanted to know about current ebola situation and did U guys feel any special effects of that, in terms of special screenings etc. We are planning on doing this early next year. Any information is well appreciated and did the climbers take any special travel insurance and if yes, which one. Thanks in advance
Posted by: R on 11/20/2014 at 6:20 pm
Posted by: Casey Grom, Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Congrats to the team! Especially for my husband , Mark!
Very excited for you all!
Posted by: Mary Ann Miller on 9/11/2014 at 3:19 pm
Jeff and the entire team congratulations on a great job. We are sitting Ina bar in Moscow and everybody is cheering you on. Mom and Dad
Posted by: Donald Norris on 9/20/2014 at 7:18 am
Congratulations Marc!!! We are so proud of you! What an accomplishment!
Love you, Susan, Cameron, Sydney & Lucy
Posted by: Susan on 9/19/2014 at 5:23 pm
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