RMI Expeditions Blog
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Fit to Climb: Week 10 Schedule
BRIEFING
The weekend hike will be 5 hours and your Day 2 stair session will bump up from 60 to 90 minutes. Depending where you live, you may well be experiencing lighter evenings so this will be a chance to get outdoors, even at the end of the work day. In my estimation, nothing burns workday stress like a stair workout!
Speaking of stair workouts, this week will see the introduction of a new variant of interval training: the 1-2-3 Stair workout. This workout will push you beyond your anaerobic threshold and help increase both your aerobic and anaerobic capacity in the long term. A detailed explanation is included below. The consistent pace stair training that you’ve been doing for the past several weeks moves to Day 4.
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: Stair Interval Training: The 1-2-3 Workout
For your first stair workout of the week, you'll take on a new challenge. First, warm up with some moderate paced stair climbing. Then, your challenge is to do one burst of effort moderately hard, followed by a rest; then a second burst of effort very hard, followed by another rest; and then the third burst of effort where you'll make a close-to-maximal effort. In other words, you'll go from the bottom to the top of the stairs as quickly as you're able, or at least as fast as if you were being chased by a bear! This might end up looking like the following;
• 2 minutes at 50-65% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest (1 minute standing, 2 minutes descending)
• 2 minutes at 65-80% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest
• 2 minutes at 85-90% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest
For this week, repeat this cycle up to three times, depending on your level of fitness. If three times is too much too soon, fall back to some consistent pace stair climbing like you are used to, or stop at two sets and work your way up next week. This is a very demanding workout designed to mimic the physical stress that might be encountered on the mountain, so don’t be discouraged if takes a few weeks to work up to it!
An additional note on safety: after charging up the stairs at 90% intensity your legs might be a little wobbly, so be extra careful not to trip while coming down the stairs.
Most people will experience some discomfort at this intensity. Remember that all of these workouts are challenge-by-choice. Whenever training for mountaineering, I always try to bear in mind that I'm responsible for my own safety, and sometimes the safety of others. So even in training, I'm careful to not exert myself to the extent that I'll overextend or injure my body.
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 (50 Minutes)
After the Rainier Dozen, warm up for about 10 minutes, and then climb up and down a set of stairs, at a consistent pace, for about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool down with some stretching. You don’t need to carry a pack on your stair interval training, the focus in this workout is on speed and intensity.
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: Rainier Dozen / Cross Training (1 Hour)
Warm up with the Rainier Dozen and then spend an hour in some moderately vigorous activity as cross training (find out more about cross training here). Listen to your body, and have fun with it.
Day 7: 5 Hour Hike
Find a location to hike that is about 9 to 10 miles in distance and takes about 5 hours. Maintain the same weight for your pack as last week. If the weight of your pack has to increase a little bit to account for the additional time you’ll be on the trail, that’s ok too.
SUMMARY
Perhaps the most noticeable thing you’ll feel after this week is that you are really used to these workouts. As aerobic endurance increases and strength builds, you’ll likely be finding that the workouts are more enjoyable and perhaps less taxing. Remember that at this point in training your goal is to perform well. You may not be as fatigued as in previous weeks but you are really moving forwards. Also, by now you’re probably getting highly organised with your equipment and clothing during your training hikes. Everything is falling into place!
- 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.
| DAY | WORKOUT | TOTAL TIME | DIFFICULTY |
| 1 | Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min) | 42 min. | Medium |
| 2 | 1-2-3 Stair Workout x 3 | 90 min. | Very Hard |
| 3 | Rainier Dozen / Rest | 12 min. | Recovery |
| 4 | Rainier Dozen / High Intensity Stair Interval Training (50 min) | 62 min. | Hard |
| 5 | Rainier Dozen / Rest | 12 min. | Recovery |
| 6 | Rainier Dozen / Cross Training | 60 min. | Medium |
| 7 | Hike (5 hrs, 15lbs of pack weight) | 300 min. | Medium |
| Total | 9 hrs 38 mins |
Hello Everyone.
We were foot soldiers today, we marched our way into Lukla in great style. The last hour is all up hill,a nice pump to finish the day. Doctor Scholl's was our best friend. A bit of overcast kept the temperature just right for this lowland trek, 10,000 ft. After about three weeks in this land of giant mountains, for some, it's time to hit the beach. I could call this one heck of a fishing trip. We all received a license, no poachers, played by the rules. We casted our lines, used every trick in the book. Caught some big ones and a trophy for a few. We all leave with more experience and respect for this type of event in our lives. The Dudh river, a constant companion on the hike out,loads of blooming rhododendron a nice farewell. Always a pleasure to work with High Altitude Dreams our local outfitter. The team from the states way to go! Hope to have another chance to play with you all in my office soon.
Thank you all out in cyber land for following this trip, get out while you can. I will start working my way back to the Big E and blog ya later.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
On The Map
BIG congrats to you all!
Posted by: Caril on 4/8/2013 at 7:04 am
Our second night at the extreme altitude of Everest Basecamp went well. We are getting used to the thunder of avalanches off the surrounding peaks and the intense cold of morning before the sun finds us in the bottom of this deep valley. We worked a bit in the morning on getting our gear dialed for climbing. The afternoon was spent in taking a mellow hike out on the glacier close to basecamp. At one point we spotted three intrepid white geese cruising North at about 25,000 ft. We were also keeping our eyes peeled for artifacts on the ice. Yesterday James and Seth each found crampons from 1962 (as evidenced by the 1962 Indian newspaper I found with them) More teams are arriving each day now, but we are still enjoying having basecamp a little quieter than normal.
We look forward to our Puja ceremony tomorrow morning wherein we ask the blessing of the mountain gods before taking on the big hill.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Blessings your way. Good luck.
ABQ Uptown #985
Posted by: Rachael C. Lujan on 4/7/2013 at 6:16 pm
The picture of Seth with the rock is a good example of glacier recession. A lot of ice has disappeared.
-Larry Seaton
Posted by: Larry Seaton on 4/7/2013 at 10:17 am
Kathmandu!
It's been quite the adventure the last few weeks. Today the team left the beautiful and peaceful Khumbu and caught our morning flight back to the busy city of Kathmandu. The team spent the day lounging by the pool, resting in our rooms and catching up with emails and news.
Everyone is doing well and excited about returning home to family and friends. We finished the day off with pizzas and long fresh salads.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
On The Map
It’s so hard to believe the trekkers are already back in Kathmandu. The trek passed quickly but the memories will last a lifetime. Congratulations on a successful trek to EBC.
Posted by: Lynn Via on 4/6/2013 at 11:43 pm
A nice 10 mile plus or minus hike from Chu Kung today. Not quite sure how there can be so much uphill on a descent, who built these trails anyway? Happy to be back here in Namche at the Campo de Base tea house. If you ever are in the area, this is the place to stay. Very friendly staff, comfortable rooms and Hot Hot showers!
We saw a couple of Everest teams on the way today. We had a nice chat with some old friends and made plans for future meetings at Basecamp. We will check out of the park in the morning and finalize our permits regarding the Island Peak climb. The infrastructure is a bit crude but it is so important to keep trying to have an eye on this truly amazing part of the world.
The sky was a bit hazy today but a nice temperature for the trek out. A few of the hillsides had a large number of rhododendron trees flowering, it is so nice to be back in the living zone of the Earth's dirt.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
On The Map
...lol…I think the same people who named a peak an ISLAND built the uphill descending trails : ) The photo you posted tells you trail story well. That mountain in the background has got to be Mt. Everest…it’s gorgeous. Love your spot tracker maps. I need to find out what time it is in Nepal versus where I live in Southern California. Thank you for your updates…it’s so fun following all of you on your trek.
Posted by: Lynn Via on 4/7/2013 at 11:44 am
Yesterday we walked without any great difficulty from Lobuche to Everest Basecamp. Conditions were perfect, with sunshine, blue sky and no wind whatsoever. We stopped for a brief rest in Gorak Shep where we were all grateful for 3G cell coverage again (Lobuche is lacking in this respect which is why we took a couple of nights off from blogging). But we didn't linger for very long in Gorak Shep because by then we were just a short distance from our home for the next seven weeks and we were excited to finish the trek. We walked a bit more along the lateral moraine before dropping onto the actual Khumbu Glacier. By then, the only thing difficult about the travel (apart from being over 17,000 ft) was walking while looking up at a couple dozen hanging glaciers and giant peaks. We were into our basecamp by midday and eating a great lunch in our dining tent 30 minutes later. It was great to catch up with our Sherpa team and mind boggling to see the work they've accomplished in two weeks. Kumar is our incomparable chef once again, assisted by Raju, Jetta and Tikaram. Our expert team of Sherpa guides is of course led by Lam Babu who did such a great job accompanying us on the trek. In the meantime, Chhering, Kaji and Geljen were moving a lot of rock around to build camp. We just had to move into well built and anchored tents, which was pretty easy. We were excited to watch a big avalanche off the Lho La -the pass above us which is the border with Tibet. And we were happy to spend an easy afternoon and evening getting settled. The night went well, with all seeming to be adjusting well to the altitude. Morning in such a place was just as awe inspiring as you'd expect.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Awe inspiring pictures Dave! Do y’all take altitude pills or does everyone just have great lungs?
Posted by: Mary on 4/6/2013 at 4:08 pm
Is this the James Fitch team?
Posted by: John Mack on 4/6/2013 at 1:54 pm
Lukla! Back to where we started after another long day hiking. We left Namche about an hour later than planned to get in some last minute shopping, I'm sure everyone can guess who prompted that decision.....
Lucky enough to have another beautiful day for hiking, we were happy to spend all day on the trail again (but actually)! Making our way down what we lovingly dubbed the 'Namche Hill' on the way up, we encountered way more yaks and porters than last week...due to the Saturday market tomorrow, that some of us are sad to be missing!
What goes down must come up....after a quick stop in Phakding for some lunch, we started back up our final hill to Lukla. Although the lower altitude certainly helped, after so much downhill the past few days I've got to say it was tough switching gears again! About two-thirds of the way up to Lukla, Lakpa's two adorable kids came and met us on the trail - what a wonderful surprise! Lakpa and his family then hosted us at their house for some tea once everyone caught their breath, which was another great surprise.
After showers and some dinner, we said many many thanks and gave many hugs to our wonderful porters and Sherpas (see picture!). Our trip certainly wouldn't have been the same without their hard work, and I know that their smiling faces put me in a good mood each and every day. We were so lucky to have them!
Everyone will be happy to know that a dance party just got started in Lukla! Hello and I love you to all my friends and family (Daddy, Dana, Haley, Scott & Bandit - Mommy is up on the dance floor. Uh oh!). --Allie
RMI Guide Casey Grom
On The Map
So glad to see the team smiling and dancing in Lukla. Did Missy bring her birthday presents and use them at the dance party? Retail sales in Namche were at an all time high with members of team waki there. Cannot wait to hear all the gory details.
Posted by: Kathryn LeBey on 4/6/2013 at 5:20 am
Looks like the party was a lot of fun. I’m glad you had a chance to unwind and let loose. All of you, have safe journeys home!
Posted by: Yuki Loritz on 4/5/2013 at 10:18 pm
Mark Tucker here, calling from Chukung. My third attempt coming outside here. The satellites have not been too nice to me tonight. Ch-ch-chilly. So we had an unbelievable day. Just everything was going at us. We gave a great shot going for the summit. We were a little bit shy. But we had an awesome time! That mountain is incredible. And we're all down safe and sound. A lot of our staff is going to go to the right and we are going left, headed to Namche tomorrow. It is cold out tonight. Everybody's happy and we're doing well. We'll check in again.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Mark Tucker calls in from Chukung.
On The Map
Mark and Team- Congrats on a good climb!! Summits are & aren’t everything!! Thanks for the good push! Mark thank you for a wonderful time for Liesl and Pete!!
Love & Blessings to You ALL- M & G (Remember YMNTBP!!!!)
Posted by: Gretchen & Mike on 4/5/2013 at 6:14 pm
Back in Internet range today. We spent the last two days in Lobuche at a little over 16,000 ft. We had an easy day yesterday, taking a short but scenic walk along the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier and touring the Italian research pyramid a few minutes from Lobuche. Today we are moving to Everest Base Camp. It is a stunningly beautiful day as we sit at our halfway point in Gorak Shep.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The pics are fantastic! Great progress Mark and team. XO
Posted by: karen sauder on 4/5/2013 at 10:11 am
Mark Tucker here at high camp of Island Peak. Hands are freezing but the rest of me is pretty good. We are situated a couple hundred feet below 18,000 feet. We got a bit to go but we're in good shape. Have the tents up. Actually have a small kitchen tent where our Nepali staff is making us some fresh momos. He has a rolling pin out, had the flour going, cooking up the vegetables. We're roughing it but its still reasonably comfortable. Having aghast. We've got peaks above, ice, rock every where. Ocean below, giant peaks peaking out of the clouds, and yes, a bit chilly. I'm sure we're going to be in for it tonight when it comes to the cold but lots of layers and keep moving should do the trick. So we're planning to start looking at the weather at 1 am, hopefully moving by 2ish and route sounds like it's in pretty good shape. So if things go right, we're going to get on top of this thing and make a call to y'all. We're going to error on the side of smart and conservative, not push too hard, but give it a gosh darn good effort.. So we're looking forward to it, all fired up and can't wait to report in again.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Mark Tucker calls in from Island Peak High Camp.
On The Map
L & P & All- FANTASTIC!! GO for It!! We are with you!! GOOOOO!!
GOOD ENERGY and LOVE TO YOU ALL!!
M & G
Posted by: Gretchen & Mike on 4/4/2013 at 9:33 pm
Awesome! Stay warm Bill.
Mike
Posted by: Mike M on 4/4/2013 at 4:23 pm
Difficult to find a long set of stairs that takes a full 2 minutes to climb. Is the time of exertion the most important piece of this exercise, or the amount of exertion per session that is important?
Posted by: Jason Stiles on 5/6/2015 at 9:49 am
Hi Steve,
This plan sounds like a good way to get some distance and elevation into your training routine. Check out some of the later weeks of Fit To Climb to see how the series proposes a set of similar workouts (Week 12: http://www.rmiguides.com/blog/2013/04/22/mountaineering_training_fit_to_climb_week_12, Week 13: http://www.rmiguides.com/blog/2013/04/29/mountaineering_training_fit_to_climb_week_13, Week 14: http://www.rmiguides.com/blog/2013/05/06/mountaineering_training_fit_to_climb_week_14).
As always, bring the necessary gear to be outside in a variety of conditions and have fun!
- The RMI Team
Posted by: RMI Expeditions on 7/7/2014 at 8:50 am
View All Comments