RMI Expeditions Blog

My Favorite Training & What Worked I recently got to attempt my summit of Mt. Rainier.  Although we were not able to reach the summit because the route was impassable, I was in the best shape of my life and was able to reflect on all of my training, what worked, what didn’t, and what I enjoyed doing to train for the climb.   A lot of my training worked quite well to get me ready for my climb.  Here are a few of the exercises that worked best: Gym Stairs/Stepmill:  The stepmill became my best friend while at the gym prepping for Mt. Rainier.  It was very functional movement that would let me do interval training, side stepping, and long climbing durations. Versa climber:  The versa climber is an amazing cardio tool that I discovered at the ProClub in Bellevue. It serves as great cardio combined with functional movement and is very difficult to do for long periods of time.  This was one of my love/hate relationships at the gym given the benefit I took away from it. Running:  Running is something that I hate in this world… especially on a treadmill. I prefer hiking and getting outdoors.  However, I could not ignore the benefit that running gave me in general conditioning.  I tried to get outside as much as possible, cover distance, and put in hill/stair training while I was out to break up the monotony. Mountain Conditioning Course:  This was one of my favorite parts of training.  The ProClub in Bellevue offers a class twice a week that is solely focused on conditioning for hiking.  This class offered a social aspect to my training with people who were training for Mt. Rainier, the Enchantments, Everest Base Camp as well as others who had already summited Mt. Rainier.  This class offered circuit training, conditioning, and strength training all combined into functional movement. Hiking Hiking was one of the best things that I was able to incorporate into my training. What better way to train for a hike than hiking itself? The best part of my hiking training was the confidence in my abilities that some of these bigger hikes gave me once on Mt. Rainier. • Mailbox Peak: 6mi round trip, 3100’ elevation gain, 4800’ highest point • Colchuck Lake + Aasgard Pass: 11mi round trip, 4400’ elevation gain, 7841’ highest point Altitude Training at altitude was another key to feeling good on my summit attempt. I traveled to Colorado to bag some 14ers and did Camp Muir once. Knowing how the altitude would impact me and quickly learning the benefit of pressure breathing were key in my training. Colorado: A week before my climb I had the opportunity to go to Denver for work which provided me the chance to hike several peaks over 14,000’ and see what the altitude would do to me. Additionally, this gave me a chance to do back to back days of serious hikes to see how a climb to Muir followed by a summit day would be like. • Grays & Torreys: 8.25mi round trip, 3600’ elevation gain, 14270’ highest elevation • Quandry: 6.75 mi round trip, 3450’ elevation gain, 14265’ highest elevation Camp Muir: 10mi round trip, 4600’ elevation gain, 10000’ highest elevation I only climbed Camp Muir once during my training even though it was one of the best training hikes near Seattle. I did this for several reasons - first, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do that part of the route so that when my trip came I could approach it with confidence. Second, I did not want that route to turn into what the Tiger Mountain cable line trail had become to be - a dreaded training hike that was no longer fun (I was doing that trail twice a week for training). Backpacking: Pratt Lake: 11.5mi round trip, 3000’ elevation gain, 4200’ highest elevation Backpacking was a fun part of my training where I carried over-weight pack for an overnight and I was able to test out my gear and equipment while out in the field. This was a great opportunity to check out my pack, boots, and clothing to ensure they were the right fit and equipment for the summit attempt. Things I Wish I Had Done More There were a few things that after attempting my summit I wish I had done more of in my training routine: Hike more with full pack weight or an overweight pack: Carrying a 40 pound pack up the mountain and at elevation can start to tire even the most fit people. Training more with what that weight would feel like and just making it a part of every hike earlier on would have made a big difference. On each hike I did I would add in a decent amount of weight (25-30lbs) but only hiked at full weight once. Going back, I would have started with full weight much earlier in my training time and even gone overweight to help my body be stronger when I was at elevation. Hike at a steady pace for long durations: RMI does a great job at managing energy expenditure if you listen to their advice. One thing that our guide targeted was that no matter the difficulty of the terrain that our energy expenditure would be the same. For example, if it was flat we might move a bit faster but that would be the same energy required as slowly going up a steep part. In my training I found myself hiking for a bit and taking 15-30sec resting periods and continuing vs going for a hour and then breaking. Although my micro rests were very helpful and made me move very fast, they were not ultimately the slow steady pace I would need for alpine climbing. Looking back I would have tried to maintain steady paces/energy expenditures for the duration of my training hikes, taking scheduled breaks and pushing myself through the tough points where I traditionally took a micro break. All in all, all of my training was beneficial to the climb but there were definitely some things that helped more than others. I will make some tweaks to my training schedule before my next climb, and start carrying a heavier pack for training earlier. It is very important to invest in your training and start early because I saw more than one climber struggle with their fitness on the mountain. On a rope team, you are either an asset or a liability, and at the end of the day, all of your training is putting more fuel into your Mt. Rainier summiting fuel tank. So train hard and be an asset to your team - it only makes your climb better! - Jeff Marcoux _____ Jeff Marcoux is an avid hiker & lover of micro brews who lives with his wife in Seattle, WA. Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!

The Four Day Summit Climb Teams led by RMI Guides Leon Davis and Geoff Schellens were forced to turn around at 8,000' today en route to Camp Muir. The teams experienced wet and windy weather with low visibility. They made the tough decision to descend and return to Paradise. The teams arrived at Rainier BaseCamp just before 3 pm PT.

As planned, the climbing team was up at midnight and on the trail shortly after 1 AM. There were stars and a big bright moon, but plenty of clouds as well. It was tough to know just what we could expect in the weather department. Yesterday afternoon and evening had produced a couple of inches of new snow on the ground, starting just uphill from our camp. We set out walking in it. The best thing was that there was no wind. We made pretty good time, stopping roughly every hour to rest. Predictably, it was tough going. It was dark, unrelentingly steep, and progressively colder as we ascended. We were breaking altitude records for a number of the team. But we had extremely good and capable help from our guide team. Freddy Kileo's crew of Vendelin, Francis, Eliapenda and Kundasai, along with Oswald, really came through. Everyone felt challenged by the climb, but the team rallied in the face of all the difficulty and discomfort. We pulled up onto Stella Point on the crater rim just at sunrise, which was stunning. But at Stella, we also got hit with some pretty mean wind gusts. We pushed on toward Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, and conditions improved. We weren't alone up there on this beautiful day, but we weren't paying too much attention to other teams. There was excitement and pride in the fact that our entire team had made it to the top. We shot some happy pics and shook hands and hugged. Chris and Jeffrey Hendricks celebrated their one year anniversary on the summit. We didn't spend too long at 19,340 ft above sea level. It was cold and we wanted to get down to more abundant oxygen. Leaving the top at 7:30, we were back down to Barafu Camp by 10:30. We brunched, packed our bags and got on the trail again. In the course of the afternoon we dropped another 5,000 vertical feet to 10,000 at the Mweka Camp. We are back in the giant heather zone and looking forward to finishing the descent tomorrow. Best Regards RMI Guides Dave Hahn

On The Map

The Four Day Summit Climb September 19 - 22 led by RMI Guide Billy Nugent & the Five Day Summit Climb September 18 - 22 led by Zeb Blais were unable to reach the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning. The teams left Camp Muir en route to the summit but were forced to turn around at the top of Disappointment Cleaver (12,300') due to a cloud cap that was descending. The cloud cap brought limited visibility and increased winds. The teams returned to Camp Muir to rest and dry out. They began their descent from Camp Muir a little after 8 am en route for Paradise. We look forward to seeing the groups at Rainier BaseCamp later this morning.

RMI Expeditions, this is Dave Hahn with the Kilimanjaro climb. 100% of the team up on top of Uhuru, highest point in Africa! Beautiful day! Do you hear this team? [Shouts in the background.] Sunshine, blue sky, great friends, great team, nice and safe. We'll call you when we get back to camp. Thank you. RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

The Mt. Rainier Summit Climb led by Seth and Solveig Waterfall reached the summit at 7:00 this morning. The guides reported clear and cold weather conditions. After spending some time on the summit, the team began their descent at 7:45 a.m. We look forward to congratulating them back in Ashford at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon!

We were treated to a clear view of the upper mountain this morning, which was spectacular and short-lived. Thick clouds were forming by our 8:30 AM departure for high camp. We quickly got above the upper limit of any significant vegetation and so when the clouds came in close around us, there really wasn't much to see. Lava and pumice. We were on a great stairmaster, and so we patiently did our exercise. It took just 2.5 hours to climb the 2,000 vertical feet to Barafu ("ice" in Swahili) Camp. Timing was exquisite as persistent and heavy sleet began to fall. Our excellent support staff had built a fine camp for us to shelter in. We rested, ate, drank and got ready for our main event. We are in bed early and trying to manage our excitement for a midnight start to a big summit day. The sleet has quit and the stage is set. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Our first steps out of the Barranco Camp at 8:30 this morning brought us to the Great Barranco Wall. It can be an intimidating feature when seen from a distance as it appears to be just that... a wall. But there is a trail of ledges and handholds and well-worn steps over the lava outcroppings that can work just fine for scaling the wall. Our entire team was climbing well and strong and as it turned out, our main concern was traffic. It was rush hour on the wall. Hundreds of porters and climbers from other teams were all trying to squeeze through the ledges at the same time. Things eased by the halfway point as the crowd spread and we were able to concentrate on the big steps. We were up the wall in about an hour and onto much easier hiking. We'd enjoyed some pretty decent views upward toward Kilimanjaro's main peak earlier in the day, but we were still seeing nothing below but a sea of clouds. Gradually we came to be under a giant umbrella of cloud centered on the summit. It was a relatively short time before we dropped into the Karanga Valley and climbed out its steep opposite side to walk into Karanga Camp. We are all getting into a pretty smooth routine now of breaking camp, climbing and then moving into new camps. We sheltered in our tents for some light afternoon rain showers, and were happy to come together in the roomy dining dome for afternoon tea and dinner. Partial clearing after dinner allowed great views of the lights of Moshi, glowing far below. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir September 15 - 19 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and JJ Justman reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today. Brent reported a beautiful day with no winds and blue skies all around. The team will conclude their week on the mountain tomorrow. We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp tomorrow afternoon.

Early risers at Shira Camp witnessed a giant moon setting out near Mount Meru to our west this morning. We still had views of the upper flanks of Kilimanjaro when we went to breakfast, but by the time we hit the trail, the great cliffs and glaciers were cloaked in cloud. We marched upward on a low angled and broad ridge. Gradually the plants got smaller and smaller until there were hardly any of note by our high point at the Lava Tower. We endured a short sleet storm near the 14,900' pass, but that did not keep us from pushing on and breaking altitude records for a number of our team members. Then we began a steady descent into the Barranco Valley. Clouds let loose a ten minute rain shower on us and kept us guessing about the steep contours above. We could just see hints of ice and crazily angled rock up above. Below we could see a magical valley of Dr. Seuss style plants unfolding. Giant Senecios and Lobelias abounded. We were in our new home and safely in the tents at 13,000' before the next rain showers commenced. The late afternoon and evening blended together as a damp fog settled over our Barranco tent village. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map