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RMI Expeditions Blog


RMI Guide Mike King Takes in Avalanche Level 2 Training in Oregon

AAIRE Avalanche Level 2 with Wallowa Alpine Huts There has not been any recent snow accumulation in the last week leading up to my course. I am hoping to see characteristics of an intercontinental snowpack, only time will tell. The drive into the Wallowa Mountains in Eastern Oregon is flat with Oregon’s “Little Switzerland” rising out of the horizon. The temperature is in the single digits and the sky is clear. Re-crystallized snow, I think to myself, could mean good ski touring. Through out the course the weather stayed cold and clear, which allowed our group to tour in several different areas digging snow pits and discussing travel techniques from a guide’s perspective. For me the most compelling aspect was comparing our morning observations, forecast and trip plan with what was actually happening in the field area. Our instructors, Lee and Mike stressed the need to hone our snow test skills to perform instability tests with accuracy and detail. I leave the course with one phrase embedded in my subconscious, “does this slope have the propensity to propagate?” All I can do is continue digging and looking at snow, at least there is no shortage of that as a mountain guide. RMI Guide Mike King
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Mexico Volcanoes: Team at Altizmoni Hut on Ixta

Hello everyone! The Mexico Team is officially at the lower hut on Ixta. The morning started out in style with a terrific buffet breakfast at La Mission Hotel and Spa. I love sitting in that restaurant sipping coffee overlooking a waterfall. After we had our fill we did a last minute grocery shop and then we made our way to the mountain. It is always flattering when the team says tonight was the best dinner yet. Carne asada, fresh sautéed veggies, black beans on top of cheese on fresh corn tortillas. The team is doing great and we are prepared to head on up to high camp tomorrow. RMI Guide JJ Justman

On The Map

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This is Kevin’s wife… Your March 4 breakfast and dinner sounds fabulous. Kevin said he would be roughing it, but now I think he’s really on a spa vacation with Bill.

Posted by: Lynn Larson on 3/5/2013 at 5:10 am


Mountaineering Training | Fit To Climb: Week 5

Fit to Climb: Week 5 Schedule
DAY WORKOUT TOTAL TIME DIFFICULTY
1 Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min) 42 min. Medium
2 Rainier Dozen / Stair Interval Training (50 min) 62 min. Hard
3 Rainier Dozen / Rest 12 min. Recovery
4 Rainier Dozen / Strength Circuit Training x 3 46 min. Hard
5 Rainier Dozen / Rest 12 min. Recovery
6 Rainier Dozen / Cross Training (1 hr) 72 min. Hard
7 Rainier Dozen / Hike (3 hrs) 192 min. Medium
Total 6 hrs 18 mins
BRIEFING   This week's training plan looks very similar to last week’s. The day of your fitness test reverts back to your choice of cross-training. On day 7, the length of the hike increase by about an hour or lengthened about two miles. The primary training goal this week is to begin to extend your aerobic endurance, which you’ll achieve by the increase in length of the hike.    Adding an hour may seem like a small increment; but you are going from a medium length hike to a longer one requiring a fairly substantial effort.   There are several subtle but important things to consider as you increase the length of your hike. One of the biggest ones is energy consumption. Many people can do a two hour hike without any special preparation, and you'll probably have enough energy to complete it just fine. However, to be successful maintaining energy throughout a three hour hike, you'll want to be diligent in preparing, specifically with nutrition, to make sure you have enough fuel in your body for the entire hike. Be sure to pack enough snacks to keep you fueled for the entire time!    You'll also want to consider what you carry in your day pack. On a two hour hike, you may never be more than an hour from the parking lot. As you go further out, this creates additional consideration for self-responsibility and risk management. You'll want to make sure you have the ten essentials in your pack and also have an emergency plan in case a mishap should occur. This includes letting people know where you're going, and/or also hiking with other people.   SUMMARY   Week five can be a positive breakthrough, the week where many people feel a demonstrable increase in their fitness. Often-times, the thing which people notice is an increased aerobic capacity; you simply can do more without getting out of breath. Some people also report feeling stronger. All of this makes sense. If you've done all the workouts, you'll have logged 25 solid days of training. This amounts to 25 improvement cycles! As long as you're practicing good self care, you can't help but feel stronger.    It's important to acknowledge the progress and perhaps celebrate in some way. You should feel confident about what you're doing; you've made significant gains and the foundation you're building at this point will result in greater gains still as the next few weeks unfold! - 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.
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What a Russian Twist. Did I miss something? Also, on the stair interval training, do you recommend doing that with a weighted pack, or not?

Posted by: Linda McMillan on 3/11/2013 at 1:47 pm


Mexico’s Volcanoes: Team Makes Acclimatization Hike

Breakfast came early this morning at the BW Majestic Hotel, located in the heart of the world's second largest city. By 7 am the group was assembled on the Majestic's top floor where the restaurant is located and to our surprise, we could clearly make out the glaciated peak of Ixta far out to the south. This was indeed confirmation that Mexico really does possess snow and ice. A fact most North Americans are unaware of. With our excitement clearly building we loaded the waiting van and headed straight to- oh ya! Wal Mart. Yup, glaciers and Wal Mart, these go hand in hand on successful mountain climbing trips. After we saved a bunch of pesos on today's everyday low price, we gunned it to La Malinche where we moved promptly into our dorm style cabanas and motivated for our first acclimating hike up the flanks of La Malinche itself. With the summit laying a hop skip and jump out of our reach, the team took its final rest break at 13,700 feet and quickly descended. Nothing better to toughen one up! We are now off to dinner and preparations for tomorrow's move to Ixta. Team Orizaba out. RMI Guides JJ Justman & Adam Knoff

On The Map

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Thanks for the video. Cute dogs. Do they live up there or someone bring them with?

Posted by: Kris on 3/4/2013 at 6:03 pm

Hey team Orizaba! Bill’s wife here. Glad to hear it’s going well. Good luck on Ixta! I teach 4th graders and am showing my class your blogs.

Posted by: Kris Westberg on 3/4/2013 at 10:19 am


Mountaineering Training | Answers to Common Questions from Fit To Climb

Below are some answers to help to common questions that we receive regarding the Adventx Fit To Climb Program: How do I complete the Stair Intervals? First, find a set of stairs. They can be outdoors, indoors, at a stadium or even a stairmaster or eliptical trainer at the gym. Warm up with steady walking for 10 - 15 minutes. Then make repeated high intensity efforts - about 2 minutes is a good length of time (this may mean two or more flights/sets if your stairs are short). In between efforts, rest for 2 - 3 minutes until you can breathe comfortably before starting again. If you are new to interval training, start with 3 or 4 efforts. Don't worry about your performance level today as you'll see gains as the weeks progress. The 40 minutes is an average time frame, the amount of time it will actually take you depends on the number of efforts you put in. Be sure to allow 10 minutes to cool down at an easy pace. What is a Turkish Get Up (from the Rainier Dozen)? Steve Cotter offers a great instructional video on the Turkish Get Up using a variation I find very helpful for climbers in building strength for the big steps often found on climbs. Using a kettle ball or additional weight, as demonstrated in the video, is optional depending on how challenging this exercise is for you. See the video below. Be sure to complete the exercise on both your left and right sides. How do I complete the Timed Run? The Timed Run (or walk) is a benchmark that allow you to see progress over the sixteen weeks. When not setting benchmarks, it's easy to 'feel' fitter, or even less fit, at times. The Timed Run is a timed effort over a short distance that allows you to see tangible gains. You can choose your actual distance, I suggest about 1 mile, four circuits of an athletic field or the perimeter of a city park - but it can be any moderate distance that you choose and can follow again over the coming weeks. The Timed Run also acts as an improvement target, providing focus for this workout. What is the Fitness Test all about? In Fit To Climb we'll do the test every four weeks to act as a measurement of overall fitness as well as specific core muscle endurance and agility. The repeated test is designed to show progress and these sessions should also be fun. Be sure to record your results from this week's test and we can compare them to the results of the next test. As with all training, there should be an emphasis on safety and self care. Push your limits but don't place undue stress or strain on your body. Rather than go all out, try to nudge your results forward in a controlled and sensible way, much like a successful mountain climb. I don’t have the time or the right terrain to fit in all of the training! There is no doubt about it, the Fit To Climb Program is a demanding training routine and asks for a significant investment of time. Additionally, ideal training takes place on terrain that can replicate the demands of the mountains. Finding both the time and the terrain to fit in all of your training is a difficult task. Check out our Time and Terrain Tips for Mountaineering Training, a collection of ideas, suggestions, and tips that our guides and climbers have used over the years to get the most out of your training. Be creative with the time and terrain you have available! Additionally, consider alternate activities like cycling to get your workouts in, see Cycling for Mountaineering Training for more ideas. -John Colver 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. Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts with John and other readers on the RMI Blog! You can read the past Weekly Mountaineering Training Series on the RMI Blog.
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Regarding the stair climbing interval training, would it be acceptable to use a steep hill as a substitute for stairs? Where I live there are several nice long steep hills that would be perfect for running, but no long flights of stairs.

Posted by: Rob on 3/6/2018 at 7:37 am

Any specific exercises you would recommend for the strength circuit training? I have an elliptical at home but no weight set to use. Are there some weight-free or gym-free strength circuits I can use as supplement?

Thanks,
Greg

Posted by: Greg Duncan on 1/12/2016 at 8:34 am


Mountaineering Training | Fit To Climb: Week 4

By the end of this week you’ll be a quarter of the way through Fit To Climb! This week’s should be familiar, except we will add a Fitness Test on Day 6. Fit to Climb: Week 4 Schedule
DAY WORKOUT TOTAL TIME DIFFICULTY
1 Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min) 42 min. Medium
2 Rainier Dozen / Stair Interval Training (40 min) 52 min. Hard
3 Rainier Dozen / Rest 12 min. Recovery
4 Strength Circuit Training x 2 38 min. Hard
5 Rainier Dozen / Rest 12 min. Recovery
6 Rainier Dozen / Cross Training (1 hr) 72 min. Hard
7 Hike (3 hrs) 182 min. Medium
Total 6 hrs 46 mins
FITNESS TEST In Fit To Climb we’ll do the test every four weeks to act as a measurement of overall fitness as well as specific core muscle endurance and agility. The repeated test is designed to show progress and these sessions should also be fun. Be sure to record your results from this week’s test and we can compare them to the results of the next test. As with all training, there should be an emphasis on safety and self care. Push your limits but don’t place undue stress or strain on your body. Rather than go all out, try to nudge your results forward in a controlled and sensible way, much like a successful mountain climb. Complete the Fitness Test as follows: After a good ten-minute warm-up followed by the Rainier Dozen, first do the timed run. Go at a speed that feels like an intense effort. Record your time. Then, rest for 5 minutes by gently walking or just pacing slowly back and forth. For the strength test portion, find an area that has a solid, level, and soft surface. Grass is perfect but you can also do this indoors if you prefer. During this test, you will perform four exercises for 2 minutes each, with 3 minutes of rest between each exercise. For the first three exercises, the goal is to count the number of perfect repetitions you can complete in 2 minutes. For a reminder on good form for these exercises, refer to the Rainier Dozen post (Week 3). If you do this with a partner, you can rest while counting their repetitions—along with providing encouragement! For the fourth exercise, the Shuttle Run, simply time yourself. Write down your scores for each test. Perform the strength test as follows:
1. Push-ups—2 minutes, followed by 3 minutes of rest 2. Steam Engines on Back—2 minutes, followed by 3 minutes of rest 3. 3/4 Squats—2 minutes, followed by 3 minutes of rest 4. 20-yard Shuttle Run—Set up your shuttle run course with some cones or water bottles. If you aren’t sure of measurement use 25 normal paces as a guide. Run back and forth between your markers for 2 minutes, counting each loop as one.
- 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.
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Hi Dan,

Good question. According to John Colver’s Fit To Climb book the timed run part of the fitness test should be a distance of 1 mile.

-The RMI Team

Posted by: Lacey Meadows on 3/26/2018 at 2:04 pm

Just wondering about the timed run part of the fitness test.  It doesn’t note any particular distance to run & record a time.  Is there any particular suggestion, or rather should we run a distance at an intense effort until we cannot go any further, record that time, and then run the same distance to compare during a future test?

Thanks,
Dan.

Posted by: Dan on 3/26/2018 at 10:57 am


Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Wrap Up Their Safari at Tarangire National Park

Today we visited Tarangire National Park, home to more elephants per square mile than any place on earth. No luck with the leopard or cheetah today, but we did see plenty of lions and elephants. We even managed to rescue another party who got their 4x4 stuck in the river. We'll finish the trip off with one last night here in Africa listening to the sounds of nature in a tented camp that sits along the Tarangire River. The last three days have been a great way to relax after all the effort to climb Kili and everyone has had a great time. Tomorrow we'll head back to Arusha and catch our long flights home. Thanks for following! RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
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Kilimanjaro: Game viewing at the Ngorongoro Crater

Today the team visited the famous 2 million year old Ngorongoro Crater. A steep walled caldera that is home to The Big 5. We only saw 4 today and are hoping to see the last (leopard) tomorrow. It's quite surreal riding around in our Toyota Land Cruisers looking at all these beautiful animals in their natural habitat. On the way back to our lodge we stopped off at a working Maasai village to take a look at their semi-nomadic lifestyle. Everyone is having a great time! RMI Guide Casey Grom
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Mt. Rainier: Ski Mountaineering Seminar a Success!

RMI Guides Tyler Reid, Sean Collon and a team of clients spent the last five days learning the art of Ski Mountaineering. The team explored Mount Rainier's incredible winter snowpack and accessible but challenging technical terrain. The team spent the days on the mountain learning and practicing a variety of ski specific technical skills. The trip culminated with an ascent to Camp Muir (10,060') and the team will enjoy an exciting 5,000' ski descent today.
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Kilimanjaro: Safari to Lake Manyara

Our first day on safari brought us to Lake Manyara. A small national park that borders Lake Manyara known for its tree climbing lions. The team spent about four hours driving around the park and saw an abundant amount of wildlife. Elephants (so close at time we could almost touch them), giraffe, zebra, hippos, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, hundreds of baboons and lots of other monkeys. Everyone had a great day and enjoyed just relaxing while taking in the views. To top the day off we arrived at our home for the next two days at an amazing lodge called Ngorogoro Lodge. The team just finished a wonderful meal and are off to bed. Enjoying the icing on the cake, so to speak! RMI Guide Casey Grom and Crew
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