RMI Expeditions Blog
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
As we start the training process we want to decide how often to train, how hard to work, what type of activity to do, and for how long. A useful acronym is F.I.T.T. and it stands for Frequency, Intensity, Type and Time. We can use the F.I.T.T. principles to ensure our training provides the results we expect.
Frequency. The frequency of training is simply how often you train. For example, how often you complete your long hike or your strength training. My experience working with climbers and athletes is that in order to decide how often to train, it is best to look practically at our lifestyle and build the training in around work, family, and other important commitments. Most people can spend an hour or so on exercise most days of the week, with a larger amount of time on the weekends. The good news is that for most people this is enough. Training five days a week provides plenty of opportunity to build the fitness required for mountain climbing.
Intensity. Intensity can range from very easy to extremely hard. This can also be expressed as aerobic intensity and anaerobic intensity. In mountain climbing, the vast amount of activity is aerobic punctuated with shorter bursts of anaerobic activity. This can be reflected in the training plan. For example, longer hiking sessions will be performed at a lower intensity whereas shorter weekday sessions will be a chance to push hard and get the heart rate into the anaerobic range.
Type. A general theory of training is one of specificity. This means that the more closely aligned the type of training is to the actual activity, the more you will benefit. This is important for many climbers, especially if you live in areas with few hills to climb. Most of us will use alternate methods of training and we should make sure that we consider how closely the type of training mimics the actual climb. Hiking, of course, is perfect. A stairmaster or elliptical machines is good. Cycling uses similar muscles and energy systems. Although swimming, yoga, and basketball yield great conditioning benefits, these sports do not translate to climbing in the way that more similar activities do.
Time. Mountain climbing involves long days. It is common to climb for five to eight hours; summit days, such as on Mt. Rainier, often involve 14 to 18 hours of climbing. On these long climbs we generally break the day into segments of about an hour of climbing at a time. During your training a long day of hiking will progressively mimic a day on the mountain. Shorter mid-week training sessions of about an hour develop the habit of putting on a pack and being ready for any rigors the next hour of climbing presents.
Applying the F.I.T.T. principles is a good way of building out a training plan that covers all of our bases. A rough example of a well-balanced training week (in the building phase) could therefore look like this:
• Monday: Rest and Recovery
• Tuesday: Stairs
• Wednesday: Strength training
• Thursday: Short hike
• Friday: Rest and Recovery
• Saturday: 2 hour aerobic activity ie. cycling, hiking, or running
• Sunday: Half-day hike
This example is simply a guideline; everyone will have a slightly different approach to how they map out their training plan. Just as there are many routes to the summit of the mountain, there are many ways to develop a training plan. The important things are that your training plan contains the right balance of activities that develop the fitness and strength to be successful on the mountain. At the same time, the best training plans are ones that fit our lifestyle, are enjoyable, and therefore sustainable.
- 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.
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
To begin a conditioning plan for mountaineering, first establish the baseline of your current fitness level. This baseline allows you to compare your current strengths to what you’ll need on the climb. With this, we can compose a training plan that builds steady improvement between now and the day you set off for the mountains.
To illuminate the task ahead, and to build a plan, consider these questions:
• What are the physical requirements of the climb (ie. pack weight, number of days, hours spent each day)?
• How much time do I have before I climb?
• What are my fitness strengths?
• How much weight can I carry and for how long?
To determine the physical requirements of the climb, look to RMI’s office and website. RMI provides details on the equipment we will be carrying, the itinerary, and the duration of the climb.
How much time is there before the climb? Take out a calendar or a blank sheet of paper and consider how to fit in the three phases of training:
1. Beginning (adaptation)
2. Building
3. Peaking (the final preparation before the climb)
Assessing your fitness strengths with a visit to a qualified athletic trainer will help to quantify your current level of fitness. Or, visit a park and hike your favorite loop or trail with a weighted backpack to gain realistic insight into your capabilities. What I like about assessing the time and weight is that it is simple and you can do it today.
As we move ahead, I encourage you to think about whether you prefer to approach your training scientifically or intuitively. Do you prefer hiring a coach, or do you like to be your own coach? Both methods are successful - sometimes a combination is a nice way to go about it. Throughout training, I encourage you to be consistently aware of two important factors: How long can I go? How much can I carry? On the mountain, these two things really matter.
As an exercise for this week, set aside time to visit a park, sports stadium, or a local hiking area. See how it feels. The purpose of this session is not to push to a maximum effort but to simply experience how it feels to carry a pack up and down inclines.
My encouragement is to not do too much. The "safety first" rule applies to training as well as the mountains. Too much too soon can have a negative effect, or even risk an injury. If this is new to you... don’t feel overwhelmed if today you feel that you have a long way to go.
Two years ago in October, I trained with my friend Kim Porto. She had her sights set on climbing Mt. Rainier and trekking to Everest Base Camp during the following eighteen months. She had never hiked before. On day one, we walked stairs for twenty minutes with our running shoes and no pack. It was enough. From there, we mapped out a plan that steadily increased the training with hiking, stair work, and strength training. By steady training over the months ahead, Kim accomplished both her Rainier climb and her trek to Everest Base Camp.
Remember that moderation and consistency are the keys to success in building endurance!
- 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.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Posted by: Alex Van Steen, Jake Beren
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 9,127'
The final RMI EXPEDITIONS climb of our North Cascade’s season took place under excellent weather & high spirits. The three of us (RMI Guides Jake Beren and Alex Van Steen, with climber Jim Lumberg) enjoyed late season conditions. The chimneys, gullies and summit pyramid didn’t have an ounce of snow in them, making for absolutely fantastic & fun rock scrambling & climbing. On summit morning, we postponed our bid by an hour or two as rain threatened, but by the time we took off the skies were clearing and we enjoyed an improving day and stellar climbing.
RMI Guide Alex Van Steen
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
I'll never forget the day I decided to be a mountain climber. I was sixteen years old, sitting in a lecture hall at Edinburgh University - captivated by the slideshow being presented by the famous British Expedition Leader, Sir Chris Bonnington and his climbing partner Doug Scott. After it ended I got myself to the front and spoke to the man himself asking, "How do you begin to start to plan an expedition?"
"Just get your boots on, Lad", was the reply, accompanied by a larger-than-life grin and a firm handshake.
I had no response. However, that one comment led to many climbs the Scottish Highlands - and ultimately - onto years of expeditions, mountain climbing including a long stint as a guide. It's been a long and satisfying adventure so far!
I think that after the decision to climb Mt. Rainier or any other major mountain, there ought be a celebratory moment: a pause to mark the start of the preparation and to consider what the months ahead will look like. The climb may be a long way out, but the adventure starts now.
What are some considerations at this point? I recommend taking an inventory of the following:
- Time
- Equipment
- Fitness & Health
- Location & available resources
Time: What time do I have to train? Be realistic about how many hours per week and also consider any vacation time in the months ahead. Is there a day (or half day) each week you can devote to training? What can you do on a daily basis? Can you combine training and a commute? Walk to work with a pack? Ride a bike?
Equipment: Will you be renting or will you likely need some gear of your own? To begin your training, all you'll need now are shoes, boots, a backpack and workout/hiking clothes. And going forward, there'll be good time to experiment with socks, layering and other clothing. Depending where you live (anyone reading this from Chicago or the northern states?), you might get some good use of cold-weather gear this winter during your training.
Fitness & Health: In next week's blog post we'll discuss how to set a baseline. Now is a good time to think about your strengths and any areas you want to improve. In terms of health, this might be a good time to schedule an annual physical examination, to visit the dentist, to take a look at your overall diet, and to generally consider what your athletic lifestyle will look like going forwards.
Location and Available Resources: A climber can train for mountaineering anywhere. However, if you are living in Florida, stationed on a military base halfway around the world, or getting ready for a northern winter, some creativity and imagination will make things more successful. In terms of resources at hand, do you have access to hiking trails? Are there hills? Can you get to a gym or have access to a stair-master or elliptical machine? Do you have a place at home, work, or school where you can workout? Is there a local yoga class, training facility, spin class, or swimming pool? Do you even like any of these activities? Do you have a workout partner, a fitness coach, or a personal trainer?
We'll discuss program design over the next few weeks. For now, a little time considering all of the options available will spark your imagination as to what is going to work for you. I've always thought that the best fitness program is the one you actually do. Personally, I like to enjoy my training and I like there to be variety and somewhat of a social aspect to it all. You'll be putting in some hours and days of preparation over the months ahead and making it as fun and interesting as possible will boost results.
Your climb is months away, yet the adventure has already begun. Congratulations on getting started!
- 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.
I have some big mountaineering goals. I’m not sure how much training and fitness is necessary. I’m trading for Ironman Lake Tahoe as a way to get fit for mountaineering. Is doing this enough fitness?
I have asked this question here before. I still have not heard from anyone. I would hate to find out I don’t have enough fitness on the mountain.
Posted by: Will Beaubien on 2/9/2014 at 6:05 pm
Any opinions on CrossFit? I’m somewhat short on time and do this about four times a week. It’s fun. I also do a long endurance hike with weight 4+ hours once a week. I fight forest fires during the summer for the Forest Service and this is my off season training regime. I’m aiming to climb Rainier via the Kautz glacier or another similar route. Any suggestions for adding to or changing my training plan? Thanks!
Posted by: Tim on 10/13/2013 at 7:32 pm
Posted by: JJ Justman, Brent Okita
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
This morning the Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir team woke to this beautiful view at Camp Muir. After a week of training and a successful summit climb Brent Okita, JJ Justman and team wrap up our 2012 season here on Mt. Rainier.
Thank you to all who joined us for an adventure on Mt. Rainier this season. We hope to see you in the mountains soon!
It was great to share the experience with all of you.
-Steve
Posted by: Steve Bussolari on 9/30/2012 at 6:32 pm
Absolutely an amazing experience. Loved every minute on the seminar and climb.
Posted by: Brian Christianson on 9/29/2012 at 6:13 pm
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hello everyone.
We just had another wonderful day here in Tanzania!
Today we visited Tarangire National park that is home to more than 6000 elephants. So needless to say we saw plenty, in fact, they were everywhere we looked. We even had one cross the road just a few feet behind our vehicle and saw one about a week old that everyone wanted to bring home. We witnessed the usual suspects of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, antelope, a few lions and even managed to spot a cheetah enjoying a little shade beneath a tree.
Tomorrow will be our last day here. We'll make our way back through the park, take a quick shower at the Dik Dik lodge and then head to the airport. I'm sure the whole team is looking forward to getting home and sharing their stories and pictures from this astonishing adventure.
Thanks for following our team!
RMI GUIDE Casey Grom and Team
Thanks for the great write ups Casey- Sounds like a fantastic trip that will be in our future—
Posted by: Sterling & Sue F. on 9/27/2012 at 7:50 pm
Hiya Team!
I’m so glad you all got to see elephants and so many other cool animals! Love the pic of baby eli! Sooooo cute!!! Enjoy your last day at the awesome Dik dik resort. Drink a Kili or two for me. ;o) Cheers and safe travels back home!!!
- Cat
Posted by: Cat on 9/27/2012 at 5:50 pm
Posted by: Brent Okita, JJ Justman, Solveig Waterfall, Zeb Blais
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
On a perfect weather day, the Expeditions Skills Seminar - Muir team called in from the top of Mt. Rainier! RMI Guides Brent Okita and JJ Justman were happy to report 100% of the team reached the summit this morning! After spending some time reveling in the views and taking photos, the team began their descent at 9:30 a.m.
This marks RMI's last Mt. Rainier program for the 2012 season. Congratulations to all the summit climbers this season that we have had the pleasure of guiding to the highest point in Washington state!
Yay!! Congratulations to all! I am so delighted for you all! how awesome to have made it to the summit!!
Love,
sandy
Posted by: sandy on 9/27/2012 at 2:44 pm
Congratulations Steve and your whole team also. Looking forward to hearing all about your adventures.
Love, Dad & Pat
Posted by: Bob & Pat Bussolari on 9/27/2012 at 1:34 pm
Posted by: Brent Okita, JJ Justman, Solveig Waterfall, Zeb Blais
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,060'
RMI Guides Brent Okita and J.J. Justman are leading the Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir this week. The team hiked to Camp Muir on Monday and has spent several days training at the 10,060' camp. Today the team is receiving instruction on crevasse rescue techniques. The weather has been clear with warm temperatures. We hope the weather holds for their summit attempt tonight.
Good luck to the team!
hi . my name is mike . i am brand new to the area from georgia, and a through hiker of the appalachian trail, to my surprise these mountains are nothing like im used to ;) trying to find info about hiking rainer hopefully in the peak season of 2013 . any info or traing etc.. would be very helpfull. thanks . happy hiking
Posted by: mike harris on 1/11/2013 at 10:57 am
Wishing the team much success. A special SHOUT OUT to Phil Goss from the Trustmark Clan - we’re all rooting for ya’ Phil!
Posted by: Lorena Reyes on 9/27/2012 at 6:19 am
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike Walter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 9,127'
RMI Guides Mike Walter & Billy Nugent led their team to the summit of Mt. Shuksan today. The team enjoyed stellar views and a great climb. They will return to high camp for their final night in the mountains. They will descend to the trail tomorrow.
Congratulations to the team!
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Today we visited the famous Ngorongoro Crater. It's a 1.2 million year-old caldera full of wildlife trapped by the steep outer walls.
We saw more than our share of lions today! So close that the lions were literally under our vehicles. It was moderately hot and the lions cooled themselves in the shade of our cars. We also visited a working Masai village and were amazed at their simple yet hard life that they live.
The whole team had a wonderful day and are looking forward to even more safari tomorrow.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew
What an amazing adventure. Take lots of pictures. Love & hugs to the Mountains.
Posted by: Juli on 9/27/2012 at 6:02 am
Nice
Posted by: Jethro mark Baturi Agmilao on 3/21/2023 at 8:04 am
what is this…....fazool h
Posted by: dddddddds on 1/22/2022 at 1:15 am
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