Dear friends, family and colleagues: we are happy to get back in touch with you. Before all, we would like to apologize for the lack of communication of the last 10 days, but unfortunately, we were the most frustrated with that issue. Our satellite phone decided not to cooperate with our solar panel, and recharging the battery was an impossible task. Being the last team this season on the mountain, we could not borrow any other means of communication and we understand the worries this might have caused. But this is what being in the Himalayas brings to all of us...
That said, we are eager to announce that entire team is back safe in Kathmandu after having reached the SUMMIT ON THE CENTRAL SUMMIT OF SHISHAPANGMA at 8013metres!!!!
On Oct.11th, Bridget, Jake, Geoff and Elias reached the central summit in the mid afternoon, on a warm and cloudless day, after having followed the NW ridge for several hours from C3 (Elias and Bridget) at 7450m and from C2.5 (Geoff and Jake) at 7100m. The next day, Oct 12th, Eric and Leon, who had made shelter in C3 the previous day, started strong towards the summit. Leon reached the summit hours later, having Eric turning around well above 7600m in a wise and mature decision that honors this young, strong and smart climber, since his cold toes were not warming up in those early hours and up there you are the mercy of the temperatures.
Two days later, the entire team was reunited at Base Camp, from were we would proceed to do several back-carries to clear our gear and trash from anywhere below C1 at 6400m. After another day of rest and packing, we initiated our descent towards the trail head, also called Chinese Base Camp, were we arrived yesterday, the 16th. We were picked up by our truck (who learned about our arrival by a paper note sent down 2 days earlier with a yak shepherd) which would take us to the town of Nyalam, just a few Kilometers away from the Tibetan-Nepali border, to spend the night. This morning (Oct 17th) we made it into Nepal not without a couple small issues at the border and multiple traffic stops en-route to our hotel in Kathmandu, due to the heavy tourist season in the area. Is close to midnight here, so I will stop writing, but we will send you a good recap of the entire expedition soon.
Again, thanks to all of you for your support, your interest and the good vibrations sent. Best regards.
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
We've come to the inescapable conclusion that Everest summit for 2015 is out of reach for our team. Besides the rather obvious and glaring philosophical difficulties of pursuing a recreational venture in the midst of a national -and local- disaster, there are the on-the-ground mountaineering realities that will not permit us to look upward again. We have no viable route through the Khumbu Icefall and the Earth is still shaking. We couldn't think of asking anyone to put themselves at the risk required for re establishing that route under such circumstances. The effort at this advanced stage of the season would normally be focused on building a route to Camp 4 rather than to Camp 1, nobody will be able to say when the aftershocks will end, but it will -without a doubt- be too late for fixing the upper mountain and stocking camps before the normal advance of the monsoon.
We'll put our efforts into an organized and safe retreat from the mountain. Nobody harbors illusions that travel in this stricken and damaged country will be simple, but we'll head for home now in any case.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Your shining example amid tragedy for the second time in 24 months make me proud to have been associated with RMI…You help all understand how to be w-i-t-h the mtn as well as o-n it, and more importantly to be with others, inhabitants as well as climbers.
Best + God bless JJ and team. Waltero
BRIEFING
This week, we're loading up your pack with another ten to fifteen pounds of weight. Your ultimate target weight will be 35 to 45 pounds, depending on your individual gear. The added pack weight takes you a big step closer to that goal of preparing for your climb. A side benefit of increasing the amount of gear in your backpack is learning how to pack your gear like a pro! Check out RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer's packing tips for some insights on how to pack a backpack for climbing!
Since day one of Fit To Climb, you've been practicing squats, lunges and other core exercises which are building your upper and lower body strength. This is a great time to focus on your technique, especially for squats (see Fit to Climb: Week 3 for a refresher on proper technique).
This week, you’ll also increase the stair training workout to 60 minutes, pushing it into the “very hard” workout territory. The strength workout is twice as long as when you started; you’ll be doing 4 sets of the 8 exercises. In this week’s workouts you’ll notice that you’re building muscle endurance, indicated by your ability to make repeated efforts with less fatigue.
DESCRIPTIONS OF WORKOUTS
Day 1: Rainier Dozen + Easy Hiking (30 Minutes)
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 2: Rainier Dozen + Stair Interval Training (60 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 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: Strength Circuit Training x 4
Repeat the strength circuit training workout introduced in Week 3. After warming up, perform four sets of the following exercises:
• Steam Engine
• Push Up
• Three Quarter Squat
• Russian Twists
• Lunge
• Steam Engine Laying down
• Mountain Climber
• 8 Point Bodybuilder
Spend 40 seconds performing the exercises, and take 20 seconds between exercises to rest and rotate. Take a full minute of rest between each set. Take a full minute of rest between each set. Take ten minutes to cool down by stretching after you’re done.
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. Listen to your body as to what activity sounds appropriate and have fun with it.
Day 7: 3 Hour Hike
Adding a pack with 15 pounds doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re not used to wearing a pack, it’s quite normal to experience tiredness or muscle ache, especially in the shoulders. If you feel a sharp pain, you should stop. However, if what you feel is muscle fatigue or an ache, do persevere and your shoulders will become used to the pack over the next few weeks.
An organizational aspect to this workout is to practice packing your pack so that the needed gear is easy to accessible, weather proofed and packed in a way that is balanced. Nothing wears you down like a poorly-organized, lop-sided pack.
Practically, if you have been acquiring gear for your climb, you could use it for ballast. If you don't have the specific items that you're climbing with, yet, you can be creative by adding heavy items such as water and bags of rice, or even spare clothes. A tip for anyone who is worried about knee pain on the descent: carry a jug of water to achieve the desired weight on the way up (15lbs = ~1.8 gallons of water). At the high point of the hike you can dump out some, or all, of this water so that you can descend with a lighter load and lessen the strain on your body.
- 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.
For the stair interval training, the comments say to climb at a consistent pace for 40-50 minutes. the link however says to do 3-4 intervals of 2 minutes at high intensity. Which is it? thanks.
Posted by: Phil on 9/19/2016 at 7:31 am
With regard to a previous article on the benefits of using trekking poles on the climb of Rainier, how does one coordinate the use of two poles with an ice ax?
RMI Guide Dave Hahn summits Mt. Everest for a Record Thirteenth Time. On May 20th, 2011, Dave Hahn, Linden Mallory and their Sherpa team stood on the summit of Mt. Everest on a clear and beautiful day. Congratulations!
The team has safely returned to Everest Base Camp.
Congratulations to everyone. I was disappointed that Sara and her dad didn’t summit but she has a whole lifetime to try again. I’m glad you’re back to Base Camp.
Posted by: Sue Eilers on 5/23/2011 at 7:02 am
Hi Dave….and hi there LINDEN! Congrats to Dave on #13…but a special high five to Linden for #1 on Everest. Very happy for you.
Steve from Team Kuwaz- Kilimanjaro
Posted by: Steve di Costanzo on 5/23/2011 at 5:28 am
Testing your fitness from time to time is a great way to gauge improvement and to take the opportunity to find your limits. A fitness test acts as a measurement of overall fitness as well as specific core muscle endurance and agility. A test like this should be repeated several times during your training so that you can measure your progress. It’s not the individual results from the test that provide information, it’s the change between results that tells you of your progress. Complete the fitness test, write down your results, and then try it again in a few weeks to see how much you’ve progressed.
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.
In our Seattle based ‘Fit To Climb’ workouts we use a custom version of a military fitness test that can be done during a short workout. The test consists of a ‘timed run’ - we suggest a mile (if you don’t like to run, then walking is perfect) - followed by a strength test with 4 exercises designed to gauge your upper-body strength, core strength, leg strength, and agility.
After a good ten-minute warm-up followed by the Daily Dozen, or similar exercises, 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, 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. If you do this with a partner, you can rest while counting their repetitions—along with 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 4 minutes of rest
2. Steam Engines on Back: 2 minutes, followed by 4 minutes of rest
3. 3/4 Squats: 2 minutes, followed by 4 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 the number of times you complete one leg.
• For an explanation of strength exercises see the Daily Dozen.
• A tip: Break the 2 minutes into 30-second segments, it’ll help you maintain a steady pace.
Is it hard? It really is! Two minutes may not sound like a lot but your body will know it is working hard! I suggest you record your scores and do the test each month during your training.
- 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.
Very interesting, good job and thanks for sharing such a good blog. Your article is so convincing that I never stop myself to say something about it. You’re doing a great job. Keep it up
Posted by: Alisha Donnelley on 4/29/2018 at 7:40 am
Hi,
I signed up for a Mt. Rainier climb in September. The skills course - Muir.
I’ve been reading through the blog/emails that was forwarded to me. For the one above, you describe the run, and the four strength tests for testing your fitness, but you don’t give gauges of fitness levels (e.g. if you can do x pushups in 2 minutes, then you’re at y% of the goal, etc.)
Where can these be found? Otherwise, how do you know if you’re at, below or above the required fitness?
Hello from Everest Base Camp,
I spoke with Dave and Melissa at Camp 3 and WOW did they sound great!
The climbing team left Camp 2 early this morning under perfect conditions. As they periodically checked in it sounded like they were truly enjoying the climb and taking pictures when possible. As you can imagine, under harsh weather there isn't time to enjoy the mountain and the views.
Our super Sherpa team started a bit earlier and set up tents at Camp 3 then returned back to Camp 2 to spend the night. The equipment that had been brought up there weeks ago was all intact and the team was able to pull into a well provisioned home for the night. Last I heard Melissa was kicking Dave's you know what in the stove boil off competition for dinner, Go Melissa Go!
As this climb is quickly coming to it's conclusion, and a day like today that can be so pivotal in the future success I get so excited with this good luck. Not that these tough individuals wouldn't meet the challenge of wind, cold and snow. I just like the way it is shaping up.
The weather forecast is still looking good with winds decreasing over the next few days. You have to love that!
The Sherpa team will get out of Camp 2 early tomorrow morning and the climbing team will try and have a seamless hand off of some gear to them from Camp 3, check out time should be around 6:00 am. Then the whole team should climb together up to high camp the South Col, getting there midday, that should allow enough time for rest and preparation for early departure toward the summit that night.
RMI Guide & Everest Base Camp Manager Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in from Camp 3 on Mt. Everest.
Our thoughts are with our friends at Alpine Ascents and with the family and relatives of the guides and climbers involved in the climbing accident on Mt. Rainier. The climbing community is tightly knit and we feel the loss deeply. Our sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to all of those involved.
Please join the climbing community for a memorial service for Eitan Green and Mathew Hegeman:
Saturday, June 21, 2014 | 3 - 5 pm
The Mountaineers | 7700 Sandy Point Way NE | Seattle, WA 98115
- The RMI Team
My heartfelt condolences. A painful and poignant reminder that these professionals only make climbing LOOK easy and without risk.
Posted by: Danny Bobrow on 6/17/2014 at 2:04 pm
God Bless those who were taken “home” during this part of their life’s journey. May peace come to the family and friends of all.
Please forgive the commercialism attached to this ... but i simply cannot think of a better song for those who were called to ... and from ... the mountain !!!!!
There are several terms in training articles that get thrown around in confusing ways: aerobic threshold, lactate threshold, anaerobic threshold, aerobic capacity, VO2 Max, anaerobic capacity, and functional threshold power or pace. Many of these terms have definitions that are quite similar to each other, with minute differences that matter in the field of sports science, but are basically equivalent for athletes training. These terms all fit into three main categories that are important for us to understand as endurance athletes.
Aerobic threshold (AeT)
The aerobic threshold is defined as the intensity of exercise at which lactate levels in the blood begin to rise from their baseline. Lactate accumulation indicates that the metabolic pathways that are fueling our muscles with energy have begun to shift to a combination of aerobic and anaerobic mechanisms, and if the intensity that we are working at stays the same, or increases, lactate will continue to build. This is in effect an endurance limiter. Aerobic capacity is essentially the same term – it refers to the amount of work that can be performed before the athlete reaches their AeT.
Lactate Threshold (LT)
Lactate Threshold is the level of intensity at which lactate in the blood reaches 4 millimoles/liter. This is a tiny amount and is something that requires a blood test during exercise in a lab to determine. The more useful definition for athletes is that it is the intensity at which lactate production exceeds its removal. This is also the defining line above which, exercise can only be sustained at that intensity for short periods of time before fatigue and slowing set in. Consider this the upper-end limit to endurance. While the definitions are slightly different, this is essentially the same thing as Anaerobic Threshold (AnT) anaerobic capacity, and functional threshold. They all refer to the point at which the metabolic pathways switch to a primarily anaerobic pathway that burns glycogen (carbohydrates), and the ability to sustain that intensity will be limited.
VO2 Max
VO2 Max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can utilize for energy during an all-out effort that is well above their AnT. Theoretically, the better your body is at delivering oxygen to where it needs to go, and the better adapted your muscle cells are to exercise, the more oxygen they will be able to utilize to make ATP (energy) and the more energy they will have to do work. Sounds simple enough right? VO2 Max has been a big focus in endurance sports for a long time, partly because it is easily quantifiable. However, ask elite coaches, such as those at Uphill Athlete, and they will tell you that VO2 Max doesn’t correlate very well to performance, and seems largely determined by genetics. Athletes for decades spent considerable effort training to increase their VO2 max, but recent studies suggest that that time would be better spent increasing the aerobic threshold.
Why do these terms matter? One dispels a popular myth related to training (VO2 Max), while the other two are the categories where we as athletes have the greatest abilities to affect our metabolic and motor pathways to achieve better performance. The balance of aerobic threshold and lactate threshold training that we do as we prepare for a large climb will determine how we perform. We’ll be diving into these two topics in more depth in the coming weeks so stay tuned!
_____
There are several great resources that provide a lot more information on these topics. For this article, we pulled from Joe Friel’s blog and from the recent book, Training for the Uphill Athlete, from the folks at Uphill Athlete. We can’t recommend the book enough if you are serious about training for endurance mountain sports!
Comments? Questions? Share your thoughts here in the comments!
BRIEFING
To be honest, there is no way you can improve your fitness this week. Instead, the purpose of this week’s workouts is to simply allow your body to move, feel the benefit of some light exercise, and manage the stress of the upcoming climb. If any day this week you would rather not exercise at all, you should make that choice. Your top priority is being well rested and prepared by the end of the week!
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: Rainier Dozen + Stair Interval Training (60 Minutes)
You are cutting the volume of this workout by 50%. You should also cut the intensity by the same amount. You've been training for 16 weeks and will be working hard on the mountain. You do not want to feel your legs burning in this workout and you certainly don't want to deplete your energy stores. Just get out, have fun, celebrate your last stair workout, and maybe head to a nice restaurant with friends and savor the opportunity to eat with a knife and fork off a real plate.
Warm up for about 10 minutes, and then climb up and down a set of stairs, at a consistent pace, for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool down with some stretching.
Day 3: Rest / Travel Day
Today may be a long travel day for you. If you're traveling by air, be sure to plan ahead to maintain your nutrition intake, paying attention especially to your hydration. If you don't have to travel, consider today a bonus rest day.
Day 4: The Climb Begins!
SUMMARYMt. Rainier is a tough climb no matter what amount of preparation you have managed to put in. Remember that all of the training you’ve put in up to this point is just getting you to the trailhead. From here, it’s all about managing the challenges of the mountain as best you can in order to preserve your strength and energy through the entire climb. In the mountains the little things add up: keeping yourself at a comfortable temperature and eating and drinking continuously throughout the day will help you arrive into camp feeling good and with energy to spare. Conversely, ignoring that hot spot on your foot and not taking the time to pull out a snack at a break can mean that by the end of the day you’re dealing with blisters and running out of energy. You know how to manage all of these little things after the training hikes you’ve already completed - carry these habits through to the climb!
And most of all: have fun! Mt. Rainier is a beautiful climb and an unforgettable adventure - enjoy the experience!
Good luck and safe climbing!
- 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.
Congrats Jake, Geoff, and the rest of the team! Hope you post some more photos…
Posted by: Quinn L. on 10/20/2011 at 3:15 pm
Congrats!!! Jake, I just need to know if you skied down???
Vince Vilasi
Posted by: Vince on 10/19/2011 at 7:17 pm
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