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The advice “show up in the best shape of your life” can mean very different things for different people. People from all sorts of different backgrounds come to Mt. Rainier for an adventure and they can all have great success, but it helps to know what you are training for. For an Ironman triathlete, perhaps it isn’t so much about showing up in the best shape of their life, but in the right shape: the physical demands of mountaineering can be very different than those of a triathlon. For someone venturing into the mountains for the first time, building overall aerobic fitness and core strength may be the focus.

 

Numbers that help to understand the climb:

17,982’ (5480m) of total elevation gain and loss

21 hours on our feet

45-55 lbs of weight potentially in your pack (pack weights do decrease for summit day)

30,000+ steps up and down (no one has ever actually counted them all for us)

2/3 roughly the amount of oxygen available to us at the summit versus sea level.

36 hours in which to do all this (*four day summit climb)

 

First off, aerobic fitness: For most, summit day on Mt. Rainier will be far and away the longest period of sustained exertion that they have ever done. A typical summit day involves 15 to 16 hours on our feet; as a general guideline that includes an hour of packing and prep, 10 hours of climbing to the summit and back to Camp Muir, an hour of packing and recovery at Muir, and 3 more hours down the Muir Snowfield. Even though the overall pace of our movement is slow, the sheer amount of time on our feet and moving adds up to be exhausting. Now consider that the previous day, the team spent 5 or 6 hours climbing to Camp Muir, and then got maybe 6 hours of somewhat fitful sleep prior to waking for the summit push. Having a deep aerobic base is the only way to be able to push through all these hours, and consequently, the bulk of your training should focus on this realm.

 

Recovery from anaerobic spurts: While 99.5% of the climb is accomplished in that zone of aerobic endurance, there are small sections of increased effort. It may be just a handful of tricky steps through a boulder jumble on Disappointment Cleaver, or a more sustained section of ice climbing through a tricky, steep section on the Kautz Ice Chute. At altitude, since we are breathing in less oxygen, these increases in effort can quickly become anaerobic, and the ability to recover mid-effort from these bursts is essential. Interval training helps to increase your body’s anaerobic threshold (the level of exertion at which you begin to create large amounts of lactic acid) and also builds your body’s ability to metabolize that lactic acid, effectively recovering. This way, though a few tricky steps may leave you feeling breathless or winded, you are able to recover in a matter of moments with a few deep breathes and fall right back into your rhythm.

 

Strength: While many focus on overall leg strength — consider that we will essentially be doing shallow squats all the way to the summit — and it is important, core strength and balance are perhaps even more important and more often overlooked. Throughout the climb you will be carrying a pack of varying weight. Your core muscles are responsible for helping to manage a load that is trying to pull you over backwards, keeping it stable and your posture in a position for efficient movement, and a base of core strength allows you to accomplish the more athletic moves that steeper climbing requires. While your core is doing the work to deal with your pack and much of your balance, the small muscles of your ankles and lower legs have to deal with ever-changing terrain: no step is the same, and your ankles and knees have adapt to the changes in slope and pitch to allow the rest of your body to remain in balance. Overall strength is still important, but strength exercises that incorporate an element of balance and coordination or involve your core will pay huge dividends once you find yourself on uneven terrain.

 

As you build your training plan, take these elements into account, and assess where you already stand. If you come from a strong endurance background, continue with that, but place more of your focus on recovery and core strength. If endurance sports are new to you, start here, focusing on building your base (as that really is the foundation of the rest). Most of all, have confidence that if you follow your plan, your will show up ready for the adventure of a lifetime!

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Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!

After another long deep sleep, its coffee that gets most of the team out of bed. One by one, we all wandered to the breakfast table. We are greeted with espresso, fruit, and toast. There is a mystery fruit on the table. Inside is a snot like texture with a sweet taste. The morning entertainment is watching everyone figure out how to eat it. Consesus is the texture might be a bit much. After breakfast its another round of duffle shuffle into the van. The driver has a real skill for stacking our jenga tower of bags.  After a quick lesson on pickets and anchors, we load the van to head to the base of Chimborazo. Chimborazo is our final mountain. Fingers crossed we bat 3 for 3.  A half way stop for burgers and fries fills our stomachs for the rest of the drive. As we get closer and closer to our destination we are graced with a tiny view of the bottom of Chimborazo and many vicunas. We are again in an adorable place for the night. We all rest up for the final climb. Tomorrow will bring us to High Camp and then hopfully the summit. For now we enjoy dinner and bid you goodnight.

RMI Guide Hannah Smith

Thursday, June 3, 2021 - 6:15 pm PT

Good afternoon! This is RMI Guide Eric Frank calling on June 3rd from the summit of Denali, the highest point in North America. We are up here on a beautiful afternoon, in-and-out of the clouds. Sometimes we can see 100 miles; sometimes we can only see our climbing boots. We had an awesome climb today. Started off a little chilly in the shade, but all-in-all it has been a wonderful day of climbing.  We are enjoying 15 minutes on top right now. It is about 5:15 local time. We are going to pack up and head downhill where we should be back between 9 and 10 pm tonight.  Thanks everyone for following along.  Friends and family- I am sure you’ll be happy to hear from your respective individuals in a few days.  Our hope is to move down to a lower elevation, thicker air and catch a plane to the land of burgers and beer within a couple of days.  Thanks for following along. Bye.

RMI Guide Eric Frank

Hey, this is Dave Hahn calling in from the summit of Mount Vinson 16,067 feet above sea level. And I'm up here. It's 5:25 in the evening. I'm with three wonderful climbers: T.A., Mindy and Vlado, and we picked a beautiful day to be up here. It's calm, it's sunny, it's wonderful. This is my 29th time on top- likely a record of some sort and what an enjoyable day. What an enjoyable week's its been. Here's T.A.: Hey, this is T.A. calling from the summit of Mt. Vinson and the view is absolutely... absolutely awesome! Special hello to everyone in Newfoundland and another special hello to Rain and Zander up there in Edmonton. Take care everybody. [Mindy] The view is... I've never dreamed about it. Without Dave and the team I couldn't dream I could make it. Dave you are a lasting reward. I made a good choice with RMI. Without the team I couldn't have made it. Total team work. This is Vlado from Slovakia calling from the highest point in Antarctica. Beautiful time, we are having a great time. Alright, well that's us from the top of the Vinson Massif, highest point in Antarctica. We have gotten very lucky. Very lucky and we appreciate all the help people have given us a long the way. Thanks a lot and we'll keep you informed. I'll send out a dispatch from our high camp tonight because we are going to get down nice and safe. We are all doing strong and well. It's going to be a nice day, a day to remember. RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Hello from Everest Base Camp -

Frosty tents and a frosty camp greeted us in the morning.Mother nature's sparkles made everything glimmer. Hot drinks and pancakes started our day off as the sun warmed everything around us. Today was a well-deserved leisure day. Naps, reading, and a casual walk on to the glacier wrapped up our time at basecamp. It’s been a memorable experience for all one we will all look back on with smiles. With full bellies from another amazing dinner cooked by the talented cook staff, we have all crawled into our sleeping bags for one last sleep at Base Camp.

Good night, all,

RMI Guides Casey, Hannah, and Team

The Four Day Climb June 23 - 26 led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Steve Gately reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  Brent reported a beautiful day and nice route conditions.  At 7 am, the team was at 13,600' on their descent.  All climbers will return to Camp Muir, pack up and continue the final 4.5 miles down to Paradise.  Their program will conclude this afternoon with a celebration at Rainier BaseCamp.  

Congratulations to today's climbers!

The Soul of a Climber 

 

The mountains hold the soul,

And light fire in the hearts of some men.

It leads them to do things,

Others don't just understand.

 

It's not only the summits,

Though that's what we oft speak of.

It's the journey, the effort,

And so much more that we love.

 

It's trekking the valleys,

That lead to the trailhead.

And the anticipation of adventures,

During the journey ahead.

 

It's the early morning sun,

As if it illuminates the peaks.

All through the day until sunset,

These are the beauties we seek.

 

We realize it will take effort,

That there will be moments of pain.

But the mountain gives more back,

It is much more of a gain.

 

It's the time spent with others,

Telling tales of past climbs.

And of more ventures ahead,

That excite each climber's mind.

 

There is time spent together,

There is tile spent alone.

But mostly it is time in the mountains,

In this place we call home.

 

The time comes to leave, 

It invariably does.

But our hearts and souls have been nourished,

By these sacred mountains we love. 

 

-Tim Cavanagh

"Tah-shi de-leh." Hello everybody. "Tah-shi de-leh" is a Tibetan greeting that is used when greeting people and also when you say "Good-bye." This is Casey checking in from the Cho Oyu Expedition. The team is doing great. We've been relaxing here at ABC for the last two days taking rest days, catching up on sleep, reading, and having lots of social time in our tent because it has been snowing nonstop since we've been here. We get these squawls that come through every day for several hours and then some light breaks. With the weather we are going to take one more day of rest tomorrow down here and then head up to Camp 1 the day after. Currently the upper mountain has a fair amount of new snow and the sherpa teams that are in charge of fixing the route to the summit have not been able to get too far due to the deep snow and avalanche conditions. We are sitting good because we are still about ten days out from our summit bid, which is great. There are several teams here that are itching to go since they have been here at ABC for the last week waiting for the weather to open up so they can go do their summit attempt. We are nice and relaxed here with our schedule. Kumar, our cook, has been taking great care of us and keeping us healthy. One more day of relaxation and we'll check in again probably when we head up to Camp 1 two days from now. Okay everybody, hope you're doing well.

With a thick marine layer of clouds below Paradise, Camp Muir and the upper mountain enjoyed clear skies and sunshine.  The Four Day climbs led by RMI Guides Josh McDowell and Henry Coppolillo reached the summit this morning and were beginning their descent from the crater rim around 7 am.  Teams will return to Camp Muir then continue the remaining 4,500' down to Paradise to conclude their program at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon with a short celebration.

Congratulations to today's Four Day Climb teams!

The Five Day Climb led by RMI Guides Brent Okita and Kiira Antenucci took advantage of the calm, and clear skies and climbed to the top of Mt. Rainier on Tuesday, July 12th. Brent reported a beautiful day of climbing. The team spent last night at Camp Muir and departed early this morning for Paradise. 

Congratulations Team!