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Mountaineering Training | Fit To Climb: Week 4

February 25, 2013

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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training

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

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Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Bid Farewell to Tanzania

January 30, 2020

Posted by: Casey Grom

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Hello everyone.

We spent yesterday touring Tarangire National Park which is home to many elephants, and a huge diversity of other animals. It’s still a bit rainy here, so the normal numbers of animals was down a bit, but we’re headed out early today in hopes of seeing more.

We ended our day at a remote and off grid camp within the National Park and surrounded by wildlife. The camp has screened in rooms that allow the night sounds of Africa in and also last night's rain storm.

It's been a memorable experience for everyone and great friendships forged. But finally it's time to return home to our families.

Jambo from RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew!

Torres del Paine: King & Team Arrive at Refugio Torre Central

February 18, 2020

Posted by: Mike King

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine

We finished our last day of hiking with the big packs. Last night was a windy and wet night down near Lago Nordenskjold. The Dones flexed, the tents shook and the trees thrashed about. For an area so infamous for stormy weather our team has lucked out. We hung out at the Refugio until the rain stopped and sunshine appeared. The winds would stay with us all day as we walked 14 km to Refugio Torre Central. The trail was a running creek at times and aside from some rocky bluffs to walk up and descend we cruised in just as the rain started back again. There is a lot of new snow up high and aside from watching some harriers play in the gusting wind the coolest views were the white caps and walls of wind blown spray moving like clouds across the lakes. Tomorrow concludes our 9 day trek of the “O” and “W” circuits. We’ll head out early to see the actual towers that gives this park it’s name and then head for Puerto Natales.

RMI Guide Mike King

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Kilimanjaro: Support for our Kilimanjaro Crew

October 28, 2020

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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro

Those of you that have traveled to Tanzania and were greeted and assisted by the smiling faces, helpful hands and strong backs from the Barking Zebra Tours Team, it is now our turn to show our kindness and generosity.

Due to the pandemic and lack of tourism in Tanzania, Barking Zebra Tours launched a Go Fund Me campaign in May with a goal to directly provide beans, rice, maze flour and cooking oil to their Tanzanian team and their families. To distribute food to 150 people for six months they set their goal at $14,000, slightly more than $15 per person per month. Thanks to the generosity of many that goal was reached in mid-October. We know that some of you were already aware of this campaign and we very much appreciate your kindness toward our friends and team members in Tanzania.

As the worldwide pandemic continues, Barking Zebra Tours has increased its goal with the hopes of providing these provisions for an additional six months. With the launching of the new goal we have been contacted by some of our previous climbers with an offer to match funds. A group of RMI Climbers from the August 2019 Kilimanjaro Climb & Safari led by RMI Guide Dave Hahn has offered to match funds donated by RMI Climbers up to $2,500.

If you are interested in donating, please click this link: Go Fund Me

We appreciate any donation you can make.

We can’t wait to get back in the mountains with you.

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Torres del Paine: King & Team

February 10, 2020

Posted by: Mike King

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine

This is Mike, checking in for the Torres del Paine trekkers here in Punta Arenas. Everyone arrived after a long two days of travel. We got an early start to head to Isla Magdelana located in the Strait of Magellan to see a colony of Magellan penguins. The Strait of Magellan is protected from the weather of Cape Horn and one of the most important passages between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The hour and half boat ride was calm with nice views of the fractured land that makes up Southern Patagonia. Arriving to the island we had some ground rules laid out to not impact the penguins who are raising their near grown young. The young penguins are shedding their feathers in preparation for a northern migration along the coast of Argentina, Uruguay and even Southern Brazil.

After an hour of walking and taking in the mix of penguins, gulls and brown skua we loaded up to head towards a sea lion colony. From the idling boat we took in these animals that number around 2,000. The smell traveled across the water while the young ones played in the water and swam close to the boat out of curiosity. On our return to Punta Arenas we saw a few Peale’s dolphins swimming alongside the boats. The remainder of the day will be spent in transit to Puerto Natales where we will pack for the start of our Torres del Paine trek. Thanks for following along.

RMI Guide Mike King

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Torres del Paine: King & Team Arrive At Refugio Paine Grande

February 16, 2020

Posted by: Mike King

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine

Elevation: 141'

We enjoyed a rainy rest day at Refugio Grey. The wind and water on Lago Grey didn’t cooperate for a kayak tour but the time off our feet was appreciated. With only 7 km to Paine Grande we got a later start and walked through the 2011 forest fire scar that provided great views due to reduced vegetation. The trail took us up and down a section of rocky bluffs filled with foxglove and tall grass over 4.5 hours. The winds are usually strong in this section and today was no different. Arriving at Refugio Paine Grande we got glimpses of the main rock formations this area is famous for. High winds, snow and grey skies up high made from some good spectating from within the beautiful and modern hut. Three days remain and we still have a lot of trail to cover and mountains to see. Thanks for following along.

RMI Guide Mike King

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Torres Del Paine Trek: King & Team Hike into the French Valley

February 17, 2020

Posted by: Mike King

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Torres del Paine

The Team got started from Refugio Paine Grande at 9:30. The weather was cool and windy for the first two hours as we hiked to Campamento Italiano at the base of the French Valley. We ditched packs and grabbed a light lunch and water, then headed up to the British viewpoint. The views of the Horns, Sharks Fin, and surrounding peaks were worth the side hike. A quick descent down to grab packs and a 30-minute walk to the French Domes wrapped up the day. The skies have been grey and the rain has held off until after getting to camp each day so fingers crossed for two more days of hiking.

RMI Guide Mike King

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Hi guys, I had sent a previous message but I don’t think it got through so I will try again. Anyway, this trip sounds like my kind of trip. I’m sure you all are having a great great time. I’m sure you all, by this time, would love a hot meal, A hot shower and a dry bed to sleep in. I’m sure, by this time, Katie will be having withdrawal symptoms from Trader Joe’s and Bloomingdale’s. See you all soon and don’t forget to smell the flowers.

Posted by: Marilyn Freedman on 2/19/2020 at 10:39 am

Hey guys…I’m following you on this blog site. Photos look great. Happy Birthday Michael! Bruce, I hope your foot feels better, and Katie and Matt, hang in there…. Dinner at Arlington Kebob awaits your return!

You’re not missing anything here. Sofar, the US seems to have contained the Coronavirus, Trump is still president, and with the stock market hitting new highs, you have enough money to sign up for another RMI expedition! Have fun.

Posted by: Joyce Freedman on 2/17/2020 at 8:04 pm

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Mountaineering Training | How I Train For The 8000m Arena

October 7, 2014

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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training

For the last 2 years, my focus in my personal climbing has been climbing 8000m Himalayan peaks solo, without the aid of supplemental oxygen. My training program has to reflect the increased mental and physical strains that climbing in this style demands. My training must change significantly depending on the season of my next expedition - spring versus autumn. The difference lies in what I have been doing already leading up to a climb. My summertime climbs working as a guide on Mt. Rainier are a fantastic aerobic base to train from since the terrain, techniques, and exertion mimic much of the climbing on 8000m peaks. Nothing beats the real thing for training. Since I have not been climbing Mt. Rainier weekly leading up to a Spring climb, I have to dedicate more training time to endurance workouts around my winter-time home in the Sierras. I find that my perceived fitness changes a lot between seasons; in the spring I am able to move faster but with less endurance, while in the autumn I feel a deep reservoir of endurance but a lack of speed. I break my training into blocks of 10 days, rather than weeks, with each 10 day block building on the last in terms of intensity, distance, and strength. A sample 10 day block would look something like this (descriptions of each workout are below): Spring Training • 1 climb with a gain of 5,000’ or more (moving as fast as I can maintain for 2 hour stretches) • 3 trail runs with a gains of 2,500’ + • Multi-muscle lifting 2x • Enduro lifting 1x • Anaerobic Intervals: 8 intervals, 1x • Rest day 2x During the course of my total training program, I also include 2 single push 20+ hour ascents. Autumn Training • 2x Mt. Rainier summit climbs (18,000 – 27,000ft vertical gain total) (4 days total) • Trail run 2x with 2500ft+ gain • Multi-muscle lifting 1x • Enduro lifting 1x • Anaerobic intervals: 8 intervals, 1x • Rest Day 1x Similar to my Spring training program, during the summer months leading up to an Autumn climb, I include 4-5 Muir Snowfield “sprints” (goal of sub 2hrs). If I am not working on Mt. Rainier, I substitute another snow climb of a constant grade with gains of 4000 – 5000’. Specific descriptions of each workout: Multi-muscle lifting: Clean and Jerk, Deadlifts, Power snatch (Olympic style lifting). I frequently add a Bosu ball (a squishy rubber half circle) into some of my lifting exercises for a balance component. Enduro lifting: I think of this as anything I can do 15 to 20 reps of, whether push-ups, sit ups, pull-ups, excercises on a weight machine, barbell lifting or Olympic style lifting, and core exercises. My goal for lifting is not to bulk up, but to ensure I have a solid strength base. Anaerobic Intervals: The goal is to get into my max heart rate zone for as long as I can handle (no more than 2 min, or the anaerobic component is lost). Techniques I “enjoy” are wind sprints, spinning machines, rowing machines or deadlifts. I find that I perform best coming off a solid 2 day rest. Single Push Ascents: Within my training window I’ll try for a few 20+ hour, single push ascents. These provide a great training benchmark for my physical fitness, and help me build the mental fortitude that long 8000m summit days require “Snowfield sprints”: I try to find easy to moderate snow climbs, so that the focus is on aerobic fitness and not technical proficiency. My goal is to either single push through the entire ascent or take quick 5 minute maintenance breaks every 2 hrs. I keep the stress high, near my aerobic threshold for the duration of the climb. My go-to choices have been Mt. Baldy outside of Los Angeles and the Muir Snowfield. Maximizing my training gains: First off, I have days that I don’t stick to the plan. It’s totally ok! There are days that I just curl up with a box of Cheez-its and watch Netflix. My mind and body need time to recover and its important that I listen to those signals. With a good day of rest, I head into my next workout ready to push until exhaustion! My plan also has to incorporate the terrain that I have at my disposal. This requires shifting my exercises from the plan somewhat, still with the intention to accomplish the given task: trail runs and body weight exercises to replace lifting can still accomplish my goals of strength and balance training, and give my body new stresses. I try not to sweat missing a particular workout if the terrain simply is not conducive, and focus instead on what I can accomplish. I change things up, and try to avoid too much of a routine. I know the ways I want to stress my body within this 10 day block but how I go about it changes regularly. For example, I keep a list of strength exercises I use on the wall as an easy way to - at a glance - select a new routine for the day. Good training partners are essential: their routine will likely take my body out of any established routine I have created, and the extra motivation is invaluable. I add exercises I find fun and effective so that I have a broader program to pull from. I pay special attention to my diet and nutrition during these intense training periods as well: what I eat can have a huge effect on my recovery and the gains I take away from training. My plan is a constant work in progress, and is always shifting with the new demands that each new climb might bring. I try to take time after each climb to assess what worked and what didn’t so that my training is even more effective the next time around. _____ Alex Barber is an associate guide at RMI Expeditions and splits his time between the beaches of Southern California and mountains around the world. Last Autumn, Alex made the summit of Cho Oyu, solo and without bottled oxygen. This past Spring, he made it to 7600m on Shishpangma's Inaki Route. He summited 8156m Manaslu on October 1st, for his third Himalayan climb. Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!

Mt. Everest Expedition: Team Flown from Camp One to Base Camp

April 26, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, JJ Justman

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest

Elevation: 17,575'

April 26, 2015 9:23 pm PT RMI Guide and Base Camp Manager Mark Tucker just called to confirm our team is safely back at Everest Base Camp. We have not yet spoken with Dave, but wanted to pass this information along as soon as possible. We will update when we know more about the team's plan to descend from Base Camp. Jeff Martin

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Dave,
Thank God you were rescued. I know you’ll continue to help the people around you any way you can. It’s no mistake you’re there.
Peace.
Sue Hladik
KHS

Posted by: Sue Hladik on 4/27/2015 at 7:31 pm

JJ so glad you are safely back and the team.

Joann

Posted by: Joann beaver on 4/27/2015 at 12:33 pm

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Aconcagua: Scott & Team Move to High Camp

February 2, 2020

Posted by: Nick Scott, Dominic Cifelli

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua

Elevation: 19,600'

After many days of carrying loads up hill, we are finally at high camp, poised to make an attempt on the summit. Tonight will be our first of two nights spent at 19,600 feet, but it is unlikely many of us will sleep tonight. This will be due as much to nerves and apprehension as to the altitude. Regardless of whether sleep comes tonight, we will all rise early and begin the slow, steady march towards the top of Aconcagua at 22,842 feet early tomorrow morning, before the first light of dawn is on the horizon. It seems the mountain and weather gods have seen fit to push the worst of the winds farther out into the forecast, lucky for us. It will still be cold and it will still be hard, but this group of climbers just might have the right amount of grit to pull it off.

RMI Guide Nick Scott