Training for Everest

Aerobic & Strength training

Aerobic training has been a mixture of relatively short and high intensity workouts. At a 6.4 on the thread mill for app 45 minutes with a 2 to 5 minute break and then on to the bike for another 30 minutes. After that weights. I utilize standard weight training techniques. I will work two body parts a day on the upper body, on leg day, I just work legs. I will do Squats, Lunges and dead –lifts. Aerobic training is so important your body mass will carry your pack but your legs and lungs will get you to the top. It’s important to pay close attention to your body and how it feels. Having a rest day is as important as a day of training.

Hiking

I live next to the Athabasca River so as part of my training I will slip on my snow shoes and do a hike for two or three hours with a 50lbs pack on my back, in -20 or lower and yes wearing my beaver mitts.

Ice climbing

I live close to the Canadian Rockies and work shift work, six days on six days off, which gives me lots of time to go climbing acres of wonderful blue ice. This is another way of staying in great shape, a lot of times the approach is two to three hours long.

Back yard training

In my back yard I have an aluminum ladder app 20’ long on two saw horses. I put on my crampons and pack and walk across pretending that there is a crevasse below. You can never get enough Everest training.

The Art of Visualization

Years ago when I was a bodybuilder I would use the art of visualization before I would go to the gym. I would lie on the couch and visualize the work out that I was going to do in the gym. If I found myself getting stuck mentally then when I went to the gym the same process would happen there, so in the mountains I visualize each camp and see my self there, I see myself on the summit. It’s very, very important to read as much as you can about the mountain and look at as many photos as you can. In all seasons. When you get to the mountain it should feel like you have already been there. In my mind I already have.

Acclimatization

You can not really train for high altitude. It is important to have prior experience at high altitudes levels. I have climbed to 22,841ft, Aconcagua, 20,320 ft on Denali, and 18,498 ft on Elbrus without any unexpected or unusual effects and I believe I have an understanding of how my body reacts to the lack of oxygen and the acclimatization process. To acclimatize, I need to expose my body to higher altitude and lower oxygen levels and allow it time to adjust before moving higher.

Hiking into base camp (Everest) will take approximately eight to ten days. From time to time we will take a rest day to let our bodies adjust to the higher altitude. Once at base camp, more rest will be taken and then the acclimatization process will begin. What a lot of people do not know is that up to a certain height on the mountain you will have climbed twice. When I was on Aconcagua for example at 19; 500 ft, I was there twice, bringing up gear, but also getting acclimatize at the same time.  You climb high and sleep low; you eat and sleep better at lower altitude. Once the acclimatization process is complete on Everest and the camps are ready you wait for good weather. Most people can acclimatize between 16,400 ft to 18,200 ft but after that there is a fine line between adjustment and deterioration. Above 26,000 ft prolonged exposure leads to deterioration in body condition. This is why it is referred to as the death zone. Our team will start using supplemental oxygen at an altitude of 25,000 ft all the way to the summit.

Ego

If climbing is about Ego, then stay home.  Be sure that you’re climbing for the right reasons. Getting to the top is the goal; success is getting back down safely. Keep it real, Cheer’s Alligatoral