Category: Aconcagua

Training For Mountaineering

Training For Mountaineering

Training for mountaineering is critical for safety and success

What Is Mountaineering?

Mountaineering is the pursuit of recreation in the mountains.  This can take many forms:  peak ascents, hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing, trail running, backpacking, and skiing, to name a few.  Mountaineering is an all-encompassing word for all of these activities, with each of them being a subset of the whole.

Mountaineering often requires performing at a variety of intensity levels at high elevation in changeable weather. Proper training is the foundation for executing a safe and rewarding climb. While each of these activities may require a specific skill set, they all require a combination of movement efficiency, strength, and endurance.

Summit day on Mt. Whitney's Mountaineers Route
A stunning morning during a winter ascent of Mt. Whitney’s Mountaineers Route (14505’/4421m). Climbing this route requires learning a specific set of snow climbing skills but also requires endurance to successfully complete this 4-day climb.

PERFORMANCE =

Movement Efficiency + Strength + Endurance

Training For Mountaineering – Movement Efficiency

High On Mt. Whitney's Mountaineers Route
Train on talus, boulder fields, and loose off-trail ground if your mountaineering objective contains a lot of this type of terrain.

Performance in the mountains is highly dictated by movement efficiency. An efficient climber with low current fitness will always outperform a fit climber with poor movement skills.

When training for mountaineering, the most effective way to become efficient with your movement is to log time on the type of terrain you’d like to perform on. This is critical for success. Take every opportunity to train on terrain that resembles your objective as closely as possible. This includes walking on trails, soft snow, firm snow, talus (boulder fields), and loose off-trail terrain. It also includes technical terrain if your objectives include rock or ice climbing.

There are no shortcuts for developing movement efficiency. It takes time. The more time you spend on complex terrain the greater your gains will be. This is a much overlooked but critical component to consider when developing your training plan.

Rock Climbing Training
Top-roping laps at a local crag is an excellent way to train for long alpine rock climbs such as the North Ridge of Mt. Conness pictured below.
Stunning views high on the North Ridge of Mt. Conness!
Stunning views high on the North Ridge of Mt. Conness, grade III 5.6 alpine rock climb! Enjoying epic climbs like this is the reward for the time invested in proper training.

Training For Mountaineering – Strength

Strength supports all other athletic activity because it allows you to do MORE objective specific training by developing tissue capacity. Strength training:

  • Makes bones, muscles, tendons and cartilage stronger, thicker and stiffer.
  • Develops effective and efficient transfer of force.
  • Creates a ceiling of capacity thus reducing the likelihood of injury.
  • Increases endurance by developing a higher ceiling of potential

Strength and endurance are strongly linked

Reaching the summit of a mountain requires taking thousands of steps uphill. Each uphill stride while wearing a 30lb pack places significant stress on the legs, knees, hips, and spine. This movement is essentially a single leg squat done at varying depths, which is dictated by the steepness of the terrain. Therefore, successfully summiting a peak entails linking together thousands of these weighted squats. Effective training in a gym will help make each step in the mountains use less energy because you’re developing a surplus of strength.

For example: “Marvelous Martha” and “Mountaineer Mike” are on a 12-hour summit day together. They will take thousands of steps, each of which pushes them towards their strength ceiling.

Marvelous Martha can back squat 160-pounds for 5 reps. Every step she takes uphill wearing a 30-pound pack uses approximately 25% of her strength reserve. She’s working at 1/4 of her strength ceiling for this climb.

Mountaineer Mike can back squat 60-pounds for 5 reps. Every uphill step he takes wearing a 30-pound pack uses 66.67% of his strength reserve. He’s spending the entire day working at 2/3 of his strength ceiling!

Which climber is more likely to perform better, all other things being equal?

Squat
Strength supports all other athletic activity. Supportive strength training is simple and helps build athletic stiffness and strength that helps boost performance and decreases the risk of injury.

Training For Mountaineering – Endurance

Kilimanjaro Summit Photo
Kilimanjaro is 19340’/5895m. Climbing Kilimanjaro requires fitness and endurance but no technical skills. During this magnificent 7-day climb the route passes through 5 climate zones starting off in a jungle and reaching an alpine environment. A proper training program focusing on endurance and loose terrain is one of the best ways to set yourself up for success to reach the summit of this spectacular peak.

The goal with endurance training for mountaineering is to develop a program that progresses towards the physical requirements of our specific objectives. Endurance training accomplishes two things:

  1. Develops the cardiovascular and circulatory systems to effectively supply oxygen to the working muscles.
  2. Builds structural resilience in the joints (especially the hips and knees) and spine to handle the stress of the objective. 

As with strength training we build endurance through the stress/recovery/adaptation model. Each training session places stress on the body. With appropriate recovery, the body adapts and can support slightly more work. With a well thought out schedule, the body will continue to adapt to the new training load and your endurance will improve.

For example, your goal is to climb Mt. Whitney in 2-days via the Mountaineers Route. This climb requires ascending and descending from 8350′ to 14505′ over 14-miles. This is 6155′ of elevation gain over 7-miles to the summit, then the equivalent distance and elevation loss to return. Attempting this climb “off the couch” with no training will put the body into a state of deep fatigue with a high chance of sustaining an injury. However, starting with a manageable hike then gently increasing the distance and elevation, then allowing for adequate recovery between sessions, the body develops the capacity and resilience to climb Mt. Whitney safely, and have much more fun doing it!

Know your aerobic threshold

The most efficient way to develop endurance is to use a slow, steady approach maintaining a heart rate under your aerobic threshold. There are many methods for determining your aerobic threshold, but a great place to start uses the ‘Maff Method’ by subtracting your age from 180. In this method a 40-year old’s aerobic threshold is a heartrate of 140 (180 – 40).  A 40-year-old athlete would stay at a heart rate of 140 or below when training.

Training at or just under the aerobic threshold:

  • Develops the strength, size and pumping capabilities of the heart.
  • Enhances the structure of the capillary network throughout the body.
  • Develops metabolic adaptions to the mitochondria; the powerhouse of the muscle cells.
  • Increases the body’s effective use of fuel/food for energy at the objective pace at which you intend to climb.

To cross-reference this intensity you should be able to have a full conversation when training. If you cannot speak with complete sentences, then it’s likely you’ve moved above your aerobic threshold sweet-spot. Keep in mind, this is a great place to start and a good trainer can refine this and personalize a training plan based on your history and trajectory.

Aerobic Zone Training
Training in the aerobic zone.

Progression Is Paramount!

Progression is one of the KEY elements in any training plan. An appropriate progression allows the body to absorb the training, recover, then adapt to a new level of performance. For the body to gain strength and endurance we need to continually add stress to our training.

For endurance training, unlike strength training, we generally add volume rather than intensity to build our progression. Each week we add distance and/or elevation to our hikes/runs. On the first week of our training cycle we might complete 3 endurance sessions at or near our aerobic threshold heart rate:

  • 1st Session: A comfortable 5-mile hike carrying a packed loaded with 20-pounds and 1000′ of elevation gain on terrain as close as possible to our season objective. This hike took 2.5 hours.
  • 2nd Session: 4-mile trail run with 1000′ of elevation gain. This run took 1.5 hours
  • 3rd Session: 6-mile jog around the city. This run took 1.5 hours.

Week 1 totals: 5 hours in the aerobic zone with 2000′ feet of elevation gain.

2nd Week: Add 5-10% to this total.

3rd Week: Continue this progression moving towards your objective time/distance/elevation. You can use distance or time to build your progression. Both are effective.

Week 3 or 4: Rest week with a reduction in volume of 40%.

Final weeks: Leading up to your objective taper and cut the volume down by 20-30% per week.

What about high-intensity training?

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is more specialized and complicated and therefore needs to be delicately programmed into your plan. Although useful in small amounts for specific circumstances, following the above recommendations will develop a high level of performance for mountaineering. HIIT does not replace slow steady training in an endurance program. Because of this HIIT is viewed at the icing on the cake but not something to be emphasized.

What about core training?

Isolated core exercises have very limited cross-over to sport specific performance in spite of what many in the fitness industry assert. The strength program suggested above with the squat/pull/press will strengthen muscles in the body to work effectively because they will work together. Beyond this, effective development of the core is achieved by practicing the sport you’re training for. A rock climber develops effective core tension by rock climbing. There are certain circumstances when a specific core strength exercise might be useful and a trainer can help work through a specific problem. If there’s not a good reason for doing it, then it’s not worth spending the resources on it.

In Conclusion

We encourage you to enjoy the process of developing an understanding of how your body responds to training. The results will become apparent within weeks of starting out and motivation is rarely a problem moving forwards.

About the Authors

Simon Moore
Simon Moore is a mountain guide and founder of Vertical Ascents offering coaching and training for rock climbers, alpinists, skiers, and endurance athletes.
Training For Mountaineering, Kurt Wedberg
Kurt Wedberg is a 34-year veteran mountain guide and the founder of Sierra Mountaineering International, Inc. Based in Bishop, CA along the slopes of the beautiful Eastern Sierra, they offer guiding and instruction from beginning through advanced levels in:

Why Climb Mountains

Why Climb Mountains

SMI Founder Kurt Wedberg shares some thoughts on why he’s so passionate about climbing mountains

Why climb mountains? Amid all the hardships COVID brought to our lives, the pandemic of 2020 offered the opportunity for many folks to discover mountaineering.  For the first time people are learning benefits that generations of outdoor lovers have known for decades.  A few of those priceless lessons include invaluable benefits for physical, mental, and spiritual health.  It’s also a great way to make meaningful friendships, and see first hand the importance of protecting our environment. Furthermore, it teaches lessons that can be applied to everyday life.

Mountaineering for physical health

Mountaineering requires a general level of endurance and strength.  The cardiovascular and muscular systems are strengthened over time.  Getting into a regular routine increases energy and stamina.  This in turn adds to the enjoyment and expands opportunities for new and bigger adventures; all while gaining improved health!

Kurt Wedberg on the crater rim of El Pico de Orizaba (18410’/5611m), Mexico. The reward for training is experiencing remote and stunning views such as this one high above the Mexican countryside on top of the highest volcano in North America.

Why Climb Mountains: Healthy Diet

There’s nothing like partaking in endurance activities to motivate a good diet.  The human body needs food full of nutrients to function well.  Meal planning is critical.  Unhealthy food will not provide the fuel necessary for long summit days.  Mountaineering creates a great opportunity to explore new foods and develop habits that can be used in everyday life.

Fresh food for fuel. The author’s fuel for a typical Sierra summit day.
Bottom row: dried mango, spicy seeds, cheese, and oranges.
Middle row: assorted nuts, smoked oysters, and avocado.
Top row: jerky, hard boiled eggs, organic energy blocks, and vials of salt & vinaigrette.

Mountaineering for Mental Health

Mental health goes hand in hand with physical health.  As you increase endurance and strength you’re also gaining many benefits for mental health.  Studies show exercising leads to increased energy during the day, better sleep, and sharper memories.  It can have a positive impact on depression, anxiety, can help to relive stress, and boost your overall mood.  It releases endorphins in the brain that energize spirits and promote feelings of calm and well-being.  All of this is happening while you’re enjoying majestic and stunning views in the great outdoors!

Mt. Whitney Summit!
SMI founder Kurt Wedberg experiencing the euphoria of topping out with another satisfied guest on Mt. Whitney’s famous Mountaineers Route at sunrise!

Mountaineering for Spiritual Health

As a professional mountain guide for 34 years I’m asked why climb mountains all the time.  There are many reasons such as those mentioned in this article.  But, there are others that are difficult to express in words, but are also some of the most powerful.  There is something deeply spiritual about removing yourself from the daily routine of life and immersing in the beauty of nature.  You provide yourself the opportunity to view life from a different perspective.  Situations that may have appeared as big problems transform into smaller issues amid the majesty of the mountains.  When returning to your normal routine this spiritual cleansing helps make everything else more manageable.

Mountaineering for Spiritual Health
Kurt Wedberg on the summit of Kilimanjaro seeing the sunrise high over the African plains.

Along with the positive health gains, mountaineering provides several other benefits that enhance your life in remarkably purposeful and worthwhile ways.

Meaningful Lifelong Friendships

For climbers the mountains are an endless supply of pleasure and satisfaction.  Mountaineers retain vitality and an enthusiastic elation for life.  They’re keenly aware their experiences can never be replicated in a man-made setting.  When climbers tie into a rope together something symbolic occurs that runs far deeper than the practicality of immediate safety.  They are trusting each other with their lives and well-being. This creates a bond of friendship that cannot be duplicated in any other way.  Sharing these rich adventures leads to unique lasting friendships.

Tristan & Kurt summit Devils Crag
Tristan Sieleman & Kurt Wedberg on the summit of Devils Crag deep in the Sierra Nevada.

Why climb mountains? It gives new appreciation for our environment

There is nothing like seeing firsthand a pristine vista to bring a new appreciation for our wild remote lands.  John Muir founded the Sierra Club for this very reason.  He knew if he could offer outings that create opportunities for people to see our wilderness they’ll actively help to preserve it.  Today professional guide services offer expanded resources to experience high and remote places and to learn new skills that help broaden the possibilities available.

High on Crystal Crag
Climbing high in remote places offers a profound and unique perspective on the importance of protecting our environment.

Mountaineering teaches patience and persistence while building self esteem

Summit days are long stretching anywhere from 8 – 16 hours.  Mountaineering builds patience and persistence because it requires mental and physical stamina.  When looking at a big mountain it can appear overwhelming thinking about how to climb it.  However, it’s important to divide a mountain into small manageable chunks that can be ticked off one at a time in succession.  As an analogy, when you’re served a large plate of food you don’t eat it in one bite. It is consumed in manageable bite sized mouthfuls.  In the same way, when climbing a mountain, maintaining patience and persistence are essential. Climbs are successful by taking one step at a time and one section at a time.  Accomplishing this task is a huge boost to confidence and self-esteem.

Mountaineering teaches patience and persistence while building self esteem
The experiences shared on climbs, such as this well earned summit photo from a winter ascent of Mt. Whitney (14505’/4421m), with like minded people can lead to many life long friendships.

Kurt Wedberg has been a professional mountain guide for 34 years and is the founder of Sierra Mountaineering International, Inc. Based in Bishop, CA they offer mountaineering guiding and instruction in the Sierra and on high peaks worldwide.

Aconcagua Team 2017 establishes Camp 3!

Aconcagua Team 2017 has carried their gear up to establish Camp 3 at 19,600′ and are sleeping there, tonight. And more excitingly, they are headed for the summit tomorrow!!

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Glacier near Camp 3!

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Hiking up to Camp 3!

Kurt reports that the team is, “We’re fed, hydrated & packed for an alpine start to attempt to reach the highest point in the Western Hemisphere! Weather is clear & calm :)”

Woooo! Let’s all send them the best wishes and looking forward to hearing about the summit!

 

 


Stay tuned for more updates as they continue their ascent! Follow more updates on our facebook and instagram @smiguides

Aconcagua Team 2017 reaches Camp 2!

The Aconcagua 2017 team slept at Camp 1 on Wednesday and carried loads up to Camp 2 (17,700′) today! They returned to Camp 1 and ate a yummy and well deserved pizza dinner.

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Kurt Wedberg (SMI Founder) treats himself to a pepperoni pizza at the end of the day

Camp 1 is also called “Plaza Canadá” where the team working on acclimatization to optimize their chances of summiting. They will move to Camp 2 tomorrow to sleep there. Check out their climb to Camp 2, today:

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Rock stars trekking up the grade with their packs!

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What a trooper!


Stay tuned for more updates as they continue their ascent! Follow more updates on our facebook and instagram @smiguides

The Aconcagua 2017 team starts their trip!

Yesterday, the Aconcagua 2017 team gathered in Mendoza, Argentina, and are prepared to start their climb to the summit of Aconcagua! Aconcagua is the tallest peak in the Southern and Western Hemisphere, sitting at 22,841 ft (6,961 m) in the Andes range.aconcagua


The team slowly trickled in from all the US, and even from Slovakia! They started their climb yesterday, on Jan 5, 2017.

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Cory Gaconnet, Martin Takac, Mark Griffith, Kurt Wedberg (SMI Founder), Alex Barber (SMI Guide), Barbara Falco, Cory Gaconnet, and Balmore Flores are psyched to start their climb!

Today, on Jan 6, 2017, by the end of the day, they made it to Pierdra Grande Camp at 10,620′! Their first day was spent trekking through a river filled valley which ended with a delicious authentic Argentinian chicken asado, cooked by their gauchos. Tomorrow, they move to base camp at 13,747′!

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Mules to help carry supplies along the river

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The team pushes through the beautiful valley on their first day.

Stay tuned for more updates as they continue their ascent! Follow more updates on our facebook and instagram @smiguides

 

 

Update: Aconcagua January 2015 – 2 on the Summit, the Team is Returning

The team is returning to the U.S. now, after 2 out of the 5 team members made successful summit bids. On January 20, 2015, SMI Guide, Tristan “Trippy” Sieleman and Rick Piette topped out on the summit of the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, Aconcagua (22841 ft)!

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Morning penumbra as Aconcagua casts its immense shadow across the Andes. Awesome!

If climbing to the summits of mountains was without challenges, we wouldn’t refer to the trips as adventures!

After the carry to camp 3 at 19,700ft, one team member suddenly came down with High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and was taken to base camp, where he was evacuated by helicopter to Mendoza. He is now doing well since descending and continued to cheer the group on as they worked toward the summit.

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Up & Over the Col. When a climber gets life threatening High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (aka HAPE) at 18,040′ walking on even the slightest uphill can be next to impossible. Descent is mandatory & time is crucial.

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SMI founder Kurt Wedberg piggybacking the team member over the Ameghino Col at 17,700′ en route to Base Camp on Aconcagua.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kurt checked in on January 20, 2015: “A big shout out to Rick Piette and SMI guide Trippy Sieleman for reaching the summit of Aconcagua. After Lloyd and I turned back they continued under a cold and windy day and nailed it. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys for a job well done!”

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Ricardo huffing and puffing taking 4+ breaths for each step at over 22,000′ above “The Cave” on Aconcagua.

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Ricardo and the morning penumbra as Aconcagua casts is shadows across the landscape of the Andes.

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Ricardo high on Aconcagua summit day. Wind, clouds, cold, and an incredible backdrop of the Andes.

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Ricardo pauses on Aconcagua summit day with the clouds far below.

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Tristan high on Aconcagua summit day. Wind, cold, goggles, and the amazing Andes backdrop.

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Ricardo & Tristan psyched taking a selfie at the highest point in the Western Hemisphere with the South Face of Aconcagua peeking in between.

Congratulations to all group members for their incredible effort and commitment to the team.

The next SMI trip to Aconcagua is scheduled for November 27, 2015, with a trip to Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft) and Carstensz Pyramid (16,024 ft) scheduled even sooner. Be sure to explore the website for all of our trip and course offerings!

More photos of Aconcagua coming soon!

Update: Aconcagua January 2015 – Team at Camp 2, On Schedule for Summit Day

Kurt Wedberg just checked in and said the team is all settled in at Camp 2 (18040′) today and are still on schedule to summit on Monday the 19th!  He says that everyone is feeling strong and healthy. “Our plan is to carry to Camp 3 tomorrow, move to Camp 3 @19500′ on the 18th, summit on the 19th.”

Apparently, the views from Camp 2 are spectacular (pictures later!) and they are all feeling very thankful to be up there!

If you love the play-by-play, here are the inReach updates for the week:

Monday the 12th: “Our well rested team had a nice day hike to 15300′ to stretch our legs & prepare for the work ahead. Tomorrow we carry gear to Camp 1 @16700′. Psyched & ready!”

Wednesday the 14th: “Yesterday we carried 9 days of food & fuel to Camp 1 @16700′. Today we left Base Camp & moved up to C1. Just finished a pizza dinner & enjoying an awesome view”

Thursday the 15th: “Had an awesome 11hrs of sleep. Feeling well rested we carried 5 days of food & fuel to C2 @18040′ today. Views continue to get more spectacular. Life is good :)”

And today, the 16th: “Today our team successfully moved to C2 @18040′ where there’s half the oxygen of sea level. Truly thankful for our health allowing us to see these amazing views”

 

Update: Aconcagua January 2015 – Team Acclimatizing At Base Camp

The team successfully made it to Base Camp at Plaza Argentina (13,747′) on Saturday, where they are spending a few days relaxing, taking acclimatization hikes and preparing loads for their higher camps.

The big message of the day today is that “Lloyd sends his love to Stella!” Technology is awesome.

If you’ve been keeping track as they go, I don’t want you to miss anything! See below:

Friday, January 9th – Day 5 – From Casa de Pierdra, Kurt checked in saying: “Beautiful hike to our last camp before Base Camp. Stuffed after a yummy traditional Argentine steak “asado”. Psyched to reach Base Camp tomorrow!!!!”

Saturday, January 10th – Day 6 – The group made it on time to Base Camp! Kurt said “3 days, 42km & 6000′ elevation gain our team reached Aconcagua Base Camp @13747′! We’ll spend 4 nights here taking acclimatization hikes preparing 2 move higher”

Sunday, January 11th – Day 7 – High spirits as the team relaxes at Base Camp: “It’s a rare treat in our modern age to have a day to just relax, read a good book, enjoy xlnt conversation & eat slow meals. Such was our rest day @Aconcagua :)”

Stay tuned for updates!

Update: Aconcagua January 2015 – Group En Route to Base Camp

Kurt Wedberg checked in yesterday evening with greetings from the team’s first camp en route to their Base Camp for Aconcagua!

From the altitude reading in his inReach message, it would appear that the group is currently in step with their projected itinerary to camp at Pampa de Lenas last night.

Kurt says: “Greetings from our 1st camp @9350′ en route to base camp. Bedded down to gentle sounds of a flowing river & guachos laughing after an amazing chicken bbq.”

Today’s itinerary has them continuing toward Base Camp and camping at Casa de Pierdra at 10,630′ tonight.

Stay tuned for updates!

Aconcagua January 2015 – Kurt and Tristan in Mendoza

Kurt Wedberg and Tristan “Trippy” Sieleman are in Mendoza, Argentina today, making preparations for a summit of Aconcagua (6962m) on the 19th of January.

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They arrived in Mendoza yesterday and have thus far been proving, yet again, that they have the toughest jobs in the world.

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10906086_10205575996300725_4387328300548844747_nTomorrow the plan is to drive to Los Penitentes at 2550m, from where they will begin their hike to Base Camp.

Stay tuned to the blog for updates on the trip!