EXPEDITION vs CLIMBING FITNESS

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EVERY YEAR WE SEE IT; NEW TEAM MEMBERS ARRIVE FOR TRIPS, ALMOST ALWAYS LOOKING VERY FIT. MOST HAVE PREPARED FOR MONTHS, AND WITH THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THESE DAYS MOST WILL HAVE THE ON-MOUNTAIN STUFF SOLID. BELOW THE WATERLINE THOUGH IS THEIR GREATER EXPEDITION FITNESS, SOMETHING DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT AND SOMETHING USUALLY NOT DEVELOPED BY THOSE COMING FROM A BACKGROUND IN COMMERCIAL 8000m CLIMBING.

EXPEDITION FITNESS – AS OPPOSED TO CLIMBING FITNESS – IS THE CAPACITY TO TAKE ON THE RIGORS OF A BIG TRIP WHEN THERE ARE NO HELICOPTERS, PORTERS OR FIXED ROUTES, AND THE SKILL SET REQUIRED FOR THINGS LIKE THE APPROACH AND RETURN ARE MUCH MORE INVOLVED THAN FOLLOWING THE SIGNS UP A GLACIER. UNLIKE SPECIFIC CLIMBING FITNESS, GREATER EXPEDITION FITNESS IS LESS ABOUT DEDICATED PERFORMANCE, AND MORE ABOUT NOT FALLING APART ON THE WAY INTO AND AWAY FROM THE OBJECTIVE.

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DIFFERENT TIMELINES

INDUSTRIAL 8000m CLIMBING TAKES PLACE ALONG A WELL ESTABLISHED ITINERARY THAT MEANS A CLIMBER CAN ARRIVE, CLIMB AND RETURN WITH 75-85% OF THEIR EFFORT SPENT ON THE MOUNTAIN BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF SETTING THINGS UP AND TAKING THEM AWAY AGAIN. ALPINE EXPEDITIONS AREN’T LIKE THAT.

BECAUSE ON AN ALPINE EXPEDITION THE TEAM DOES THE LOGISTICS, THINGS ARE SCHEDULED SO THE APPROACH AND CARRIES TO BASECAMP ARE UTILIZED ALSO FOR ACCLIMATION, OFTEN RESULTING IN STEPPING OFF FOR THE CLIMBING PHASE HAPPENING LATER BUT IN MUCH BETTER CONDITION THAN ON A NORMAL TRIP, AND FITNESS NEEDS TO REFLECT THAT.

THE CLIMBER ON AN ALPINE EXPEDITION DOESN’T NEED TO JUST STOMP IT INTO BASECAMP THEM RECUPERATE TILL THEY ARE ACCLIMATED BY PLAYING CONNECT FOUR AND EATING POPCORN; INSTEAD THEY NEED THE FITNESS FOR MANY MORE DAYS OF ACCUMULATED APPROACH, GAINING AND LOSING ALTITUDE MUCH MORE PROFITABLY.

LIKEWISE, ONCE THE CLIMBING IS CONCLUDED, THERE’S HEAVY LOADS TO RETURN BACK DOWN TO THE TRAILHEAD.

HEAVY PACKS

COMMERCIAL 8000m CLIMBING RARELY INVOLVES REALLY HEAVY PACKS. THERE ARE LOADS THAT FEEL HEAVY BECAUSE YOU’RE CARRYING THEM AT ALTITUDE, OFTEN NOT ACCLIMATED, BUT THAT’S NOT THE SAME AS DOING MULTIPLE CARRIES AT EVER INCREASING WEIGHTS INTO A BASECAMP AT 5500m, OR HAULING A BIG WALL LOAD ON A 6000m PEAK IN TIBET.

HEAVY PACKS REQUIRE PREPARATION TO CONSISTENTLY CARRY, AND IT’S A TYPE OF FITNESS THAT TIMES TO BUILD AS IT CONCERNS THE ENTIRE BODY.

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COMPLEX OBSTACLES

BY THEIR NATURE, OUR TRIPS TAKE PLACE IN AREAS WITHOUT STRAIGHTFORWARD ACCESS, REQUIRING THE FITNESS TO CROSS AND NAVIGATE RIVERS, WETLANDS, OPEN DESERT, GLACIER AND SCREE – OFTEN FOR THE FIRST TIME. USUALLY THERE’S NO BRIDGES, TRAILS OR CAIRNS, SO OBSTACLES CAN REQUIRE ANYTHING FROM RIGGING ROPES ACROSS RAVINES AND FERRYING LOADS, TO RAPIDLY CROSSING OPEN TERRAIN BEFORE THE SUN COMES UP OR PADDLING FAST WATER, AND EACH REQUIRES THE FITNESS TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT’S NEEDED AND KEEP ON WITH THE MAIN OBJECTIVE.

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‘LOGISTICS’ STRENGTH

ON COMMERCIAL EXPEDITIONS MOST OF THE HEAVY LIFTING – LITERALLY – IS DONE BY LOCAL CREW; VEHICLES, ANIMALS AND PEOPLE ARE LOADED BY HAND, TENTS ARE PITCHED, PLATFORMS ARE CONSTRUCTED OR CLEARED AND BASECAMPS ARE SET UP USUALLY AT A PACE DIFFERENT TO THAT OF THE CLIMBING GROUPS. TRIPS LIKE OURS DON’T WORK LIKE THAT.

THE LOGISTICS OF AN ALPINE EXPEDITION MEANS THE TEAM TAKES CARE OF ALL THE ‘HOUSE KEEPING’ ITSELF, INCLUDING LOAD/UNLOADING, MAKING CAMPS HABITABLE, AND THIS MEANS A BASIC DAY-TO-DAY SORT OF FITNESS COMPOSED OF LIFTING, SHORT CARRIES AND BASIC HANDLING.

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SO HOW DOES IT ALL ADD UP?

THE USUAL ALPINE CLIMBING FITNESS PLAN SEEN TODAY FROM ORGANIZATIONS LIKE UPHILL ATHLETE etc DO VERY WELL FOR ADDRESSING THE RIGORS OF ACTUAL CLIMBING, TURNING OUT VERY HIGH PERFORMANCE CLIMBERS CENTERED ON A FORMAT OF CLIMBING DIRECT FROM A WELL ESTABLISHED BASECAMP. THESE PROGRAMS FOCUS ON MIX OF BASELINE ENDURANCE TOPPED OFF WITH SOME CLIMBING-SPECIFIC STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE NEW TO THIS STUFF, WILL GET VERY SOLID RESULTS.

WHERE THEY START TO FIND THEIR LIMITATIONS IS THE EFFICACY FOR TRIPS THAT SPENT A LOT MORE OF THE EFFORT ON THE SURROUNDING MAKE UP OF COMPLEX APPROACHES, UNSUPPORTED SUSTAINMENT AND COMPLEX RETURNS AGAIN – ALL STUFF THAT HAS TOO BROAD A DEMAND TO COME UNDER A SINGLE ‘MOUNTAINEERING’ TRAINING PLAN.

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HOW TO GET IT

DEVELOPING TRUE EXPEDITION FITNESS MEANS COMBINING A REALISTIC LEVEL OF CLIMBING WITH A LARGE BASE OF COMPLEX ENDURANCE THAT INCLUDES THE ABILITIES NEEDED FOR A SPECIFIC TRIP. THE WAY TO DEVELOP THIS – ONCE A FOUNDATION OF GENERAL FITNESS IS CONSOLIDATED – IS COMBINING TRANS-FUNCTIONAL CONDITIONING SESSIONS AND SHORT EXPEDITIONS THAT FOCUS ON DEVELOPING THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF AN ALPINE EXPEDITION AND BUILD THOSE SKILL SETS.

TRANS-FUNCTIONAL CONDITIONING IS THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE BODIES ABILITY TO DO GENERAL TASKS THAT USE MULTIDIRECTIONAL MOVEMENTS, AND DIFFERS FROM CLIMBING TRAINING BY BEING CONCERNED WITH MORE LIFTING, MOVING AND HOLDING. IT’S UNGLAMOROUS STUFF, BUT IT RELATES DIRECTLY TO THE WORK ETHIC INVOLVED WITH THINGS LIKE MOVING ROCKS FOR A TENT PLATFORM, SHOVELLING SNOW, FERRYING PACKS, HAULING AND MANHANDLING LOADS – ALL STUFF YOU WILL SPEND AS MUCH TIME DOING AS YOU WILL CLIMBING ON A REAL EXPEDITION. IT’S GUARANTEED YOU WILL AT SOME POINT FERRY LOADS OVER MORAINE, CHOP A LEDGE OUT OF ICE, MOVE ROCKS AND CHAIN-GANG SUPPLIES – ALL MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF A 6 WEEK TRIP – SO CONDITIONING FOR THESE EFFORTS IS A STAPLE.

SHORT EXPEDITIONS BUILD THE BASIC FACULTIES OF KNOWING HOW AND WHERE TO SPEND YOUR ENERGY. AS GUARANTEED AS THE THINGS YOU WILL HAVE TO DO ARE, THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THEM BETTER AND MORE EFFECTIVELY. JUST AS TRIATHLETES TRAIN THE TRANSITIONS BETWEEN THE PHASES OF THEIR SPORT, GOOD EXPEDITION CLIMBERS DEVELOP THEIR ABILITY TO WEED OUT WEAKNESSES IN THE WAY ALL THE PARTS OF AN EXPEDITION FIT TOGETHER AND GET GOOD AT STAYING STRONG IN EVERY PHASE. SHORT EXPEDITIONS CAN BE PLANNED THAT DEVELOP THE ASPECTS OF BIGGER EXPEDITIONS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO EFFECTIVELY DEVELOP IN DAILY SESSIONS OR EVEN WEEKENDS, THINGS LIKE MONSTER CARRIES, COMPLEX APPROACH PROBLEMS LIKE RIVER CROSSINGS AND EXPOSED TERRAIN AND HAULING DONE AGAINST THE CLOCK, GIVING YOU REFERENCES TO WORK AGAINST FOR WHEN THE REAL THING HAPPENS.

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ALL SAID

THE STRONG EXPEDITION CLIMBER IS THE ONE WHO CAN LEVERAGE THEIR STRENGTHS ACROSS AN ENTIRE TRIP, NOT FOR THE CLIMBING ELEMENT. THIS SORT OF STRENGTH DOESN’T COME OUT OF A FINELY TUNED CLIMBING MACHINE, IT COMES OUT OF A MULTI-STRENGTH ANIMAL PREPARED FOR COMPLEX PROBLEMS TO SOLVE, THAT CAN METER OUT THEIR EFFORTS. THIS SORT OF FITNESS APPEARS AS MUCH AS AN ABSOLUTE ABILITY TO MOVE HEAVY STUFF AS IT DOES KNOWING WHEN AND HOW TO MOVE IT SO AS NOT TO COMPROMISE A BIGGER PLAN WITH SMALLER WEAKNESSES.