PREPARATION & TRAINING

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NO ONE CLIMBS A HIGH ALTITUDE PEAK PURELY ON LUCK AND PERHAPS MORE THAN ANY OTHER PURSUIT ALPINE CLIMBING IS INTENSELY DEPENDANT ON PREPARATION. THERE ARE TWO ASPECTS WHEN PREPARING FOR THIS SORT OF TRIP; CONDITIONING & TIME SPENT CLIMBING. EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT SITUATION ALLOWING THEM TO DO BOTH, WITH FEW PEOPLE LIVING CLOSE ENOUGH TO ALPINE MOUNTAINS TO DO ALL OF THEIR PREPARATION THERE, BUT THE PRIMARY FACTOR IS CONSISTENCY. MODULATED AND CONSISTENT PREPARATION AS SPECIFIC TO THE GOAL IS WHAT WILL GET YOU UP, KEEP YOU & GET YOU BACK DOWN PEAKS LIKE K2.

YOUR OWN CLIMBING

FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS GETS A LOT OF CLIMBERS IN THE TRANSITION PHASE FROM GUIDED AND INDEPENDENT TRIPS. THESE ARE CLIMBERS WHO ARE LOOKING BEYOND WHAT COMMERCIAL CLIMBING WILL PROVIDE AND FOR MANY IT’S AN EYE OPENING PROCESS BOTH LIBERATING AND SOMEWHAT CONFRONTING. ABOVE ALL ELSE WHAT WE SEE IS THE SUDDEN NEED FOR SHARP END PROBLEM SOLVING. WHEN THE ROUTE HAS IT’S OWN COURSE IT BECOMES A MATTER OF CREATIVITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS. KNOWING WHAT OPTIONS YOU HAVE AND WHAT YOU’RE WILLING TO DO IS THE VERY SOUL OF ALPINE CLIMBING – CAPTURED PEFECTLY SOMEWHERE LIKE THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2.

WE HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS AND DOZENS OF TRIPS IT’S OFTEN THE SAME ISSUE THAT LIMITS A CLIMBERS A PROGRESS, BECAUSE EVERY TIME IT’S RESOLVED THE SAME REASON IS GIVEN; I’VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.

“I’VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE” BRINGS WITH IT A WHOLE CASCADE OF A CLIMBERS INNER MECHANICS AND AND SETS IT AGAINST THE STARK RUTHLESSNESS OF A REMOTE PEAK. SUDDENLY IDEAS THAT FIT CLIMBING BACK HOME CAN FEEL VERY, VERY SMALL AND PEDANTIC WHEN THERE’S 1000m OF CLIMBING, AND ANOTHER 1000m AFTER THAT, AHEAD.

“I’VE NEVER HUNG ON GEAR BEFORE”

“I’VE NEVER STEPPED IN AIDERS BEFORE”

“I’VE NEVER BACK CLEANED BEFORE”

“I’VE NEVER MIXED CLIMBED BEFORE”

“I’VE NEVER HAMMERED IN A BEAK BEFORE”

“I’VE NEVER PISSED IN A BOTTLE BEFORE”

“I’VE NEVER ARM-RAPPED BEFORE”

“I’VE NEVER SLEPT IN A HARNESS BEFORE”

“I’VE NEVER OPEN BIVIED BEFORE”

THESE TOP THE LIST, YET DESPITE NONE BEING ABOUT HARD TECHNIQUE AND PERFECTLY TRAINABLE, THEY BECOME REASONS TO TURN AROUND SHORT ON LONG AND EXPENSIVE TRIPS, SIMPLY BECAUSE BACK HOME THE CHANCE TO PRACTICE THEM DIDN’T ARISE. THAT SOME CLIMBERS ASSUME THE OFFERINGS OF THEIR LOCAL PEAKS WILL TRANSFER TO SOMEWHERE LIKE THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HIMALAYA SHOWS A PERSPECTIVE THAT IS BEST ADDRESSED BEFORE COMMITTING TO THE TIME & EXPENSE OF A TRIP TO K2.

BETWEEN TRIPS WHEN IT’S JUST YOU AND YOUR TIME TO PREPARE, WHAT MATTERS MOST IS FUNCTIONAL MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE WITH AN ARRAY OF SKILLS THAT NEED TO BE INTENTIONALLY PRACTICED. ESPECIALLY THE ‘UNCOOL’ ONES THAT DON’T LOOK LIKE THE SLICK STUFF IN THE PHOTOS. AIDING SHORT SECTIONS, HAMMERING PEGS OR JUGGING FOR SPEED DON’T TURN YOU INTO A REGRESSIVE PIRATE OF ALPINE ETHICS – IT TURNS YOU INTO AN ADAPTABLE ANIMAL. THESE ‘GUERRILLA’ TECHNIQUES ARE NOT THE EVIL UNDERBELLY OF PROGRESSIVE CLIMBING, IN A PLACE LIKE THE NORTH RIDGE THEY ARE WHAT PUSHES PROGRESS FORWARD. BUT THEY NEED PRACTICE BEFORE SHOWING UP THERE.

CONDITIONING

EVEN THE FULL SCHEDULE OF PROGRESSION WITH US LEAVES A LOT OF TIME BETWEEN TRIPS DURING WHICH TO DEVELOP YOUR CAPACITY, AND AN INDUSTRY HAS EMERGED OFFERING PROGRAMS TO PLAN & DIRECT PROGRESS. THE BEST OF THESE PROGRAMS,AS FOUND ON SITES SUCH AS UPHILL ATHLETE, COVER A LOT OF DETAIL AND HAVE YEARS OF RESULTS TO SHOW THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. WE DON’T NEED TO GO INTO THOSE PROGRAMS HERE AS THEY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, BUT HAVE SOME POINTS THAT CORRELATE THEM DIRECTLY WITH THE TRIPS WE RUN;

• ENDURANCE SITS ABOVE ALMOST ALL OTHER FACTORS. YOU WILL FIND YOUR THRESHOLDS FOR THINGS LIKE STRENGTH & POWER PRETTY QUICKLY AT ALTITUDE, BUT THE ABILITY TO KEEP MOVING UPWARDS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH OF. ORBIT YOUR TRAINING AROUND THAT. IF THINGS MUST BE CUT, MAKE ENDURANCE THE LAST TO BE SO.

• THEE ONLY THING ABOVE ENDURANCE IS STAYING INJURY FREE. DO NOTHING TO PUSH RISK OF INJURY & EVERYTHING TO RECOVER IF YOU DO. THIS DOESN’T MEAN ISOLATE IN A POOL, IT MEANS AVOID TRAINING WHERE AN INJURY BACK-SQUADS YOU OUT OF THE TIMELINE.

• GOING UPHILL IN BOOTS & SCRAMBLING IS YOUR BREAD & BUTTER BECAUSE IT’S WHAT THE LARGEST PART OF ANY TRIP TO ALTITUDE IS MADE OF AND IT’S THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF TIME TO SCHEDULE. TOOL HANGS & PULL UPS YOU CAN DO ALMOST ANY TIME, BUT AS THE TRIP CLOSES IN YOUR SESSIONS ON THE HILL WILL MATTER MOST.

• IF YOU DON’T HAVE A GYM CONSIDER YOUSELF LUCKY. A SACK OF SAND, A ROPE TO PULL AND A LEDGE TO HANG FROM WILL COVER MORE THAN A GYM CAN.

• GET OUT OVERNIGHT WHEN YOU CAN. WHETHER IT’S RUNNING THROUGH THE NIGHT OR BIVVYS, THE MEASURE OF AN ALPINIST IS NIGHTS OUT NOT DAYS. ON ALL OUR TRIPS, STRAIGHT AWAY WE CAN TELL WHO CLIMBS DAY ROUTES BY THE ROAD AND WHO STAYS OUT LONGER.

• REST & RECOVER. REALLY REST & RECOVER. LACK OF EITHER MEANS YOU CAN’T BE TRAINING SUFFICIENTLY HARD ENOUGH WHEN YOU DO.

• FUEL ADEQUATELY BUT NOT OBSESSIVELY. REAL ENDURANCE TRAINING IS WHEN YOU SIMPLY NEED TO GET ENOUGH KCALS IN, SO PRETTY FAST YOU FIND THAT SIMPLE QUALITY BEATS COMPLICATED SUPPLEMENTS.

• WEAR GOOD SHOES. OLD BOOTS ARE FINE FOR HAULING UP TRAILS, BUT MILES OF RUNNING NEED SHOES THAT FIT WELL.

• DON’T WAIT TILL WINTER TO PRACTICE YOUR ROPEWORK. LOTS OF THINGS ARE EASIER LEARNED IN A T-SHIRT THAN WASTING PRECIOUS WINTER WEATHER WINDOWS ON. KEEP A ROPE BY THE SOFA TO PRACTICE KNOTS & COILING WITH.