{"id":11767,"date":"2012-11-01T08:46:45","date_gmt":"2012-11-01T14:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=11767"},"modified":"2012-12-15T07:49:07","modified_gmt":"2012-12-15T14:49:07","slug":"preparing-for-everest-6-months-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/01\/preparing-for-everest-6-months-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for Everest – 6 Months Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

On April 1, <\/a> <\/a> 2013, only six months away, Kathmandu will be teaming with aspiring climbers preparing to head towards base camp on the north and south sides of Mt. Everest. I would love to be there climbing the north side, but alas (sigh) \ud83d\ude41 not in 2013; thus I will be covering the action from Colorado once again.<\/p>\n

Most operators are now sending emails titled \u201cEverest 2013\u201d and starts with the sentence \u201cWelcome to our spring climb of the world\u2019s highest mountain \u2026\u201d The heart skips a beat.<\/p>\n

It will be here in a blink so let\u2019s take a look at what climbers are doing between now and then. There are three general areas: training, gear and mental preparation.<\/p>\n

\"Training<\/a>TRAINING<\/h3>\n

For most climbers, they have been training long before they made the financial commitment. Remember, climbers cannot be in the ” shape of their lives”, they have to be in “Everest shape”<\/p>\n

Some are CrossFit devotees, others prefer long runs, then there are those who are in the gym most nights after work. But for all, the key is a balanced training plan with work on strength, cardio and stamina. During the last 6 months, if they are on a plan, it will be a time of peaking then resting all while avoiding injury.<\/p>\n

I know for me, I focused on stamina as my primary goal the last six months with long days in my Colorado 14,000 mountains carrying a 40 pound pack. The good news is most climbers will never carry more than 20 pounds so doubling the load at half the altitude worked for me.<\/p>\n

For some, it is time to double down to get ready. Six months is not a long time but doable if they are already in good shape. Again, a balanced approach is : core strength, legs and calves, heart and lungs. Running intervals is an excellent technique.<\/p>\n

But above all, it is be a mistake to think one can get in shape on the trek in or during the acclimatization rotations. Once at altitude, the body slows down, the nutritional plan is not sufficient to build muscle and sleep cycles suffer. Besides that, getting to Base Camp is one of the experiences of the climb and a time to get to know your teammates and enjoy Nepal or Tibet; not a time to obsess over training – it is what it is at that point.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

GEAR<\/h3>\n

One of the parts of climbing is all the gear! I know, I know \u2026 But if climbing Everest is not a great excuse to new stuff, I don\u2019t know what is!<\/p>\n

However, I hope that every single piece has been \u201cfield tested\u201d by the new owner before they land in Kathmandu. Nothing reveals a climber\u2019s experience than showing up with boots or crampons still in the original box. Or maybe they have just upgraded, I hope.<\/p>\n

This is a good time to think about spending days and nights in base camp between rotations. What little things will make life more comfortable while gone? Perhaps books, videos of home, your iPod loaded up with music, movies and TV shows. Keeping a journal on an iPad or blogging? Think through recharging and backup, umm paper and pen! Want to call home? If daily then consider renting a sat phone or understand the limits of 3G on Everest (there are many).<\/p>\n

In any event, the point is to try everything back home to make sure there are no gear surprises. Try everything on, especially boots. This is tough for climbers who don\u2019t live near a mountain, but everyone lives nears the outdoors, so put them on and talk a long walk. Yeah, the soles will get scuffed up a bit but that\u2019s the point. Learn how they feel, work out the sock system; make sure the crampons fit securely – can you put them on while wearing your heavy gloves? Remember that feet swell at altitude.<\/p>\n

But of the highest priority, is to get the systems down cold. Swapping out layers, putting on crampons, helmets and goggles or sunglasses – all this should be second nature with no fumbling. Trust me if you are fumbling with gear while on the fixed rope, those behind will let you know \u2026<\/p>\n

However, all this is more about safety. The last thing you want to do is find yourself not having the right glove or layering system on your summit push when the temps are far below OF and the winds are nearing the cutoff point. Or discovering your goggles don\u2019t fit with your helmet on or your hood is too tight. These are show stoppers at 28,000\u2019.<\/p>\n

This is a video I made in 2011 before my climb. I was very pleased with all my gear and today would stick with everything I said in this video.<\/p>\n