Getting in Everest Shape
Believe it or not climbers attempting Everest in the spring of 2014 leave home in only 171 days, a little under 6 months. By now they have paid their deposits, are finalizing gear s but most importantly should be in the throes of training. By the way, the definition of throes is “intense or violent pain and struggle, especially accompanying birth, death, or great change.” OK then. There are other aspects to preparing for Everest including developing technical skills, gaining experience at altitude but I’m going to focus on training for this post. When I was training for Everest, I was told “Alan, you better be in the shape of your life!” Well they almost got it right, actually I needed to not only be in the shape of MY life, I needed to be in Everest Shape. With the clear disclaimer that I am not a doctor and everyone should visit their own Doc before entering any kind of Everest training program, let’s me provide some thoughts from my experiences. My personal experiences with Everest have been difficult. I experienced a lung infection that stopped one climb, my body simply refused to acclimatize above 23,000’ on another, and I gave up mentally on my third. The vast majority of Everest climbers have full time jobs, full time families and cannot spend many hours everyday for a year to get in professional shape; so it becomes critical to make every workout count without hurting yourself. However, you must push yourself beyond your perceived limits to be ready. For my fourth attempt and successful summit on Everest, my training mantra became: When you think you have given it your all, you have just started if you want to summit Everest. The ‘Best” Method If you ask 100 Everest climbers you might get 101 different answers on the way to train and I don’t think there is one ‘perfect’ approach. Some climbers will say cycling for 5 to 8 hours in the middle of the night is , others will prefer swimming and then some say weight training will get you there. It is popular today to use CrossFit. But the common thread to all training is pushing yourself without injury and building mental discipline. There is no doubt that an Everest climb requires mental and physical endurance like few other sports. I consistently observe that competitive marathoners, triathletes and cyclists do well. However, all agree that training the mind is equally important as training the body. For my first attempts in high-altitude climbing, I mostly ran and lifted weights. I had a full time job that required extensive traveling so I worked out in hotel gyms and ran stairs. While it was good, it was not nearly enough. In hindsight, I simply never developed the stamina needed to climb Everest. My approach failed to develop the micro-muscles used in real worked conditions, finally, it did little for my metal toughness. I’m not saying running and gym work would not get you in Everest Shape, but it didn’t for me. Real World Training What did work for me was real world activity that mimicked what my body would go through on Everest. In preparation for my 2011 climb of the 7 Summits, I spent 2010 climbing. I took a similar approach this year for my successful summit of the 8000m mountain Manaslu. I am fortunate to live in Colorado, close to 14,000 foot (4000m) mountains aka 14ers. I’ll address alternatives for training in a moment for those living at sea level. In both 2010 and 2013, I set a goal to climb a 14er each week with a 30-40lb (13-18kg) pack. Also, to do at least two shorter hikes with lighter packs each week. I never ran or lifted weights. I climbed in all types of weather and times of day. These climbs and hikes ranged from 3 to 12 hours in duration. My goal was to work on my overall body strength, cardio and most importantly my stamina. I would try to climb at a 1500 feet per hour pace. I also worked on my nutrition and hydration being mindful of the time between breaks and what gels and powders worked for me. I found Honey Stinger products and CamelBak tablets worked for me, but everyone is different and has their favorites. To work on my mental toughness, a traditional problem for me, I would go to my local 14er, Longs Peak, arriving a 1:00AM when the winds were forecast to be high, as in 50 mph (80kph). My goal was to climb as high as I could before getting knocked down by the wind at least three times. I would put on my full 8000m gear (boots, crampons, down suit, mittens, goggles, etc) plus my pack – the same gear I planned on using on Everest or Manaslu – and pushed hard. I did this in January to be exposed to the coldest temps, highest winds and deepest snow. In addition to the mental and physical training, I lost weight and cut out alcohol during the training time. I went on these climbs feeling confident both physically and mentally. I knew my body, the signs of fatigue, and when I could go further. This last point is key. I am convinced I could have gone higher on some climbs where I turned back but didn’t simply because my mind said no. Our bodies are incredibly strong and our reserves deep. However, saying that, it was the right decision on some of these to turn back. What made the difference later was my climbing experience and knowledge of my body. For both my 2011 7 Summits climbs (including Everest) and my recent Manaslu summit, my body performed significantly better than back in 2002. Obviously I was older, 57 for Manaslu. I did not loose weight on that climb and never felt so fatigued that I wanted to turn around. Thus, I believe I have found the training regime for me.
Getting in “Everest Shape”
With the heavy eating of Christmas behind us and New Year’s resolutions in the making, I thought it might be a good time to talk about training for mountain climbing! With only about 90 days until teams start leaving for Everest 2012, it is too late to start training but for the rest of us it is never too late! When I was training for Everest, look I was told “Alan, you better be in the shape of your life!” Well they almost got it right, actually I needed to not only be in the shape of MY life, I needed to be in Everest Shape. With the clear disclaimer that I am not a doctor and everyone should visit their own Doc before entering any kind of Everest training program, let’s me provide some thoughts from my experiences. My personal experiences with Everest have been difficult. I experienced a lung infection that stopped one climb, my body simply refused to acclimatize above 23,000’ on another, and I gave up mentally on my third. The vast majority of Everest climbers have full time jobs, full time families and cannot spend many hours everyday for a year to get in professional shape; so it becomes critical to make every workout count without hurting yourself. For my forth attempt and successful summit on Everest, my training mantra became: When you think you have given it your all, you have just started if you want to summit Everest. If you ask 100 Everest climbers you might get 101 different answers on the way to train and I don’t think there is one ‘perfect’ approach. Some climbers will say cycling for 5 to 8 hours in the middle of the night is , others will prefer swimming and then some say weight training will get you there. And age does play a role. But the common thread to all training is pushing yourself without injury and building mental discipline. There is no doubt that an Everest climb requires mental and physical endurance like few other sports. I consistently observe that competitive marathoners, tri-athletes and cyclists do well. However, all agree that training the mind is equally important as training the body. The biggest issue you are dealing with is the lack of oxygen on Everest and the ability for your heart and lungs to get oxygen to your muscles. You cannot do much to acclimatize at low altitudes other than by putting in the training time before you arrive at base camp which will enable you to adjust as well your body allows to the changing oxygen density. The human body simply does not function well at high altitudes and especially above 8000m (26,300′). As you go higher, the barometric pressure decreases, although the air still contains 21% oxygen, every breath contains less molecules of oxygen. There are companies that claim to help the acclimatization process through specially designed tents that simulate the reduced oxygen levels at higher elevations. I know some people who have used them for a few weeks before leaving for Everest and other climbs with success but remember that acclimatization only last a few weeks and your body will naturally adjust to the current altitude very quickly. I believe it is a myth that you can train during the acclimatization process. Once at base camp, 17,500′, the altitude prevents building and your body actually begins to deteriorate regardless of your activity. So the bottom line is that a dedicated training program is your preparation. Inside the Body For an analytic approach to training, you can overload yourself with metrics trying to establish your base level of fitness. The professional or highly dedicated athlete will speak of VO2 max which is the maximum rate your body can move and use oxygen during periods of high stress or need. Another couple of terms are anaerobic threshold (AT) and lactate threshold which is when the chemical lactate acid begins to build in your blood stream and muscles thus preventing the body from functioning at full capacity. A qualified doctor or trainer can measure these levels through a series of treadmill and blood tests. However, the essence of these measures and tests is to determine how to get red blood cells (e.g. oxygen) to your muscles and that is the key to climbing Everest. There is a third of the available oxygen on the summit of Everest thus making your heart, lungs and muscles cry out for more oxygen during the climb. Once exposed to high altitude the watery part of our blood (plasma) decreases to increase the density of the red blood cells thus making our blood thicker and harder for the heart to pump. The heart pumps faster and we breath harder to compensate and over time, this is corrected with more red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to our muscles. By climbing higher than the previous day then returning to a lower altitude, your body creates these red blood cells. Without sufficient oxygen, our muscles get tired quickly and in addition, you eventually may suffer from cerebral edema (the brain swells) or pulmonary edema (fluid build-up in the lungs). The only cure is to get lower fast (1000′ minimum) but if you are high up on the mountain this is often impossible and death is the result. The time honored and proven acclimatization process is where you “climb high, sleep low” to encourage the production of these red friends. This approach is to move slowly up the mountain (1000′ a day maximum) spending your days at a higher altitude than where you sleep up until your summit bid. Thus the many trips up and down Everest. Inside the Mind Mental toughness is a key to having a successful Everest experience. By this I don’t only mean the ability to push yourself physically but also the ability to manage your emotions and practice extreme patience. Like many sports, Everest is a long series of quick events with extreme boredom