Climb 2010: Climbing Club & Tips

Climbing Club & Tips
Dear Expedition Inspiration hikers, many of you have already "bagged" several peaks in this area. For those of you who haven't undertaken one of our amazing summits, I thought you might like ro review some essentials.

When training for a hike, especially at an altitude, specificity of training is the key. Initially, the concern IS the altitude. Training requires several weeks at an altitude of at least 5,000 feet. (We're lucky.....take a few jaunts up Baldy and it will help prepare you.)

Other training measures are:

• You must train wearing the clothing you will be wearing for the hike; this is no time to get blisters from new boots a few hours into your hike. You need to experiment with your socks, underwear, shirts, pants, waterproof or thermal clothing. Will you need Vaseline for wear spots, or will you use micropore? Heaven forbid you are caught thinking, “What do you mean these boot aren’t waterproof?”
• This also includes backpacks, which are loaded with the same equipment you will take hiking. Not only is it important for the musculoskeletal and metabolic training effect, but you also need to get used to wearing the backpack, feeling the specific aches and pains and spend time getting the straps and packing right BEFORE you are half way through the hike.
• You will have to attempt to train in similar climates; hot destinations require training in heat (e.g., the heat of the day) and cold destinations require training at colder periods (e.g., between 1 - 5 am).
• Your hiking must be that....not going up and down on a stepper. You must prepare your neuromuscular system for walking on uneven ground that slides out below your feet, lifting the feet a little higher than usual to step over rocks or uneven pebbles....etc. Prepare your hips, knees and low back.
• You need to ensure that your diet is supporting the level of activity, especially your iron intake. You cannot afford to be anaemic when the O2 gets scarce. We can discuss carbs, protein, etc. later.
• Finally, I like to remind clients to prepare mentally. This includes training with no head phones and training for long hours. It will do little good training for two hours a day every second day when you will be hiking for eight to 10 hours ...or longer. After reaching the summit, it's the hike out that is most often fraught with mental and physical fatigue. This is where mental ability must stay focused in order to overcome or avoid unnecessary injuries. (It also makes the cold beer in the car more enjoyable.!!)