Welcome
to the Icicle training pages
This page has been written by the Icicle Chamonix staff,
and is designed for all those planning to go climbing,
skiing or trekking in the Alps, to get you into the best
shape for your course. It has been written to dispell
many training myths, and if you are likely to get a bit
upset by having to admit some home truths, then reach
for the Kleenex now! Having said that, we aren't expecting
you to become a machine à la Ueli Steck (see the
video on the left), but there is nothing surer than the
fitter you are, the more you can and will achieve.
Key
ideas and points to note about our training pages
Worried?
If you are in any doubt about your training, then
you should visit your GP in the first instance,
or then a personal trainer to ask them to help you
develop a personnalised training planner for you.
Advice?
If you still have any queries after reading these
pages, get in contact with us and speak to one of
the guiding team. Speaking
to someone who is in the mountains every day can
be a real help.
Icicle
training? We offer a range of Alpine trail running
courses, for those who seek specific hill training.
See the Alpine
Trail Running courses. We also
offer UK mountain skills weekends, usually
held in the Lake District or North Wales. The prices
for the weekends start at just £99 per person,
and are operated every weekend during May and November
each year. For more information on these training
weekends, please visit the course page; click
here.
So what are the next steps? (excuse the pun)
Take stock of what
shape you are in at the moment, and also what shape you
need to be in for your course, be it a climbing ascent
or maybe a multi-day ski tour. You then have the start
and end points and your training requirements need to
be tailored to join them. The key error that most people
make, is that they are over-optimistic about their fitness
level, or take confidence in the fact that there are some
well publicised ascents of mountains by people who are
clearly not in the best shape. It's not a case of training
to the minimum level. It's about training to a good level
to give you a good margin for success, and the fitter
you are, the more likely you will be to enjoy your course
too. Before
you start any training, please ensure you read this
If
you are starting at a very low (or non existant)
level of fitness, you need to get yourself checked
by a doctor before you start any of our training
programmes. It cannot be stressed enough that these
training planners are designed to build people up
to good levels of fitness, and that there may be
a high risk of injury or even death to those who
follow these without getting medical advice beforehand.
Don't put yourself at risk by ignoring this, and
get a check up as soon as possible!
Which
mountain sports are these Icicle training pages aimed at?
We run a wide range of
mountaineering, skiing and trekking courses, all of which have
different training needs, but all share a common requirement
of a good level of aerobic fitness. These pages have been developed
to build up your fitness to a good enough level for the course.
For more advanced training some specific muscle and tendon training
is required, but for the majority of our courses (e.g. Mont
Blanc, Off Piste Skiing, or Alpine Trekking) no specific training
is needed above a good level or aerobic fitness. These pages
talk you through the planners to choose which are the most suitable
for your course, as well as the general principles of training,
the holistic approach, diet and hydration, and the types of
exercise that you could consider using. Just remember...
Training
isn't about joining a gym, putting on fancy trainers and jogging
with your iPod looking good.
It definately isn't about being really strong with big muscles,
able to bench press huge weights.
It's about getting very hot, sweaty, smelly, out of breath,
and feeling like you want to stop!
