| |
| Training
preparations and the basics |
|
|
|
|
|
On
this page you can assess your current level of fitness,
and will find a table that we use to rate each course
in terms of fitness and stamina required. We also outline
the key principles to consider in terms of preparing for
training, and what type of fitness you are trying to achieve.
We advise on diet and hydration for sport, types of training
to avoid, and mountain specific training.
 |
Gym
fitness? In the vast amount of cases, it is
highly unlikely that you will be fit enough from
inside gym training. You need to go outside! These
pages give you advice on to what types of training
to consider. |
|
| We
are confident that we have provided more information about
the required levels of skills, training and fitness, than
any other guiding company, and it is an essential part
of our service. Obviously we have no wish for someone
to book on a course who is the wrong level. It would at
best frustrate you, and at the other end of the scale
could really impact on your enjoyment and safety. We ask
anyone booking a course to self declare on the booking
form that they meet the pre-requisite skills and fitness
requirements for the course, so it is your responsibility
to ensure that you are not overestimating your current
level at all. If in doubt, then please err on the side
of caution... |
 |
|
|
|
 |
Assessing
the correct level of course fitness
Each course has a graphic at the
top of the page that indicates the fitness and stamina level
required for each course, on a five point scale. To assess what
each level assumes as a level of fitness, see the table below.
These levels of fitness aren't to scare you, but so you can
self assess if you are fit enough for your course. We have provided
examples of courses that fit into each category, but please
refer to the course itinerary page for the precise grading of
the course, as we cannot possibly fit all of our courses onto
the table here.
|
|
|
Examples
of courses in each key category:
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level
1
|
|
This
is the lowest level for any of our courses, and we would
suggest that a 5km run would not pose you any issues.
Obviously, even though this is the lowest grade, you should
be capable of long days out on the hills, and not get
to tired from this, as well as recovering quickly. |
|
None
of our climbing trips are at this low fitness level
|
|
Chamonix
Intro Via Ferrata
|
|
None
of our ski courses are at this lowest fitness level
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level
2
|
|
We
suggest that people on courses of this grade can run 10km
without a problem, but we stress that for courses of this
level you do not need to be any fitter than this minimum
level, though it is there to ensure a good basic level
or aerobic fitness and training. |
|
Alpine
Intro Courses (both in summer and in the winter)
|
|
Acclimatisat-ion
Weekends
Snowshoe Courses
Kilimanjaro
|
|
Off
Piste
Vallee Blanche
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level
3
|
|
At
this level your fitness should be somewhere between running
a fast paced 10km run, and half marathon fitness. Typically
you'll enjoy more hill training, and so would be able
to run for about an hour and a half of cross country,
and enjoy big hill days out too. |
|
Tech
Ice & Classics
Ice & Gullies
Mount Elbrus
|
|
Corsica
GR20
Alpine Trail Running Camp
|
|
Intro
Ski Touring and Backcountry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level
4
|
|
As
an absolute minimum you should be capable of running a
half marathon in a good time (under 1hr 45mins), but realistically
you should be looking at marathon fitness for all courses
of this fitness and stamina level to ensure your endurance
is up to standard. |
|
Mont
Blanc Summits
Matterhorn
Eiger
|
|
None
of our trek courses are at this very good fitness level
|
|
Haute
Route Ski Tour
Gran Paradiso Ski Tour
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Level
5
|
|
Only
a few of our courses are marked at this level, where the
required minimum fitness level is that of being capable
of running a marathon, though it must be stressed that
the duration of time that you are exercising for on the
course, will be of a greater duration. |
|
Grandes
Jorasses
Winter Matterhorn
|
|
None
of our trek courses are at this highest fitness level
|
|
Ski
Tour up Mont Blanc
|
|
Are
these the actual requirements for the course?
Yes!
We have been operating courses for over a decade, and have adjusted
these requirements to accurately reflect the physical demands
of each course. For example, on a Mont Blanc course, it states
that you should be ideally marathon fitness, but at least running
a half marathon in a reasonable / good time (i.e. under 1hr
45mins).
 |
|
No
of course we fully accept that the two are not directly
comparable, but it indicates that you should be able to
exercise at a high aerobic output for at least 1hr 45mins
without needing to stop to rest / eat / drink, as your
body is accustomed to the effort and more importantly
the quick recovery. If you arrive for a course, and are
not the required fitness level, and this is to the detriment
of others on the course, it will be impossible for you
to participate in the activities. We advertise pre-requisite
levels of fitness to give you a good chance of obtaining
the course goals. To arrive without this fitness is a
waste of your time and money. It also puts you (and us)
under a huge amount of unecessary stress, for no reason
other than your laziness. Sorry that this paragraph is
blunt, but we know you won't be offended if you are honestly
training as required. |
|
|
|
 |
|
One
aspect that we are seeing increasingly often, is people
coming on courses, who it is impossible to judge their
fitness, as their balance is poor and their ability over
rough broken mountain terrain is so slow. Mountains where
this ability is critical, include Mont Blanc, the Eiger
and Matterhorn. In a world where people are increasingly
taking less responsibility for themselves, before booking
on a course there is no better judge of your balance and
ability on this terrain than yourself. You need to assess
if you are happy running over scree slopes, hopping across
a boulder field, and with exposure on steep ground. Balance
is a skill that requires work to improve. If you are moving
like a crab over screes, and are constantly knocking stones
down, then be honest with yourself. Consider increasing
your training on this type of ground, or consider an easier
course. |
Preparing for your course
One
of the most ignored aspects of mountaineering is the training
required for the sport. A classic example is people looking
on a map to see the height gain on a summit day, and for Mont
Blanc it is 1300m. People then equate this to walking up Ben
Nevis (same height gain), and blaming any problems on lack of
acclimatisation. To put it bluntly the courses have been designed
by professionals to maximise your acclimatisation, and if you
struggle it is your lack of training that is at fault, not us.
A fitter person acclimatises easier, and their body is better
prepared to work at maximum outputs for a long time, or where
there is less oxygen. Added into this are the factors of walking
in snow on crampons, and carrying a rucksack. This page outlines
how to prepare yourself in the best manner possible, as it is
clear that the better prepared you are, the more you will get
out of the course.
Muscle groups & aerobic efficiency
The most efficient exercise for mountaineering
is either mountaineering itself, or at least types of exercise
that develop the key muscle groups and aerobic fitness at a
similar level. Except on very difficult climbs, the main muscle
group that will be used are in the quadraceps (thighs), and
the oxygen demand by this muscle group is high, requiring a
good level of aerobic efficiency. For this reason weight training
in a gym is far less effective than running, as your muscle
capacity can only grow if the aerobic output can meet the demand.
Where there is a shortfall, lactic acid is produced and you
will feel what athletes call the 'burn'.
Recommendations
Our recommendation for the majority of
our courses, is that you should be running for 45 minutes at
least three times a week for the months before the course. Many
people try using the excuse that their joints get sore with
running. Often this is because people are overweight, and so
stress the joints anyway, but here are another couple of options
for you to consider trying: 1) Run on soft surfaces such as
grass, as it is easier on the joints and harder for muscles.
2) Go cycling but ensure there are lots of hills, & go for
2 hours at a time, not 45 minutes. When you are truthful to
yourself you probably know that currently you are not training
enough at the moment, and excuses such as 'not enough time for
training', are due to bad time management and lack of prioritisation.
Everyone leads a busy life, and if you don't get out training,
it is you and your course that may suffer. Excuses are a big
sign of weakness! Someone actually once wrote to complain about
these last two sentences. They clearly had enough time for unecessary
e-mails, but not enough time for training. |
|
 |
|
|
Diet
& Hydration
Carbohydrates are foods that release
energy easily, and should only be eaten before exercise (not
after, or before bed). If you eat lots of carbohydrates without
exercising you will put on weight. The food you eat must provide
you with the energy levels you require, as well as sufficient
levels of protein and fats. It is imperative that you keep
hydrated during your training, or your performance level will
drop significantly. This is especially important to monitor
when on your course, as you will be exercising hard at altitude.
Training to avoid
As well as advising you what training
is good for you, there are a few things to avoid... Too often
we hear tales of people whose training involved packing a
heavy rucksack and slogging over a hill. Trainers call this
resistance training, but for Alpine preparation it is useless.
It will encourage you to bulk out muscle groups for carrying
heavy loads, not that you ever carry heavy loads in the Alps
at altitude. The secondary effect is that these non required
muscle groups will burn even more oxygen, which is rare enough
at altitude, and so acclimatisation will be affected. The
tertiary effect of resistance training is the potential damage
to your back and posture that carrying heavy loads does to
you. Getting a slipped disc a month before your trip to the
Alps isn't ideal. Just remember that all good Alpinists tend
to be lean and very fit, not heavy set and very muscled.
Climbing training
Many people now have an indoor climbing
wall close to them, and this should be seen as an addition
to your aerobic training regime rather than a substitute for
one of the training sessions. The most efficient way to use
a wall is to warm up carefully, then to climb several routes
medium difficulty for you, one after another, like circuit
training in order to give you an aerobic workout. Then progress
onto hard climbs to test and develop you, and at the end don't
forget to warm down. Why not run to and from the wall to combine
your training?
|
|
 |
|
A
word of encouragement
We know how hard it can be to follow
a training planner. Don't think for one minute we aren't
aware what we are asking you to do. We've all been there
before, driving home in the dark in the rain with the
prospect of a one hour run ahead, putting on wet trainers
that haven't dried from the day before, setting off on
a run with a hangover from a party. The key to following
a planner is twofold; firstly enjoying the training, and
secondly achieving goals along the way. To enjoy the training
do whatever you need to stop being negative about it;
get good footwear and clothing, or put your favourite
music on your iPod. Make sure you are comfy and not bored.
Trudging round the block in trainers with heels that rub
and a jacket that leaks isn't fun. The training planners
are all for several weeks, so why not consider entering
a race as a half way goal to keep up the motivation. If
you are building towards half marathon fitness, do a 10km
race about a month into the planner. Look at the Runners
World website to find an event close
to you. Others train to lose weight as well as to gain
fitness, so if you are putting all the effort in, get
sponsored to lose the pounds or to run a race. Time your
regular running routes, and try to beat the times, and
do whatever keeps you happy and motivates you. Really
good luck! |
|
|
|
