Need ideas from East Coasters

[medicsandy]

Lately I've noticed that several people on here originated from the mid-atlantic, east coast area. I'm stuck in Ohio and training for a Rainier climb in July. I've pretty much exhausted the small hills around here for training and thought some of you out there might be able to send some ideas my way on decent training hills back this way. I'm in Columbus. Looking for anything within a 4-5 hour drive. Thanks!

(Will also post this in the newbie section)

[wfinley]

Daniel Boone National Forest is about 3 hours south of you. Put on a heavy backpack and go on some long hikes. After your hike go clip bolts at the Red River Gorge. Fayetteville is 4 hours south. Take your bike and do the gorge loop (the climb up out of the gorge will give you a massive pump). Afterward climb cracks at Bridge Buttress.

[Maine-iac]

Get yourself a good gym partner and have treadmill battles. I put many miles just by walking on treadmills, it is the most boring thing in the entire world but it gets you fit. Arguably one of the harder things in mountaineering is the mental aspect of it- and if you can last a few months of flat land training only, then you will be the strongest out there!

Go for long walks- I was doing 10 mile walks here in Iowa and that seemed to do the trick. But 3 times a week on a treadmill busting ass (with an incline) for 40-60 minutes will make you burley in the outdoors.

For Rainier you need endurance, so the long boring stuff is perfect.

 

I know that's not quite what you were looking for, but I am in a similar location by being in Iowa at the moment. (Also what kind of medic are you?)

[mountainsloth]

stair master was my friend. you can also climb stairs in buildings. Just get your aerobic endurance up. Mix running around the city with stairs in buildings.

It sucks not to have large mtns to train on around you, but.... well where you live is your choice right?

 

[medicsandy]

Thanks for the great ideas! Actually, it was just what I was looking for and needed to hear. Have been out walking for miles on the trails here with my pack on and had gotten it into my head that if I wasn't walking up huge elevation, I'd never make it on Rainier. Will head south on my days off and keep hitting the tread mill.

Maine-iac....I'm a Lieutenant (Paramedic) for a large department just north of Columbus. Am a 49 y.o. female with just 2 years of climbing...so the Rainier summit attempt is starting to loom larger in my mind and the mental part is just starting in on me. Just worried about training enough, since I don't really know what "enough" is.

Thanks guys!

[NYice]

Rhodes Tower stairwell.