Rookie climber needs help

[Mike Durrant]

Wife bought me a guided trip to the top of Mt. Hood for May. I have 5 months to get my ass in shape. I am (overly) dedicated to accomplishing the climb. I have some questions regarding training:

1) What kind of exercises would you recommend? I'm guessing 5-10 mile runs, stairs, lunges, core reps (sit-ups, etc.). Anything else you do that can help me?

2) I have been told to practice climbing. I live in Southern Oregon, so McLoughlin is convenient. Is that a good practice mountain? Any others (south Sister?) are easy for me to try before Hood?

 

[mthorman]

Climbing on larger mountains like Mount Hood require multiple hours of sustained effort. Running is a good aerobic activity but it doesn't mimic the effort of the climb. I would definitely recommend doing some longer hikes at a moderate pace. Try to keep going at a consistent pace for several hours. Start out with smaller distances and maybe 10% to 15% of your body weight in a pack. Work your way up in distance and weight and always try to include elevation gain. If there is a trail nearby where you can get a couple thousand feet of elevation gain in a few miles that is best. Also wear the boots you will climb in when you hike. It will help break them in and you will find out if/where you get hot spots.

 

It also helps if you have done a longer day, more elevation, or farther distance than you plan to do on the climb. That way you know what it is like, and that you can do it. For example, if you are doing Hood in a day from the lot that is a little over 5000 feet of elevation gain to the summit. So sometime before the climb do a training hike that contains 5000-6000 feet of elevation gain.

 

If you want to get deep into the specifics of training for climbing get the book "Training for the New Alpinism" by Steve House and Scott Johnson. Lots of really good information in there. One of the biggest things I learned was don't underestimate the value of training in a Zone 1 Heart Rate (which is fairly low....ie 55% to 75% of max HR).

 

Well hopefully that helps a little. Good luck with your training and climb, enjoy it!

[curtveld]

Your list of exercises describe above sounds great! If you can do all that several times a week, you are plenty fit to enjoy Hood. The fitter the better of course, but it isn't Denali or an Ironman.

 

Yes, McLoughlin is similar to the south side of Hood, basically lots of uphill hiking. It is farther from the blacktop, so you will need floatation (skis or showshoes) and avi awareness (whole other topic).

 

Perhaps more practical would be Mt Ashland? Is there a cat track or lift you could hike laps on? Much safer and more time efficient for a solo trip. You would get some feeling for working at altitude and a chance to dial in your mountain layering system.

[dougd]

Back in the 70's when I started climbing, my younger brother and I took a three week mountaineering course at the Western Forestry Center in Portland run by some Mt Hood guides. The "graduation climb" was Mt Hood of course. Those guys said if we could jog a minimum of three miles without stopping we could do it. They were right I think.

 

Although I never ran their three miles as I'd had quite enough of that in the Marines prior, and knew I could do it, and life intervened and I didn't do the summit climb with the class, I've done it a few times since along with a few other peaks and those guides knew what they were talking about.

 

Have fun preparing, and good luck on a successful climb.

 

d

Edited January 27, 2016 by dougd

[DavisMeschke]

While TFTNA is an incredible resource, I wouldn't mess around with it unless you have the time, motivation and resources to actually dedicate yourself to an entire training cycle. TFTNA is geared pretty much exclusively towards alpinism, not mountaineering. There's no need to follow a strict regimen if you're only going to be slogging 5000 feet. Run stairs, climb stairs, run hills, drag tires, etc. You don't need weighted ice tool hangs to prepare yourself for a hike. Guys used to train for the Himalayas by running and hiking. Some didn't even train at all. To each their own.

[layton]

While TFTNA is an incredible resource, I wouldn't mess around with it unless you have the time, motivation and resources to actually dedicate yourself to an entire training cycle. TFTNA is geared pretty much exclusively towards alpinism, not mountaineering. There's no need to follow a strict regimen if you're only going to be slogging 5000 feet. Run stairs, climb stairs, run hills, drag tires, etc. You don't need weighted ice tool hangs to prepare yourself for a hike. Guys used to train for the Himalayas by running and hiking. Some didn't even train at all. To each their own.

 

what he said ^^