Climbing Training: 4 Usual and 4 Unconventional Tips to Boost you on Big Mountains

You know you want it. Spring is approaching and you can hardly stop thinking about that rock route or mounain peak that you’ve been wanting to climb so badly. So how’s it gonna be?

What do you do when you’re working the rat race instead of sending a beautiful alpine route or an inviting rock face? The sweetest weeks of the alpine climbing are sneaking up on us and you’re no fitter now than the same time last year! So you’ve got to train, if you’re to hit your aspiration. Today, I’m writing to share with you some conventional and unconventional tips for [TAG-TEC]climbing training[/TAG-TEC].

So, allow me to define [TAG-TEC]training for climbing[/TAG-TEC] sorta’ of liberally – I consider training to be anything that will help you climb those peaks and routes which are challanging on your own level. Maybe we should call it preparation, which climbing training is a part of. That said, gathering information and even motivating yourself should be there on the list.

So let’s not waste time, eh? And jump right into the top 4 conventional and 4 unconventional ways of climbing training. Why 4 and 7, you ask? No special reason, it’s just that I was able to come up with. OK, so here we go:

Top 4 conventional ways to train for alpine climbing in no particular order of importance:

• Bouldering – for muscle and technique. Sure it’s obvious, but beyond that… On rock and harder alpine routes, you need upper body strength. Bouldering and doing pushups, pullups is a much better way to build the upper body muscles you use to carry a rucksack, for example. Rather than training by actually walking around with heavy backpacks, find alternative ways to build those muscles. You should take care to protect your spine and not go running carrying heavy stuff when it’s unnecessary.
  Of course, climbing technique is a big win when you do bouldering. When bouldering, you’ll typically climb stuff that’s twice as hard as what you usually do on an alpine route, so it’s a great way to build skill and confidence for big walls.
• Run. Uphill is good. Especially if you’re in the woods. Running downhill on rocky terrain, you’ll need to be careful not to get your ankle twisted on rocks. When it’s muddy, you’ll need sound steps not to slip. Great practice for descending icy-rocky slopes in crampons, where good foot-technique is your life insurance.
• Trek/climb anything and everything that’s within reach until your trip to the big mountians. No need to elaborate on that. Just go easy on yourself. Be pushing your limits, but with care and do it gradually.
• Eat right. This is a huge topic way over the scope of this post, but your diet and hydration have a huge effect on how you’re able to perform. Read up on it and treat your diet as part of your training or preparation… perhaps I’ll do a post or two on the topic some other day…

With training and climbing, as with anything in life, always remember to have fun. It sounds like weird advice for the most exhilirating sport in the world, but you know very well, how a bad mood and the feeling of „forcing it” can spoil a nice day. It will also make your stamina and muscle growth less productive.

Here we go with some of the less conventional climbing training stuff…:

• Do some yoga! I was surprised to learn in one of our surveys, that 12% percent of trekkers/climbers do yoga. Increased flexibility of your joints and the strengthening of special muscle groups results in a better climbing technique. In addition, yoga can do great things for the mind, improving focus, concentration and even your willingness to appreciate life.
• Read mountaineering books/watch movies and analyze them with friends. Read up on the science of climbing training. Here is an awesome collection of articles from Eric Hörst
• Visit a mountaineering museum. I did, and even though I wasn’t blown away by the exhibition, it was educational and made me miss the couloirs and the touch of the cold wet rock.
• Visualize/meditate. Here’s a really helpful mental excercise from the coach of the Canadian Junior Climbing Team.

If you’re sorta serious about hitting challanging targets in climbing, then the first four tips probably weren’t of surprise. However, if you’re into systematic training, then I believe, you should make the unusual a routine – as paradoxical as it may seem. Get used to doing unusual things that aid climbing preparation and you will a. have more fun and b. improve more. Diversity is king.

This is just the beginning, everyone wants to hear what kind of unconventional stuff has helped YOU in climbing training.

Thanks for the pic – Postcool-Flickr