Mountaineering Training tips

To help you prepare for an expedition with The Mountain Company we have compiled some training tips to point you in the right direction!

If you live in a city then the gym might be the easiest place to start but try to get outdoors as much as possible. Being outdoors is always better as you will get used to wearing heavier boots and walking efficiently on uneven ground, and probably more enjoyable than sweating away in the gym!

The best training for mountaineering is, of course, mountaineering- so get out and do it! We understand this is not always possible, so we have split indoors training into three categories- cardiovascular conditioning, strength training and a combination of both in circuit training.

Cardiovascular conditioning
Any training regimen involving regular aerobic exercise is great for general mountaineering. It is worth noting that that the easiest and most accessible exercise is walking where you can do practically anywhere.

Jogging and uphill walking on the treadmill and aerobic classes are all good activities. Generally speaking, you should try to aim for 3 to 6 sessions per week at 30-60 minutes each time. Other sports such as cycling, swimming and squash are all good for stamina and overall fitness.

Make sure you get enough rest and recovery time in between periods of exercise; for example try not to do two days of rigorous exercise in a row as this will increase the chances of injury.

After a session it is important that you replace muscle glycogen (sometimes know as muscle fuel) by eating within 20 minutes of completing your work out; this will speed up recovery of your tired muscles.

Warming down after exercise is also very important and will speed up recovery by flushing waste products from your muscles.

Strength conditioning
It is a good idea to include an hour of strength training a couple of times a week, this can help you prepare for the demands of mountaineering and help you avoid injury.

A well balanced training schedule is recommended for mountaineering including squats, leg presses, abdominal crunches, bench & shoulder press, lat pulls and squats. Aim for 2 or 3 sets with 10 repetitions at medium resistance.

Circuit training
This is a good way of combining both cardio and strength training and helps prevent the development of muscle imbalances.

Outdoors
Try walking at a fast pace for 6 to 7 hours a day over steep terrain on consecutive days. Plus whenever you get the chance get out and climb!