quote:
I don't think everest climbers are top 1% of anything except for selfish stupidity. Just a bunch of people with egos trying to prove something.
Really? Just a bunch of people with egos? I've been climbing mountains since I was 10 years old. I climb because I absolutely love it. I train for it like anything else. Hours and hours a week go into getting the 3 staples of climbing ready. Legs, lungs and core. All on top of regular fitness. Do I want to climb Everest? Absolutely. Why? Because it is the tallest piece of rock on the planet and one of the hardest things to do. As someone who loves to push myself and climb higher and higher, Everest is the natural end goal. My high point right now is Cayambe down in Ecuador at just under 19k. I don't think my ego has anything to do with. My ego has more effect when I run a marathon because it is me against other competitors. In climbing, its me vs. the mountain. I'm not thinking about putting that cute little 26.2/70.3/140.6 sticker on the back of my car so that all my coworkers and church members can see it. I'm thinking about my goal, that summit and knowing that is only the halfway point. I think it was Steve Jones that said that running a marathon doesn't make you a marathoner anymore because so many people are simply going from point A to point B. They aren't racing or trying to go as fast as they can. They are just doing it to be part of an event. I know these aren't the greatest comparisons because one is a race against fellow racers and on is an extreme endurance trial with a goal to reach and then you have to go back to where you started. That said, there are plenty of people that do it just to say they've done it and I think the sport of alpine climbing is lost on them. There is something incredibly awe-inspiring when standing on the summit of any mountain. Everything dwarfs in front of you and the views are sensational. It is very easy to get lost in the moment. You can realize how small you are and that this planet holds some amazing treasures. Definitely a humbling experience up high.
As for being in the 1%, alpine climbing is just like every other activity and sport. There are amazing athletes in alpine climbing and then there are people who aren't. The guys who win the Iron Man races are 1% athletes. Those who finish in 16 hours are not. Its the same for every sport. Some people have been able to do a complete ascent from EBC to the summit in as little as 9 hours. Thats incredible. Lots of climbers take 6 hours to simply get to Camp 1. EBC sits at around 18k feet and the summit is just over 29k. So I'd say it takes a 1% athlete to make that climb in under 12 hours, much less 9. Honestly, anyone who can do it in a day is unnatural. No amount of training can prepare you to do that.
As for training,most of what I do is endurance based. Running and cycling. Playing soccer to switch it up from endurance to sprinting. Interval training is a huge deal in my mind for big mountains because you push yourself to get to a certain point before grabbing a rest. The next boulder or that next big snow drift or the turn around the corner. Setting small goals to reach the top keeps the mind steady. Olympic lifts keep the power in my legs and help add explosiveness with my steps. I have a treadmill in my office that I use for patients that goes up to a 25 degree incline. I'll hop on it all the way up for a couple hours after work while a soccer game is on. I do stadium hikes with a full backpack. If we are going considerably higher than 14k, I will try and get out to the Rockies for at least a weekend a month or so prior to a climb to get some altitude work in. What I would give to live there all the time. Lots of core work to help with carrying a pack/gear up the mountain. A strong core is something a lot of people don't train and it can be costly. Yoga to help stay flexible and agile. Also helps with balance.
