Training to Climb Mt Shasta
If you're interested in climbing Mount Shasta this season I encourage you to go for it!Commit to climbing in the best style possible and start training. Showing up fit will increase your margin of safety, level of enjoyment, and chances of success. Being in great shape improves every aspect of your trip. You will gain the confidence of your team and your guides. Start now, you’ll be glad you did.
Anyone who’s ever climbed a mountain knows success is never guaranteed. Weather, altitude, teamwork, equipment, and nutrition can all present challenges in the mountains. There are many variables at play on a long climb. Some are beyond our control and all are easier to deal with if you've been training. In reality there are very few things that a climber is actually in control of other than the body and mindset they show up with. Being fit raises the fun factor and gives you the capacity to deal with challenging situations.
Weather presents hazards you can’t control. But, if you're fit you can reduce your exposure to its hazards by utilizing speed. Incoming storms, rising avalanche hazard, rock/ice fall and lightening threats. All are better managed with the ability to move to a safer location fast. The faster you can move in the mountains the lower your exposure to risk.
Altitude is another factor that's out of your control. It takes weeks to acclimatize so it's rarely practical on a peak like Shasta. No worries, training provides you tools to deal with your lofty goal. Being in shape and well trained go a long way at altitude. Physical fitness doesn't speed up acclimatization. It does provide you with a deep connection with your own abilities and body function. Through training, we develop better body awareness, proper pacing, breathing techniques, and muscle memory. These abilities improve performance at elevation.
Being in good shape can turn you into you a better teammate and captain. Your contribution to the team is something you can take ownership of. With months of training you'll have the level of fitness needed to take part in tasks like trail breaking, route finding, and setting up camp. The best team members and leaders work to maintain a positive and realistic outlook. Being in good shape helps with this mindset. It leaves energy for great communication and decision making during a long climb.
When climbing Shasta you’ll use quite a bit of specialized equipment and need the strength to carry it uphill for long periods. Backpacks, boots, crampons, helmets, ropes, food, water, clothing. It all gets heavy over the course of a long day. Even if you've got ultra-light gear it adds up. If you are renting gear you’ll need to be ready to carry what’s available at the shop. The perfect training plan would include practice with some of or all the equipment.
Sustaining the energy needed for the slow and steady grind of mountaineering requires a lot of food. Good nutrition is one of the biggest factors contributing to a climber's safety, fun, and success. As we say at SMG, "Eaters are summiteers". How does this relate to training? Long training hikes are opportunities to develop solid nutrition strategies. Sort out what and how much food works best throughout your training plan. This way you won’t be experimenting too much when you're on the mountain.
Using a good training plan before attempting a big climb has its advantages. Training can offer major rewards if one approaches it with a realistic outlook and utilizes the right methods.
During my time in the mountains I've worked with and observed climbers at all levels of fitness. I've guided many climbers and skiers who climbed to their physical limit only to fall short of their goals. All guides share this experience. Through conversations and interactions with these climbers and my fellow guides I've noticed several common mistakes people make when training to climb Mount Shasta. My observations and the advice that follows below align with proven training principles utilized by top level alpinists and champions of any sport. I want to share my thoughts on how climbers could improve their training strategies.
To best train for any sport you must understand the demands of that sport and then mimic those demands in your training. Mountaineering is no different. It's a sport requiring technical skills and the use of specialized equipment. Prolonged efforts of uphill and downhill travel on foot are the norm. Aerobic capacity, strength, and muscular endurance are heavily relied upon.
A thorough understanding the specific goal you're training for is also helpful. Mt Shasta stands 14,179' above sea level. To climb and descend it requires over 7000' of elevation gain and loss (with a heavy pack in some cases). The distance covered on the major routes is about 10-15 linear miles of mixed terrain. This is usually completed in 1-4 days. It might not be superhuman but it's a big effort best enjoyed in top fitness.
Climbing and descending Shasta even in the best style takes hours. Fast or slow it's an aerobic effort. Extensive aerobic training is one of the best components a mountain training plan can have. Training your aerobic system for long durations a few times a week is important. When you approach this kind of training think, "low intensity steady state", LISS. It's the same concept as "long slow distance". Even fast climbers train this way. Building a big aerobic engine takes time and patience but it pays dividends in the mountains.
Mountaineering is a foot borne sport. For that reason it's best trained for on foot by hiking (or running if you can do this at a low intensity). There’s no way around this. Activities other than climbing, hiking, walking, and running don't mimic the movement in mountaineering enough to rely on. Overusing other methods and modalities such as cycling, swimming, or short HIIT workouts can be a waste of valuable training hours for the mountaineer. To build your endurance and capacity for mountaineering to its potential you must put a significant number of training hours on foot.
A good plan should include plenty of uphill. Long flat hikes and runs have their place but keep in mind this is an uphill sport. To further meet its demands you need to accumulate vertical gain during your training plan. Hills are a powerful training tool for the mountaineer. If you’ve got access to mountains or hills you're at an advantage. If you don’t have hills around, you can use substitutes such as stairs, stair-master machines, and treadmills set to a very steep incline. A box or step is very effective at accumulating vert and building strength and muscular endurance.
Strength training's many benefits make it a sensible part of any training program. It increases bone density, strengthens connective tissues, and improves metabolic function. The list goes on and on. Some mountaineers and endurance types overlook strength training. A mountaineer stands to gain strength, balance, mobility, and durability through regular strength training. The gains from the early weeks of a training plan allow a climber to progress their training load in good form. Building strength in the core and legs allows you to carry weight and protects your joints during those long training hikes. The mountaineer who trains strength has a better chance at getting up and down the mountain without injury. You'll be happy that you've developed such strength and your knees will thank you on the way down.
Your training will be effective if you understand and meet the physical requirements of mountaineering. Focus on the energy systems and modalities most relied upon and use strength training to support this focus. Start early and give yourself at least several weeks of training. Develop or purchase a training plan and stick to it. Train consistently and don’t expect shortcuts. If you can, hire a trainer/coach or join a group program.
This is a great time to start training to climb Mount Shasta. There's a lot of support for the mountain training community right now and several several resources available.
UpHill Athlete is a tremendous resource as is the book, “Training for the Uphill Athlete”, by Steve House, Scott Johnston, and Kilian Jornet.
Casaval Personal Training, my own company, offers 1 on 1 coaching and training programs specific to Mount Shasta from a guide’s perspective. Visit the website and reach out if there’s any way I can help you.
My colleagues and I love to help people achieve their goals, that’s why most of us do what we do. We as guides are always looking for ways to help our guests set clear expectations and prepare so that they’re set up for success. I hope this article has helped. Thanks for reading.