24 Week Expeditionary Mountaineering Training Plan

Going on an expedition? This training plan is for you.

This is an ideal plan is for those who have a goal of maximizing their chances of success on a big expeditionary peak such as Denali or Everest. This would also be an ideal plan for an experienced mountaineer with a good base of endurance to use in preparing for the most difficult 8,000ers such as K2 and Makalu. This 24 week plan progresses gradually. Each of the three 8 week periods serves a different purpose and are not meant to be a stand alone programs. Stick with this plan and we are confident that you will see very significant changes in your fitness.

This plan is based on scientifically sound training practices and a combined thirty years of professional endurance coaching experience and sixty years of world-wide climbing and mountaineering experience. The plan starts with a self-administered Aerobic Threshold, either indoors or outdoors, assessment test. From this you will establish the training intensity limit for most of the aerobic base training that will dominate in the overall plan but especially in the first 8 weeks. The first 8 weeks also include a simple, easy-to-apply strength program to help you develop what is called strength reserve, the ability to repeatedly execute strength-dependent movements such as taking a step while wearing a heavy backpack.

The next 8 weeks applies more complex strength training methods aimed at maximizing your strength through proven strategies to improve neuromuscular coordination of muscular contractions; you'll become a lot stronger without adding weight or size during these weeks. Starting in the seventeenth week of the plan we incorporate our proven mountaineering-specific muscular endurance workouts. Complete these, but only after laying the base during the previous weeks of strength training, and you'll put the frosting on your fitness cake.