Help check my getting winter climbing fit routine.

fire_munki · 13 Sep 2011 at 11:58

Hi all,
I'm off to Scotland for some winter climbing in Feb.
Can anyone check over my routine as I reckon it'll use totally different muscles to summer climbing.
I have a pull up bar, push up bars, 2 x 5kg dumb bells and a 16kg kettlebell. My bar is high enough to hook axes over.

Monday set 1
Tuesday walk from work (6 miles)
Wednesday set 2
Thursday climb
Friday climb or set 1
Saturday run 20 to 30mins/walk in b2 boots
Sunday rest/walk in b2 boots

set 1 5 x 1 mins swings
5 x 1 snatch
5 x 1 fig 8
5 x 1 side 2 side deadlift
10 to 1 dumbbell bicep curls to should press

set 2 10 to 1 push ups with 5kg dumb bells lift
10 to 1 situps
10 to 1 squats holding kb
10 to 1 leg raises
pull ups to failure on axes
6 x 30sec planks, 2 one each side.

beh · 13 Sep 2011 at 19:02

Low grade snow gullies or something a bit more technical?

Do you have some background in hillwalking? Any hills nearby?

If you're already a reasonably accomplished summer climber I'd worry more about the potentially long slog to the base of the route with a heavy pack.

fire_munki · 14 Sep 2011 at 08:47

Grade III or IV I think will be the max this trip, I reckon cardio/stamina will be the big one so will try to get plenty of miles in under my feet.

Monday set 1
Tuesday walk from work (6 miles)
Wednesday set 2
Thursday climb
Friday climb or set 1
Saturday rest/walk in b2 boots
Sunday rest/walk in b2 boots

set 1 5 x 1 mins swings
5 x 1 mins fig 8
10 to 1 alternating leg raises
10 to 1 clap press ups
5 to 1 squats kb in rh
5 to 1 squats kb in lh
pulls up on lower axe grips to failure

set 2 5 x 1 min snatch
6 x 30sec planks, 2 one each side.
5 x 1 min side 2 side deadlift
10 to 1 push ups with 5kg dumb bells lift
10 to 1 situps with 5kb weight
kb passed around head 20 clockwise
kb passed around head 20 c/clockwise
5 pull ups one hand axe/one hand bar alt
5 pull ups one hand axe/one hand bar

One of the weekends will be rest just depends on which day I want.

beh · 14 Sep 2011 at 14:37

fire_munki said:
Monday set 1
Tuesday walk from work (6 miles)
Wednesday set 2
Thursday climb
Friday climb or set 1
Saturday rest/walk in b2 boots
Sunday rest/walk in b2 boots

So, when you say "walk", is this on the flat? Hence why I was asking if you had any local hills.

If you've some background in hillwalking then the approaches won't feel quite so alien to you. Problem is, the best training for long days on the hill with a heavy pack, is to do just that.

It's not vastly different from summer climbing in that it's largely about technique/footwork rather than dragging yourself up by you're axes. For your first season I think you're focusing too heavily on upper body strength.

Looks like you've got some good responses on UKC.

fire_munki · 14 Sep 2011 at 16:54

Yeah the guys over there have been lotsa help, just thought I'd ask as many places as pos to get as much info as pos.

Gribs · 14 Sep 2011 at 17:58

Climbing winter grade III/IV really doesn't require a great deal of fitness over normal summer multipitch routes at about severe grade. Ie not all that much. If you must do some training then go for a walk in your winter boots carrying everything you expect to take with you to check that everything is comfortable.

The first time you go out you'll probably take far too much stuff. My winter rack (split between two of us) constists of 4 ice screws, 2 drive in ice pitons, 4 normal pitons, 4 slings, 1 set of rocks, 4 hex's, a few screw gates and 6 quick draws. And of course two dry treated half ropes.

Depending on how good your navigation skills are it may be worth practicing walking on bearings and pacing distances as it's fairly easy to get disoriented in a whiteout.

fire_munki · 14 Sep 2011 at 21:27

That's a smaller rack than we take for summer work!
My nav skills aren't great but since I'm on a guided beginners course I hope we won't have to rely on them.
I'm going to walk lots I think with my day sack to get used to it, don't want to come all the way up from Devon and then be too tired to have fun.

Gribs · 16 Sep 2011 at 22:38

It's less than I take cragging, but even then I'll tend to pick out what I think I'll need rather than carry everything up with me. I just found after the first couple of trips I didn't place all that much gear, and was happy with a piece every 5-10m as it's a lot more effort placing gear than it is in summer.