7 weeks until "Objective Week"

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June 25, 2020 at 3:11 pm #43053

Anonymous
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Hi UA community:
“Covid wrecked my season, etc etc.” My adjusted objective for my full-time-essential-job-married-with-2-kids-ADS-having-moderate climber-self is the Culp Bossier (following a guide) on Hallet’s in CO on a Tuesday, then Wednesday doing a 2 day climb leading by brother in law up the Cables on Longs.

Many are familiar w/ those routes but the Culp Bossier is a 5.8 8 pitch (formally in the book) climb with a relatively easy approach but it’s at 10-11k elevation (I live/train at sea level). Let’s say 2k elevation gain day 1.

The Cables Route up Longs is mostly a hike. 3.5k gain day 1, camp, 1.5k gain day 2, then back to car.

So the trip will be 2k up and down Day 1, then 5k up and down over 2 days. My training thus far has been all aerobic base (TFNA 20wk plan) like mountaineering. I can climb 5.8 without any technical training. Endurance is another matter and pre-covid I was focusing on laps and on-wall time in the gym; since March it’s been killer core and hangboarding.

My climbing gym just opened up. How much climbing do/should I add to my thus far all mountaineering training (I’m at ~7-8 hours of base and 1 strength session per week)? I’ve been structuring my workouts around getting 6k+ of gain over 2-3 days and then rest (keeping in Zone 1-2) since it mimics my objective and fits my work schedule. I was about to start my ME phase and upping weight, keep going uphill. Legs feel strong but I haven’t climbed anything in months.

Thanks
Arthur
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Posted In: Climbing

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DominicProvost on June 25, 2020 at 4:17 pm #43061

My guess would be that a weekly gym climbing day focused on ARCing couldn’t hurt, maybe replacing another workout that hits the same energy system if adding it to current load hurts recovery. I’d wait for confirmation from the actual coaches, I’m not sure how they balance the high intensity of rock climbing with the low intensity necessary to remediate ADS.

Rock Climbing Training: ARCing

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Anonymous on June 26, 2020 at 7:51 am #43067

Arthur:

There’s really nothing you can do to prep for the altitude unless you can sleep in a Hypoxic Tent for a few weeks. Otherwise you are going to be feeling the elevation A LOT. You’ll need take it pretty easy on the approaches.

These are both great/fun climbs that I’ve done many times. I agree with Dominic that ARCing sessions in the gym will best prep you for these climbs. Either auto belay on 1-2 adjacent routes of have a patient or like minded partner for long continuous climbing. The grades should be easy enough to allow for starting at 3×10 min blocks of continuous climbing with 3-10min rest between. Give building volume priority over increasing difficulty. If you can move up in grades but still maintain at least the above mentioned volume then do so.

I hope this helps,
Scott

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Anonymous on June 26, 2020 at 9:41 am #43071

Thanks it sounds like I’m on track in theory. During the winter/pre-covid I had been planning to climb the Casual Route and I was using the Josh Wharton plan mixed into the mountaineering plan. Blocks of on-wall continuous climbing is what I was doing, as you’ve recommended.

I think I’ve appropriately adjusted my sights down in grade (10a at elevation, my limit) and approach/gain. I’ve done a fair amount of peakbagging and snow climbs in RMNP (last March climbed Dragon’s Tail coul in that same drainage) so I’ve felt that altitude before and agree I think that’ll be my crux.

Thanks everyone.

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