TRAINING PLANS

Mountaineering: Beginner Mountain Fitness

Heart Rate-Based

Prepare to climb your first mountain in 8 weeks with this beginner-friendly mountaineering training plan.

Stop dreaming and start training today.

You dream of visiting the summits of iconic peaks like Mt. Rainier, the Grand Teton, Mt. Baker, Mont Blanc, Colorado 14ers, Mt. Whitney, and numerous easier 4,000-meter and 14,000-foot peaks. Now is the time to make that dream a reality.

This 8-week beginner mountaineering training plan is the perfect preparation for a 1-3 day mountaineering objective. This includes easier peaks such as Mt Baker or Colorado 14ers. Rainier or Mont Blanc aspirants should jump up to the 12-week or, better yet, our 16-week mountaineering training plan.

As a thoroughly modern, smartwatch-compatible, heart-rate-based training plan, each workout is defined for you in terms of your desired heart rate intensity and the exact duration. The workouts are designed to be hikes or walks but can be executed as slower runs by more trained individuals. These are complemented with proven mountaineering-specific strength workouts.

Harness the transformative power of a meticulously designed training plan infused with endurance training principles that deliver results.

This training plan requires you use a chest-strap heart rate monitor and GPS watch to log all your training. For the RPE-based version of this plan, click here.

Plan details

To buy this plan, you will be taken to TrainingPeaks to complete your purchase.

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All our plans are delivered through TrainingPeaks, the most robust training tool available.

Perfect for aspiring mountaineers looking to prepare for easier 4,000-meter or 14,000-foot peaks.

The inspiring Hillary Gerardi on the summit of Mont Blanc
The inspiring Hillary Gerardi on the summit of Mont Blanc.

Built by Uphill athlete coaches with input from world-class Mountaineers​

Absolutely! This 8-week beginner mountaineering training plan is designed with aspiring mountaineers in mind, including those with no prior experience. It provides easy-to-follow instructions and is an excellent starting point for your mountaineering journey.
This is a great place to start if you’ve never followed a structured plan before. The instructions are easy to follow. Strength training is included in this plan and assumes no previous experience. It’s a popular choice for those preparing for 4,000m/14,000ft peaks, like Mont Blanc, Mt. Rainier, Colorado 14ers, etc.
Yes, it will! While this plan is focused on preparing for summits up to 4,000 meters with easy to moderate difficulty, it also serves as a launching point for bigger mountaineering adventures. The combination of strength and endurance exercises will lay a solid foundation for tackling more challenging peaks in the future.
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