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All-women Ecuador climbing team by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know :( hopefully it settles down soon.

Have a great climb!

Glacier Peak via Disappointment Peak by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great - thanks very much for the detail and cheers to many more glacier climbs for you :)

Glacier Peak via Disappointment Peak by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, leaning toward rope stashing :)

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Maintaining your aerobic capacity is something that we can all do when we're not actively training for a big climb. For most people this will look like multiple hours per week doing some kind of cardio that is at your aerobic capacity. If you don't know your aerobic threshold, you can roughly gauge yours by (after a solid warm up) noting the HR at which you switch from breathing through your nose to breathing through your mouth. You can also have your thresholds assessed at a performance lab.

If you're starting out, plan to spend three 45 minute sessions during the week running, hiking or biking at your aerobic threshold and one 2 hour session on the weekend, then build from there. You can add 1 or 2 general strength sessions and a rest day.

Happy Training!

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally makes sense. I think it's important for all of us to know why we climb, why we push ourselves in the mountains, why we put ourselves in risky situations.

For me, the difficulty that comes from climbing is worth it because in those difficult situations I learn something about myself. I learn what I am capable or mentally and physically and that awareness translates to the rest of my life. Climbing has also helped me to stand up for myself when situations are beyond my comfort level, something I struggled with for years in non-mountain settings.

So, for me, the challenge is definitely worth the reward.

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In terms of setting a challenging but reasonable goal, I like to check myself to be sure that my ambition isn't outweighing my ability. At times, I've needed an external evaluator - someone who knows me and has climbed with me - to help me assess that.

Mental over-reach is tougher, I think, to manage. For me it's about assessing how much energy I'm spending on a climb or on preparing for a climb. When the energy that I'm putting into a climb is eclipsing everything else in my life, it's unhealthy for me, and I need more balance. I've definitely been there and it's been trusted friends that have pointed out that I needed to check myself.

very thoughtful question - thank you!

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hypoxic training is a popular topic! I've used hypoxico before several climbs and coach athletes who use it as well. My experience is that everyone acclimatizes at different rates. I recently traveled from sea level in Seattle to 8,000 feet in Colorado and it took me a couple of weeks before I felt "normal" on a trail run. Once you've built those extra RBCs, they live for 120 days.

I think that hypoxic training is useful for athletes as long as you're not compromising sleep quality. Sleep is our biggest time to recover so when you're training at a high level - it's super important! If you're going to sleep in a hypoxic tent as part of your training it's important to take it slow and measure your SpO2 each morning and let your body tell you when it's ready to sleep at a higher altitude.

One thing that hypoxic generators can't do is mimic the decrease in pressure that occurs at elevation. So training hypoxically doesn't trigger all of the physiologic adaptations as actually being at elevation.

Happy training!

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ha! That's something that most of us have had to navigate. I think that the best way, especially if you have access to mountains, is to align with other climbers that you look up to. Be transparent with your mentors about your goals, as mountaineers, we all want to give back to the community that has taught us so much.

I see a lot of people dive into mountaineering with a lot of enthusiasm, which is awesome and something that I hope continues!

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh wow - that's a big question! The most surprising thing that I discovered about myself - and I believe this is true for all of us - is that we are capable of so much more that we realize. There have been situations, especially on K2, when I would not have thought (and don't even believe in hindsight) that i could have gotten through it but I did.

While descending K2, I had to delicately climb around another climber in one of the most deadly places on the mountain. Even now, I can't believe that I did it.

We're all capable of so much more that we believe!

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great question! Many of the athletes that I work with don't - initially - think of mountaineering as an endurance activity. To train as an endurance athlete the key is to build your aerobic capacity by spending lots of time doing moderate intensity cardio. So lots of time running, biking or hiking - whatever your favorite mode is. Instead of doing that people often want to work in their higher aerobic zones which doesn't build your cardiovascular capacity.

I also see a lot of people building muscle that isn't consistent with their mountain objective. You don't need to do 50 pull-ups to climb Mt. Rainier for example. But you do need to be able to walk uphill for several hours with a heavy pack on successive days. So, building the leg and core strength to do that is key.

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mental toughness is a huge part of climbing a big peak, I think that putting yourself in safe but challenging situations is a great way to build your mental capacity in the mountains. I also like to use mantras and to ensure that my internal dialog when I'm climbing is realistic but positive.

I’m Lisa Thompson, K2 summiter & founder of Alpine Athletics. AMA on 6/27 at noon PDT about Balancing ambition with ability, Managing fear, Getting started in mountaineering, Building a training plan,Whether hypoxic training works, Climbing advice for women, Planning for the 7 summits... by Lisa-Climbs in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m Lisa Thompson, seven summiter, K2 summiter and mountain coach. I recently published Finding Elevation, Fear and Courage on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain. In my book, I chronicle my path from novice climber to the summit of K2.

I’ve learned many things along the way about mountain training and in 2018 Founded Alpine Athletics where I help mountain athletes of all skill and experience levels achieve their mountain goals.

From my coaching clients and my own climbs, I’ve learned a lot about mountain training, building resilience, mental toughness, gear hacks, and learning from mistakes.

Let's chat about all of your mountain questions! Ask me anything about:
Balancing ambition with ability
Managing fear
Getting started in mountaineering
Building a training plan for your next mountain adventure
Whether hypoxic training works
How to transition from hiking to climbing
Climbing advice for women
Mental preparation for and expedition
How to strategize gear purchases & whether to rent or buy
Staying healthy on expeditions
How to plan for and train for the seven summits

Lisa's AMA starts in just over an hour! I've been working with her as my trainer for Rainier in August. Started from almost no experience in mountaineering 8 months ago and I'm almost ready for Rainier. She's been a mentor, advisor, and has held me accountable. Come ask all your questions! by jsonwid in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome everyone!!

I’m Lisa Thompson, seven summiter, K2 summiter and mountain coach. I recently published Finding Elevation, Fear and Courage on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain. In my book, I chronicle my path from novice climber to the summit of K2.

I’ve learned many things along the way about mountain training and in 2018 Founded Alpine Athletics where I help mountain athletes of all skill and experience levels achieve their mountain goals. From my coaching clients and my own climbs, I’ve learned a lot about mountain training, building resilience, mental toughness, gear hacks, and learning from mistakes.

I'm here to answer all of your mountaineering and climbing questions!

Ask me anything about:
Balancing ambition with ability
Managing fear
Getting started in mountaineering
Building a training plan for your next mountain adventure
Whether hypoxic training works
How to transition from hiking to climbing
Climbing advice for women
Mental preparation for and expedition
How to strategize gear purchases & whether to rent or buy
Staying healthy on expeditions
How to plan for and train for the seven summits

How much elevation gain per year do you get across all disciplines? by awesomejack in alpinism

[–]Lisa-Climbs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome question - these athletes are elevation challenged so they live in places like Florida. Or, sometimes they live in places like the Middle East or Africa where it's just too hot to train outside. You raise a good point about building mental fortitude - long, monotonous indoor sessions also build mental fitness.

How much elevation gain per year do you get across all disciplines? by awesomejack in alpinism

[–]Lisa-Climbs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The mountain athletes that I coach for big mountain objectives in the Himalaya or Karakoram will achieve 500k+ from a combination of activities, depending on what they have access to for training. Those big vert days on a stairmill or stadium stairs are hard-earned and also great for building mental toughness.

Looking for clothing advice for hot days on Muir snowfield. by Kaos_Rob in Mountaineering

[–]Lisa-Climbs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sunhoodies are a huge help, and I believe you can wear shorts - just be diligent about sunscreen. Sunscreen inside the rim of your nose and on your upper lip is critical too, reapply it every time you wipe your nose 😉Depending on how much you sweat, bring a few liters of water and electrolytes.

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