Pulk Training

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November 11, 2022 at 3:52 pm #72584

Steve
Participant

Question for the coaches and the group, especially folks that have climbed Denali.
For the coaches: When / how would you incorporate weighted sled pulls into a training plan for Denali?
Is this something you would include in the Advanced group or is it not necessary.
(I am thinking about a climb attempt in Spring of 24 so got [plenty of time to train)
I have the opportunity to do some winter camping in the Whites in NH and Maine this winter that involves using a pulk to haul in gear and thought it would be a good segue into that modality.
After that the next question is – anyone have a good design build that they know works well?
I have some free time and want to try and build one to work with over this winter.

Share pics and links if you have them!! Or if it’s more appropriate pass them along in the WhatsApp chat. 🙂

Cheers,
Steve O.
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Posted In: PRIVATE Mountaineering Training Group

Participant

TLoftus on November 12, 2022 at 4:06 am #72590

American Alpine Institute has a great article titled “Expedition Sled Rigging” that I used to set up for training last winter. The pictured sled turned out to be identical to what I was using to move firewood, so that was easy (and the same as sleds in Denali base camp). I just wrapped a 45-pound weight plate in a blanket and pulled it around a course of hilly hay fields. I used equal pack weight. Proved very valuable training for my 2-week trip on the Kahiltna this past May. I will use it again this year, 1x weekly, in the last block before my Denali trip. The pulley is key for an individual, or last on a rope, as it makes minding the sled easier. Cheers from VT.

Inactive

Anonymous on November 12, 2022 at 8:54 am #72593

Steve,

These plastic expedition sleds and others that are similar are what most all the guide services and air taxis are providing on Denali. This would provide a pretty realistic training tool for your winter camping in New England. They work great on the flats and ups, individual results vary on the downs depending on how they’re rigged, how they’re packed, and snow conditions. I do think its valuable to have a working familiarity of how to use them in the field and also to have trained with them a good bit so your body is used to the slightly odd direction of pull. As mentioned above 1X per week is a pretty good place to start for the last 8 weeks or so of training. A lot of folks can’t access snow locally in March/April so dragging a tire around the neighborhood might have to be a substitute.

Participant

Steve on November 13, 2022 at 1:15 pm #72608

Thanks. Good read and info on the sight. 1x week sounds like it will fit in well. I was just in the VT area a couple weeks ago to hike the 4k ft peaks there as I work on the NE 115.
Thanks,
Steve

Participant

Steve on November 13, 2022 at 3:08 pm #72609

Thanks Mark. I have a couple of sleds in the garage and they seem to be similar to the one you shared.
Time to experiment!

Cheers,
Steve

Inactive

Anonymous on November 14, 2022 at 2:59 am #72614

As well as the article mentioned above for sled rigging this AAI video shows the most common way to attach a sled haul loop to your pack. After seeing many of the more “clever” methods go wrong in the field this is exactly the way I do it on Denali.

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