Tom:

I wish you well in your rehab. Having undergone 7 knee surgeries to my R knee over a 35 year period after a major accident on Denali in 1978 I have a lot of experience coming back from knee surgeries. The rehab is critical to a good outcome. Do not leave it up to your physical therapist. You have to be on this every day and often multiple times a day to ensure that your knee gets as healthy a possible. You will always have a ‘bad’ knee. The trick is having the strength to be able to compensate for the loss of functionality that you will experience. If you’re in Chamonix and seeing Neil then you are in good hands. Once you are cleared by your PT to begin a strength training program we can help with that process. Myself and coach Carolyn Parker can help with a program designed to your specific needs. It will be one initially based on increasing strength since that will be key to your long term success. We can provide this either with a Custom plan or with personal coaching.
Be advised that Steve and I have struggled for years to find the perfect solution for guides. Fitting training into a guide’s life is challenging to say the least. We’ve developed some compromised solutions that so far have worked well for the several guides we’ve tested them on. But, each guide’s situation is a bit different.

When you are ready please get in touch and we can discuss the best way forward for you.

Scott

Hi Tom,

I’m a amateur climber and skier based in Switzerland, and I have been to Cham dozens of times. On April 1st I injured my knee skiing on piste at Flegere. Partially torn ACL, partially torn MCL, bruised tibia. Two doctors have independently recommended that I do not need surgery, although when/if I return to sports, there is a chance that I will feel something is not right in my knee, and I might then need surgery.

I am treating this as really conservatively, and following a rehab plan similar to recovery from an ACL reconstruction.

I have worked with Steve over the last year for ice/mixed strength and found his help invaluable, so I reached out to Scott about my knee.

Like you, I hope to start a structured strength training program for my legs, to come back stronger next year. I also will take some ski lessons, to try to improve my mediocre technique, so that I don’t have as much chance of falling.

I sympathize with you, and I understand how frustrating and difficult this must be, especially in your case, because you are a guide.

I would say that I have had an overwhelmingly positive experience with Scott ad Steve, and I highly recommend their guidance and support, at whatever level you can afford.

I also found the following video series very helpful. They appear to have been produced by a large sports clinic in the US.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TAslg8p2Vo

That’s the link to Phase 1 of recovery from an ACL reconstruction. You should be able to find the videos for phases 2-6. It starts off easy but by the end the exercises look quite difficult. It’s a little more geared toward sports like football and basketball, but the principles are the same.

Be advised–there is a period of static in that first video. Just click through until the demonstrations and explanations of the exercises start.

I am learning that the family of climbers and skiers who have injured their ACL is large. You should find lots of support. I occasionally climb/ski as a paying client with guides in Cham; who know, maybe when our knees heal by next season, we can get out together.

Best of luck with your recovery, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Bruno