Work on mastering big technical routes with Steve House as your guide.
TRAINING PLANS
HR-Based
Steve House’s premier training plan for alpinism.
Train to achieve your highest alpine goals.
“I designed this plan to address the specific fitness demands of the Eiger’s 1938 Route and similar legendary climbs. This plan is for climbers who already possess the necessary technical skills but need a framework to develop the aerobic and climbing-specific fitness essential for success (and fun!) on these routes. Whether you’re tackling a one-day push on the famous Nordwand or a two- to three-day journey up the Grand Jorasses, this plan will get you ready.”
Are you ready to take on the world’s most iconic and challenging alpine routes? This 16-week training plan is your ultimate guide to preparing for technical big mountain climbs that demand exceptional aerobic capacity, climbing-specific fitness, and unwavering commitment.
This plan is perfectly suited for any major technical alpine climb, including the Moonflower Buttress (Bibler-Klewin Route), the Walker Spur, or the awe-inspiring 4,500m-long Intégrale de Peuterey on Mont Blanc.
This comprehensive program is a progressive approach to aerobic endurance and strength development. We begin with a four-week transition period to ease you in, making it suitable even if you’re not currently training. Subsequent weeks gradually increase in intensity and volume, leading to a final 10-day taper period – arrive at your objective ready to perform at your peak. The plan includes a bonus one-week maintenance period that can be repeated while waiting for the perfect climbing window. Detailed tips on acclimating before your climb, specifically if you’re heading to the Eiger, are included.
This plan is designed for mixed climbing and the use of ice tools, focusing on the unique demands of technical alpine climbing. For climbers aiming at harder technical objectives, we recommend supplementing this plan with additional technical climbing training. You may also extend this plan by repeating weeks 13 and 14 as needed.
This training plan requires you use a chest-strap heart rate monitor and GPS watch to log all your training.
Plan details
- Ideal plan for ambitious alpinists.
- Written and tested by IFMGA guide Steve House.
- Plan is customizable to your needs.
- Progressive workouts, with key muscular endurance workouts and ample climbing time.
- Buy it once. Own it forever. Unlimited Updates.
- Aerobic workouts uploaded to your smartwatch or GPS device.
- Email support and forum support.
- Easy-to-follow instructions.
To buy this plan, you will be taken to TrainingPeaks to complete your purchase.
All our plans are delivered through TrainingPeaks, the most robust training tool available.
Built by Uphill athlete coaches with input from world-class alpinists
This training plan requires a strong commitment and a solid foundation of fitness. Stick with this plan and you will see big returns, but if you feel this plan is too challenging, start with a foundational plan and build. Fuel well and make sure to take the recovery seriously as the demands of the plan are high.
This is one of our most challenging plans, so it requires a very strong base fitness. You must have a background in aerobic and strength training to take on this plan safely. Complete our Beginner or Intermediate Alpinism plans to prepare for this Advanced plan.
This plan is easily repeatable for other objectives. If you are interested in strengthening your ice climbing specifically, check out our Ice and Mixed Climbing: Advanced Strength plan. If you are looking to increase aerobic fitness, check out our Comprehensive All Mountain Expeditions plan or our Big Vert Ultra Marathon Plan.
ALPINISM TRAINING PLANS