INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO ALASKA Do your research: https://publications.americanalpineclub.org Worth buying if focused on the Ruth Gorge for Joe Puryear’s article: https://www.amazon.com/American-Alpine-Journal-John-Harlin/dp/1933056010 New Alaska Ice book (because someone asked): https://www.climbak.com Joe’s book: http://www.supertopo.com/packs/alaska.html WEATHER NWS: https://www.weather.gov NWS Anchorage: https://www.weather.gov/afc/ Point click for the Ruth Gorge: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-150.69473&lat=62.93748 University of Washington Weather: https://atmos.uw.edu/current-weather/ No American climber is more known for the Smash-and-Grab style of alpinism than our very own coach John Frieh. Smash-and-Grab climbing means that he would build his fitness, track the weather, and buy last-minute tickets to Alaska. Once there, he’d fly into the mountain, climb, and fly out asap. He climbed the…
Author: Steve House
Free speed is the idea that there is a lot to be gained by improvements in attitude and technique. People often gloss over those areas because they’re not as gratifying as getting destroyed in a workout. Coach Scott Semple and Uphill Athlete co-founder Scott Johnston will dive into what works, and what doesn’t. This was originally recorded on May 21, 2020. Here are some examples of Free Speed: Attitude toward training: Don’t waste time chasing magic bullets and lottery-ticket temptations. Attempted shortcuts are just wasted detours. Cutting a skimo race time from 3h00m to 2h40m demands an 11% increase…
With over 40 Denali summits between them, Uphill Athlete coaches Steve House and Mark Postle know what it takes to climb Denali. In this discussion the pair will focus on climbing Denali via the West Buttress (standard) route, what it is like, sprinkled with plenty of tips on how to do it. We’ll touch on the physical training for Denali, but will address that topic in-depth in a future talk. This illustrated Zoom Talk features 120 images of climbing the West Buttress. We discuss strategy, camps, food, cooking, summit strategies, and more. Originally broadcast live, May 7, 2020 You may…
Uphill Athlete coaches, led by Carolyn Parker, put together 24 free body-weight only strength workouts that are designed to be done at tempo. So your heart rate should be in your zone 1 or 2 throughout. Even for those sheltered-in-place in an urban apartment will be able to maintain most, if not all, of their aerobic conditioning by doing one of these workouts each day, or alternate with a treadmill walk or run and do one of these every second day. The workouts are highly varied to help you fend off boredom. We recommend doing one of them every second…
If you have a hangboard and a set of rings, you’re ready to take your rock climbing to the next level!Created in partnership with the Bouldering Project Well before the pandemic started Uphill Athlete’s Josh Wharton and Steve House spent months working on an extensive series of training plans in partnership with the training staff of the Bouldering Project climbing gyms. The Bouldering Project are currently in Seattle, Austin, and Minneapolis, with more locations in the works. We were due to launch training plans to Bouldering Project and Uphill Athlete members, right about now. Well, the gyms are closed, but the…
The K7 story, in the full telling, is taking three shows to cover. There is more it than one mountain. In full, this is the story of attempting the enchanting and powerful Masherbrum in 2003, discovering (for myself) the Charakusa Valley in a remote corner of the Karakoram Range. Returning to the Charakusa to climb alone, and climbing Hajji Brakk, a solo first-ascent. Then making the first attempts, and discovering the key to the route, on K7 that same season. In this show I tell the story of returning in 2004 with a larger group of friends and climbing partners…
The process of discovering and climbing K7, in 2003-2004, is my most cherished mountain experience. In this presentation I share the first half of that journey, the 2003 expedition which includes a solo first ascent of Hajji Brakk (circa 6,000m) and three attempts on K7 main (6,942m). The 2004 expedition is covered in the April 9, 2020 Zoom Hangout. The full text of the quote Steve read at the start: Message from White Eagle of the Hopi Nation, 03/16/2020: “This moment humanity is going through can now be seen as a portal and as a hole. The decision to fall…
Masherbrum, possibly the most difficult summit in the world to reach, from the north-east. Marko Prezelj Photo
Our tips for expedition success and be boiled down to three things: Control what you can control. Take the long view. Work to be in the right place at the right time. We have many years of experience on dozens of expeditions in every major mountain range in the earth. Amongst the Uphill Athlete coaching staff we have over 45 successful Denali ascents, twenty-plus expeditions to 8000m peaks, and many more trips to peaks 7000m and below. This gives us the perspective to be able to offer some tips for expedition success that help you make the most of the…