#AlpinePrinciples Debriefing a complicated climbing day can be one of the best ways to learn and strengthen your climbing partnerships. This is something I adopted from the guide-training process I went through back in the 1990s. At Alpine Mentors, we debriefed every day of climbing, and all came away with a feeling that this process was the most valuable part of the Alpine Mentors experience—the place where the real learning happened. Here are two tools to help you, first a video and then a printable checklist so you and your partners can conduct your own debriefs. Here is the video,…
Author: Steve House
Bouldering 4×4 drills have been around for a long time. But what are they and when should you do them? I first heard about 4x4s one of the first times I ever entered a bouldering gym. It was the mid-1990s in Salt Lake City and I was with Kim Csizmazia and early sport climbing pioneer Chris Grover. I was in town to climb Wasatch ice and all I remember is sweating a lot and falling off most of the crimpy-feeling holds. Not a great start to my relationship with this valuable tool. 4x4s: A Tool for Power-Endurance Bouldering 4×4 drills,…
In the Alpine Principles video series, one of the most popular videos to date has been "Pay Attention." It covers a lot of important topics in a short time: speed, efficiency, random chances, situational awareness, partner communications, staying attached, and the risks of "easy" climbing. I’d like to take the opportunity here to flesh these out and dive deeper into the meaning of each concept. But first, the video: Speed and Efficiency Speed and efficiency are terms that are thrown around a lot in climbing. And it’s amazing how much variation there is in what people consider "fast." Let’s look…
The first video in the Alpine Principles video series is titled "Perfect Preparation." That this title is first about making judgments in alpine climbing, mountaineering, ski mountaineering, and mountain running is neither an accident nor a coincidence. In fact, a major subprinciple of this concept, which Uphill Athlete is dedicated to, is physical preparation. Since we have that pretty well covered I will dive into ideas of motivation, partners, patience, covering your bases, and knowing what you don’t know. Understand Your Motivations Understand why you’re there, why you want to go there. This is the first step and one of…
Denali climbing season is here! While over 1,200 climbers attempt the highest point in North America each season, the success rate on Denali hovers around 50 percent. Denali is a very unique mountain. Climbers are faced with a combination of massive glaciers, continuous winter conditions, and frequent storms that can be both windy and produce a meter or more of snow in a day. They must haul sleds to transport the bulky food and clothing and equipment needed in such a harsh environment, and it is common to use the generally accepted double-carry method to get in position for a…
Nutrition planning for a high-altitude expedition is different from planning for training at home. Above 3,000 to 4,000 meters, appetite declines. Above 5,000 meters, hypoxic-induced anorexia is nearly universal. At the same time, metabolic rate and daily energy expenditure increase. The result is a caloric deficit that most climbers do not adequately offset, leading to significant muscle mass loss over the course of the expedition. This article covers what to expect nutritionally at altitude, how to estimate your energy needs, what to pack, and practical strategies for eating when your appetite is working against you. Why Do Climbers Lose Muscle…
Alpinist Vince Anderson explains his thought process for locating and building a belay while ice climbing. The process is much the same when determining where to belay on a multipitch alpine route. Among the factors he considers are how protected the stance is, how comfortable it is, and how solid the ice is for building an anchor. Once Vince decides where he want to set up his belay, he immediately gets himself secured: he gets his first ice screw in, which involves pinpointing a prime placement and choosing an appropriate-length screw. Watch the following for his full explanation and demonstration.…
When I was young I discovered climbing, through my parents. I was fascinated by the big world of mountains from day one. I can’t say I ever made a conscious decision to become a climber; I followed a path of fascination that developed into a love. Thirty years on and I’m still climbing and I still love it and I still create new, interesting adventures. Thankfully, I’ve also become a coach via the platform of Uphill Athlete. Besides the balance and strategy of creating workouts to mold an athlete to be her best, what most fascinates me about coaching are…
#Alpineprinciples This video could save your life. Why? Because most mountain accidents happen on the descent. In "Fail Well," the third installment of the Alpine Principles video series, we discuss why failure is important and detail how to descend well. Topics covered include how to err on the right side of survival; what kills descending climbers; and how to think in terms of islands of safety. Success as an alpinist is dying of old age, in bed, surrounded by loved ones. Success on a climb is going up, making good decisions, and coming back down safely. -by Steve House
Climbing mountains is incredibly dangerous. I believe long-term success as an alpinist should be defined as survival to old age. Alpinism and all its component sports—rock, ice, and mixed climbing; ski touring; and ski mountaineering—are a continuous series of life-and-death decisions that begin with planning and end when you finally step off the mountain. Technical skills (rope work, belaying, etc.) and movement (climbing or skiing) skills are easily focused on. But when you look at what kills people, it’s usually not a bad belay or an inability to climb well. This is especially true when you look at accidents among…