24 Week Mountaineering Training Plan

RPE-Based

Get ready to climb with the world’s best-selling and most sought-after mountaineering training plan.

our #1 best-selling mountaineering training plan year after year!

If you want to maximize your chances of success on peaks like Denali, Aconcagua, Lhotse, or Mount Everest, you’re in the right place.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced climber, this structured training plan is built to adapt to all skill levels. We do this through our famous at-home aerobic threshold test. This test, and the analysis of the results, will determine your training zones. All the aerobic workouts in the training plan are built to be uploaded to your smartwatch.

Unlimited updates are included with this plan at no additional cost.

We first published this training plan in 2016 and over the years we have added expanded educational content explaining why you are doing certain workouts. You’ll learn about Muscular Endurance training as you do it with our education forward explanations. You’ll get DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) reduction tips. And benefit from new ideas to help you get the most out of your recovery days.

This plan is built on the three pillars of Uphill Athlete Training: Aerobic Base, Periodized Strength Training, and Specific Muscular Endurance workouts that will have you carrying heavy packs up the steepest hill you can find. With our proven methodology you’ll gain the physical strength, endurance, and mental resilience necessary to tackle any big mountain expedition.

This plan is based on your RPE, or “Rate of Perceived Exertion,” where workout intensities are guided by how hard you are working based on your perception of effort (how hard the workout feels to you) rather than by heart rate. This plan is an adapted option for those who want to learn to calibrate their true effort levels in their workouts. For the HR-based version of this plan, click here.

Whether you use an RPE-based or heart rate-based training plan, we recommend that you use a chest-strap heart rate monitor and GPS watch to log all your training.

Smartwatch compatibility for strength workouts will be added to all our training plans in 2024.

Plan details

Our top-rated and best-selling advanced mountaineering training plan.
Buy it once. Own it forever. Unlimited Updates.
Email support and forum support.
Structured progression of training through a transition period, a base period, the mountaineering-specific period, and finally a taper period.
Mountaineering-specific strength workouts.
Mountaineering-specific muscular endurance workouts.
This proven plan has been used to crush big expedition peaks including Everest, Aconcagua, and Denali.
Good for both guided and unguided climbers.
144 workouts.
Authored by Steve House, Uphill Athlete founder, IFMGA qualified mountain guide and author of Training for the New Alpinism and Training for the Uphill Athlete.

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.

Designed for mountaineers who are determined to attain the fitness and resilience required to summit formidable peaks like Mt. Everest.

Built by Uphill athlete coaches with input from world-class Mountaineers

Is this plan suitable for climbers who have never attempted an expedition before?

Absolutely! Our 24-week advanced mountaineering expedition training plan is designed to adapt to climbers of all experience levels, including those embarking on their first expedition. It provides structured training to build the necessary fitness and resilience required for big mountain ascents.

How much time commitment is required for this training plan?

This plan is designed to progressively increase your training load over the course of 24 weeks, starting with a manageable workload and gradually building up. It’s essential to dedicate consistent time to training, with sessions that can range from 6 to 11 hours per week in the later stages.

How will this plan prepare me for specific challenges encountered during high-altitude expeditions?

Our plan includes three key training blocks focusing on building an Aerobic Base, engaging in Periodized Strength Training, and enhancing Specific Muscular Endurance. These components build upon one another to prepare you for the physical demands, including carrying heavy packs, common during high-altitude expeditions.

In 2024 we will introduce a plan that supports normo-baric hypoxic preparation, aka hypoxico tents or pre-acclimatization.

Is this plan too much for smaller duration mountaineering expeditions?

Definitely not! Since this comprehensive plan contains a solid amount of time building up each of our key training concepts, it’s also an excellent plan for a variety of mountain objectives.

How do I maintain my fitness from this plan after completion if the expedition got canceled?

Since this plan begins with a Transition phase, you can go back to the beginning and repeat that. In that case we recommend restarting with week five as you won’t need the full eight week transition period. If you feel you need more rest, we recommend cutting the time of the aerobic workouts by 10-20% but leave the strength training as-is.

I still have questions!

Can’t decide? Try our training plan navigator or contact us.

I have meticulously followed the 24-week Mountaineering Plan three times.

I completed the 24-week Mountaineering Plan in preparation for a Denali West Buttress expedition. I'm pleased to say that I was successfully able to summit Denali, and throughout the whole expedition, I felt strong with big loads and at altitude. I had more in the tank if needed. The mantra of "Train hard, fight easy" certainly applies, and I will absolutely use this program again for other expeditions.