This plan is ideal for any big technical alpine climbing route. It was originally conceived and designed for a climber prepping for a 1-day ascent of the 1938 Route on the Eiger's North Face. It works very well for any big technical alpine climb from the Moonflower Buttress (aka Bibler-Klewin Route) to the Walker Spur to the 4,500m-long Intégrale de Peuterey on Mont Blanc.
Having climbed the 1938 Route on the Eiger, and many similar routes, Steve felt he understood the fitness requirements specific to this type of climbing. This plan is designed for a climber who already possesses the technical skills required for such a route, but needs assurance of their aerobic and climbing-specific fitness. This plan will work well for climbers planning 1, 2, or 3 day ascents of the Eiger North Face or any classic big alpine route.
For more technically difficult climbing routes such as the harder climbs on the Eiger or the difficult routes on the Grandes Jorasses, it is recommend that a climber use this plan supplemented with additional technical and climbing specific training and extend the plan by repeating weeks 13 and 14 twice each.
This plan includes a four-week transition period and gradually progresses the strength and aerobic work throughout the 16-week period with the last ten days as a taper period. This plan contains consecutive hard weeks of training, but you do not have to be already training to use this plan. That's why the transition period is included.
This plan assumes you'll be mixed climbing and using ice tools. It is not designed for hard alpine rock climbing.
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Happy Training,
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