Summer Training For Hut Trip

[David]

So some of my friends have decided we should do a hut trip next winter. No details yet other than they are thinking of starting in Summit County. I have skinned a bit this last winter for the first time but nothing like a multi day trip.

What suggestions do you have for a summer training program? At what point would you think I'd be fit enough to attempt. Like a century bike ride? Double century? Hiking x amount of miles in a day with 5 pound ankle weights? It's early yet and I'm putting my summer workout/fitness goals on paper. I am older now but I used to love cycling up mt passes. There's just something about a good sufferfest when I'm in shape...

Thanks.

 

[Choucas]

Long hikes at altitude. 6 — 10 hours. Reasonable size pack. No need to go nuts, just do it enough so that you can go at a steady pace all day and not feel crushed at the end. Hike for abut 1.5 hours before you take a break. No need for ankle weights. one long hike every 10 days or so. Weight room time helps but you don’t want to add bulk. Go easy on your knees. Hiking poles are a big help, particularly on the descents. Your knees will thank you.

 

[David]

Long hikes at altitude. 6 — 10 hours. Reasonable size pack. No need to go nuts, just do it enough so that you can go at a steady pace all day and not feel crushed at the end. Hike for abut 1.5 hours before you take a break. No need for ankle weights. one long hike every 10 days or so. Weight room time helps but you don’t want to add bulk. Go easy on your knees. Hiking poles are a big help, particularly on the descents. Your knees will thank you.

Thanks, but I should have mentioned I live at 500' elevation.

 

[Rod9301]

I don't hike much during the summer but i mountain bike 10+ hours a week.

When i start skinning, I'm in pretty good shape. So anything aerobic.

Nothing you can do now to acclimatize for high altitude, you will lose quickly.

A week or two before your trip.

 

[Crank]

Hikes with a pack. We looked into some hut to hut trips a few years ago: the Haute Route and the Ortler Traverse. Both required hikes (skinning) 3,000 to 4,000 feet per day of vertical with maybe a day or 2 at just 2k. Turned out to be more hiking than we were up for. We were training for it by backcountry skiing and then lots of hiking in the summer. It alos required more gear than we wanted to spend $$ on.

Look on some guide services websites and they will have fitness level guides and gear lists. You can also rent some gear.

Ultimately we decided not to go and chartered a sailboat in the Virgin Islands instead!

 

[Tony Storaro]

Like a century bike ride? Double century?

Yes.No.

Two centuries with 1000-1500 m vertical in 10 days is MUCH better than one double century with 2000-3000 m vertical and then 10 days in reanimation.

Unless you are VERY fit and can do 2 double centuries in 10 days of course.

 

[Analisa]

Cardio + elevation are the basics. I do a lot of alpine climbing in the summer, my brother does an hour on the stair machine every day, my sister in law is a runner in SF, lots of my partners mountain bike. Once you've built a foundation, get a few days with:

1 - long ass days. Figure out what works for you from a nutrition/hydration/self-care perspective for the 8-10 hour days in the skin track. (Ideally at least 1 on skins so you can get your gear & layers dialed too)

2 - back to back days. I can grind out a 7k+ vert day on skins just fine on the average weekend day, but doing 4-5k a day during my first hut trip murdered me on day 4. Squeaked out 3k, barely had the legs left to make turns. Got better through the end of the week after a mellow day, but I wish I had trained 7 days in a row to be ready for skinning 7 days in a row.

 

[David]

Yes.No.

Two centuries with 1000-1500 m vertical in 10 days is MUCH better than one double century with 2000-3000 m vertical and then 10 days in reanimation.

Unless you are VERY fit and can do 2 double centuries in 10 days of course.

I've done 6 in 6 days but it was a while ago. My thought was at least 1 on 2 or 3 consecutive Saturday's or one on Saturday and one on Sunday twice with a weekend in between.

 

[David]

Cardio + elevation are the basics. I do a lot of alpine climbing in the summer, my brother does an hour on the stair machine every day, my sister in law is a runner in SF, lots of my partners mountain bike. Once you've built a foundation, get a few days with:

1 - long ass days. Figure out what works for you from a nutrition/hydration/self-care perspective for the 8-10 hour days in the skin track. (Ideally at least 1 on skins so you can get your gear & layers dialed too)

2 - back to back days. I can grind out a 7k+ vert day on skins just fine on the average weekend day, but doing 4-5k a day during my first hut trip murdered me on day 4. Squeaked out 3k, barely had the legs left to make turns. Got better through the end of the week after a mellow day, but I wish I had trained 7 days in a row to be ready for skinning 7 days in a row.

This is the first hut trip for us all so I'm expecting 2-3 days with 1-2 nights.

 

[Tony Storaro]

My thought was at least 1 on 2 or 3 consecutive Saturday's or one on Saturday and one on Sunday twice with a weekend in between.

My vote goes to the plan where you destroy yourself completely only once a month (that'd be ride after which you will need 3-4 full days to recover) with the remaining long rides being at 75-80% of that with recovery rides after each of them.
Everything else-at 50%.

 

[Snowflake2420]

On another note, do you have the huts/trip lined up? If you're hoping to do one at a 10th Mountain Hut in Colorado, these are typically booked out and very hard to get. Another option is going with a guiding company, which is nice for a bunch of reasons.

 

[David]

On another note, do you have the huts/trip lined up? If you're hoping to do one at a 10th Mountain Hut in Colorado, these are typically booked out and very hard to get. Another option is going with a guiding company, which is nice for a bunch of reasons.

Nothing set yet. Once we can all get together again we'll hash out what we really want to do.

My preference would be to arrive and all take an Avy 1 class and acclimate for a few days and then do a guided trip for 2-3 days. I know yurts has come up as an option as well.

 

[cantunamunch]

My thought was at least 1 on 2 or 3 consecutive Saturday's or one on Saturday and one on Sunday twice with a weekend in between.

You have at least two, possibly three macrocycles in between now and then. There are plenty of plan structures that can get you multi-hundred mile weeks BUT you should probably not use the same or similar structures for both your August peak and your November- early Dec. peak.

I suggest at least one of your peaks be oriented to power - using something like a climbing rate metric (vertical per hour).

 

[Snowflake2420]

@David Cool! Lots of options then basically anywhere in the state. Let me know if you'd like recommendations.

 

[Tony Storaro]

I suggest at least one of your peaks be oriented to power - using something like a climbing rate metric (vertical per hour).

Hitting the gym come November might not be a bad idea. Squats add lots of firepower to the quads.

 

[David]

You have at least two, possibly three macrocycles in between now and then. There are plenty of plan structures that can get you multi-hundred mile weeks BUT you should probably not use the same or similar structures for both your August peak and your November- early Dec. peak.

I suggest at least one of your peaks be oriented to power - using something like a climbing rate metric (vertical per hour).

I'm in Michigan so there's not a lot of good or long climbing.

 

[David]

@David Cool! Lots of options then basically anywhere in the state. Let me know if you'd like recommendations.

Thanks, I'm open to any suggestions for newbies. I'd love to be able to get some good powder runs in during the trip as well.

 

[cantunamunch]

I'm in Michigan so there's not a lot of good or long climbing.

Doesn't have to be sustained, doesn't have to be long; you're going to do intervals anyway. Doesn't even have to be on a bike - see @Analisa's post about step machines.

 

[Bad Bob]

cardio, lots and lots of cardio. If you can't get to elevation make due with what you have. Find a hill and climb it repeatedly adding weight as it gets less challenging.

 

[TrueNorth]

Doesn't have to be sustained, doesn't have to be long; you're going to do intervals anyway. Doesn't even have to be on a bike - see @Analisa's post about step machines.

Hmm, I would say long, sustained, moderate effort is exactly what you want to train for... "Hut trip" can mean a lot of different things depending on your destination and goals, but in general you will be hiking (with skis on your feet) most of the time so you want to be able to keep going at a moderate intensity level all day (or much of the day), then get up and do it again the next day. Any form of exercise is good, but walking/hiking is probably closest to ski touring in terms of specific muscle use.

Also, it's good to have a group with roughly similar fitness levels and goals.