The Brilliant Momment

All your preparations, all the early mornings and later nights, this will lead you to a place you had only imagined. Be bold. Reach for new experiences. Find The Brilliant Moment.

The Brilliant Moment by Mountain Hardwear

 

 

How many 8000m peaks are there exactly?

I was recently asked by my daughter how many 8000m peaks are there? "Fourteen" I confidently responded, and wheeled off the names, Everest, K2... Well honey, daddy was wrong!

Currently, fourteen peaks are internationally recognised as above 8000m (26,250ft). However, that is about to change... You see, depending on the definition of a 'mountain' (300m or 500m of prominence?) there could be 23 peaks in the world which could be classified as above eight-thousand metres.

Recently the UIAA, which is affiliated to the International Olympic Committee, had initiated the ‘Agura’ project to identify and recognise new peaks above 8,000 metres. The Agura project has now recognised five additional peaks in Nepal and one at the China-Pakistan border as new peaks above 8,000 metres.

The six peaks recognised by the Agura project are Yarlung Khang - 8,505m (also known as Kanchenjunga West), Kanchenjunga Central - 8,473m (Nepal-India border), Kanchenjunga South - 8,476m (Nepal-India border), Lhotse Middle - 8,413m (Nepal-China border), Lhotse Shar - 8,400m (Nepal-China border) and Broad Peak Central - 8,047m (Pakistan-China border).

Final ratification may take a little longer than expected as according to the Himalayan Times, Nepal (and we assume all the other countries) will have to wait for one more year to receive the final international recognition of the additional five peaks it is looking to add as above 8000 metres because Pakistan Alpine Club and Indian Mountaineering Foundation are yet to hold their annual general meetings. However, it looks set that we will soon be talking about the 20 tallest mountains in the world!

As Gearcaster points out - What will this do to all of those who have already climbed the 14 tallest peaks, both with and without oxygen? Will Reinhold Messner or Edurne Pasaban come back to complete another 5? Nepalese officials say that the addition of the new 8000 meter peaks should not challenge records set by past climbers. If someone wants to climb the 14 highest mountains, they must still climb the original peaks - even though some of the new peaks are higher?

This is certainly an interesting move for those of us interested in High Adventures, for now there are more adventures to be had!

Future of Climbing in Nepal: New Mountains and Tighter Controls - the GearCaster

Why Nepal May Open 5 New Peaks Above 8000m To Mountaineers

 

Everest - a short time lapse film

Everest -A time lapse short film from Elia Saikaly on Vimeo.

 

363 days to go... The importance of VO2 max

The obvious problem with climbing at altitude is that there is less oxygen - a lot less! Luckily a number of physiological changes occur to allow for acclimatisation at high altitude. However, whilst the body's adaptation to high altitude helps significantly it doesn't fully compensate for the lack of oxygen. Oxygen, and how our bodies use it, is extremely important.

In his seminal book Extreme Alpinism Mark Twight highlights the importance of VO₂ max as a reference point for your training. VO₂ max is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during exercise. It is an important determinant of endurance which represents true measure of cardiovascular capacity for an individual at a given degree of fitness and more importantly - for a given degree of oxygen availability.

Given Everest has about one-third of the oxygen of normal elevations and Ama Dablam has around 46%, how does the lack of oxygen impact VO₂ max?

According to sportsmed "There is a drop in VO₂ max of 2% for every 300 m elevation above 1500 m even after allowing for full acclimatization". West et al (J. Appl. Physiol 1983) measured VO₂ max of subjects on supplemental oxygen approaching the summit of Mt. Everest, their mean VO₂ max was determined to be a mere 15.3 (ml.kg-1.min-1). At sea level an averagely fit individual would have a reading of 45 to 50ml. Clearly chronic exposure to high altitude reduces maximal O2 uptake (VO₂ max).

So is there a minimal VO₂ max one needs to climb at high altitude?

Ed Viesturs who climbed all fourteen 8000m peaks without supplemental oxygen is well known for his physiological advantage, as his VO₂ max is close to 70. This reading translated directly to his body being able to work better at high altitudes. Where most people would go anaerobic at 50 percent of their VO₂ max, Viesturs holds out until 88 percent (National Geographic).Viesturs physiology is perfectly suited to make the most efficient use of the oxygen he has in his lungs. Combined with training, focus and a strong will, that makes for a more lucid, thoughtful climber, even without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that one would need a minimal 55 to 60ml reading in order to negotiate successfully high altitude climbs. Clearly the higher your VO₂ max the better your chances of success, or rather a high VO₂ max minimizes the chance that you have to turn around due to your own physical capabilities.

Conclusions...

To quote Steve Whittington from his excellent blog Quest for Everest

"My experience at high altitude has taught me that in order to be successful, I need to focus on being healthy and taking care of my body while up there. It may seem obvious to do this, but my hardest climbs have been when I did not pay attention to my body properly. This is harder than you may think, as a long expedition grinds you down and you lose focus and discipline".

Steve's words echo my own experiences, as such, like Steve, I am going to focus on 3 goals:

1. Increase my VO₂ max - For me my current reading is roughly 54 (via proxy tests). And whilst there are many journal reports to suggest that our maximal VO₂ max is genetically based my intention is to gain as higher VO₂ max as possible... More on how later!
2. Increase Endurance and aerobic threshold - The anaerobic threshold is the point at which oxygen demand exceeds the bodies ability to supply it. The higher the anaerobic threshold, the greater your capacity to generate a given amount of energy without producing debilitating levels of lactate in the blood
3. Put on muscle so my body has fuel to cannibalise at altitude

In the coming posts I'll go into more details of how I intend to do this... Now it's time for some recovery sleep before my 21km x-country run I have planned for tomorrow morning!

 

Training for the New Alpinism

In Training for the New Alpinism, Steve House, world-class climber and Scott Johnston, coach of U.S. National Champions and World Cup Nordic Skiers, translate training theory into practice to allow you to coach yourself to any mountaineering goal.

Applying training practices from other endurance sports, House and Johnston demonstrate that following a carefully designed regimen is as effective for alpinism as it is for any other endurance sport and leads to better performance.

They deliver detailed instruction on how to plan and execute training tailored to your individual circumstances. Whether you work as a banker or a mountain guide, live in the city or the country, are an ice climber, a mountaineer heading to Denali, or a veteran of 8,000-meter peaks, your understanding of how to achieve your goals grows exponentially as you work with this book.

Chapters cover endurance and strength training theory and methodology, application and planning, nutrition, altitude, mental fitness, and assessing your goals and your strengths. Chapters are augmented with inspiring essays by world-renowned climbers, including Ueli Steck, Mark Twight, Peter Habeler, Voytek Kurtyka, and Will Gadd. Filled with photos, graphs, and illustrations.

Personally I can't wait to order my copy - http://www.amazon.com/Training-New-Alpinism-Climber-Athlete/dp/193834023X.

 

K2 - The Summit

Told through interviews, audio footage and reenactments that feel too realistic, this documentary features gorgeous cinematography to capture the essence of majesty, grandeur and danger of this mystical landscape. The interviews of the climbers that survive are remarkable, inspiring and incredible that these individuals would embark on such a life threatening adventure. This is a film that should be experienced on the big screen so be sure to catch “The Summit”

Movie Review for The Summit | Phoenix Film Festival

 

365 days and counting!

It is exactly one year before I step back into Himalayan climbing. So what are my plans for the next 365 days?

Simple, I'm going to get uber fit (well 'fitter'). A lot of urban training, a few ultra marathons, one ironman, some freeltics, some gym work, and overall conditioning!

I intend to improve my skills and learn some new ones! I shall be off to the Alps with my mate and guide Mark Walker (see Mark Walker Mountaineering) for some progressive climbing; I've decided to take some rope work qualifications; get down the wall a little more; and improve my bivi cooking skills!

Overall I'm looking forward to it immensely! I'll keep you posted.