Have you seen the recent news of our Altitude Centre trip to Kilimanjaro? If not, it will be taking place towards the end of 2018 and more information can be found here. Essentially, everything in terms of travel, accommodation and fee’s will be arranged by those who are organising the trip (360 expeditions). So now that you don’t have to worry about the logistical loopholes and you’ve booked on to the trip, you can start to think about how you are going to prepare for the adventure!

Mountaineering is one of the key focusses of ours at The Altitude Centre. Due to the environmental difference that going to altitude presents, we pride ourselves upon preparing our clients in their best possible shape for their trip, regardless of the amount of ascending required to summit. This predominantly includes use of our POD machine (passive acclimatisation on-demand), which permits exposure to simulated levels of altitude up to 6000 m. Most clients also combine this training with weekly HIIT classes and personal training sessions to really maximise their acclimatisation process and increase their fitness levels. All in all, this leads to improved performance at altitude and allows you to climb the mountain within your comfort zone and feel on top of the world (as you look down on the world, from the summit).

But who’s to say that this is enough? Well, a recent study has looked at the optimal method for trekking and mountaineering at high altitude. The two main points that the author highlights are as follows. Firstly, to prepare, an acclimatisation process is necessary for a successful summit and for those who are not close to real mountains, use of a hypoxic chamber (such as the one we have at our Trump Street centre) is an equal substitute to acclimatise with. Secondly, it is stated that a slow and individually tailored ascent is the optimal strategy to summit. During personal training sessions here at The Altitude Centre, we will be able to determine your preferred walking speed that you would like to utilise on the climb, and also help you improve this – all whilst being at altitude! Therefore, we have the full range of expertise and equipment on offer to suit the needs of those who are new and experienced mountaineers.

To kick start your training, we recommend a mountaineering consultation which will provide you with all of the necessary information regarding altitude training and your current physiological condition. From there, we can then tailor your training and acclimatisation process to your needs and get you into the best shape come the day you depart. Why hesitate? Get started now!

Study details
Burtscher, (2017). Preparation for trekking and mountaineering at high altitude. Flug u Reisemed, 24: 217-220.

N.B. this scientific paper is currently published in German, with an English abstract only. As soon as a full English version is available we will upload it to this post.