Climbing Mont Blanc: Preparation - Fitness

• Introduction


• Preparation - Booking


• Preparation - Fitness


• Preparation - Gear


• Training Days


• Restday


• Ascent Day 1


• Ascent Day 2 - Up


• Ascent Day 2 - Down


• Epilogue

You need to be fit. On our ascent day we did eleven hours of almost non-stop hiking and scrambling (and that was a fast time). Much of this is in snow and wind, at altitude with 10-12kg on your back. The final few hundred metres up are tough going. This is all following a fairly rigorous first day and you will only get two or three hours sleep (if you are lucky) beforehand in the Goûter hut. For my training I ran about 5km twice a week, sometimes longer and sometimes three times. I tried to get in a day or two of hill-walking at the weekends of at least four to five hours and a few +sevens.

[caption id="attachment_76" align="alignright" width="300" caption="mountain in Ireland "][/caption]

I did a fair bit of walking in Wicklow and the Mournes with the lads and tried to set a fairly brisk pace and cover a lot of ground. We did Lughnaquilla and the Glen of Imall a few times; Slieve Berneagh and Donard; and various other routes with Fancy, Djouce and around Lough Dan. Most of the routes were based on Joss Lynam's Best Irish Walks sometimes stitching an extra peak on to stretch them out a bit. This is the best physical training you can do because you are exercising all the right muscles and getting good stamina, (provided you do some long enough hikes >7 hours). On top of this it would be good to get some experience of carrying a heavy pack and do some gym work for your upper body (neither of which I did myself). As far as I recall our guides recommended starting training six months ahead and to work up to 10 hour hikes, 45 minute runs or long cycles.

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