Training for Ama Dablam

Preparation for an Alpine Ascents’ Ama Dablam Climb
During this month-long adventure to the summit of Ama Dablam (22,493’/6865m) you will travel along superb 
alpine rock, ice gullies, a heavily corniced ridge, and technical snow and ice up to 50 degrees, using all your 
alpine skills including cramponing, ascending fixed ropes, and climbing mixed rock and ice, all at high altitude. 
You must build a high degree of  strength endurance, high-altitude tolerance, and strong cardiovascular 
conditioning.
Just because you exercise regularly (up to  6 times per week)  at low altitude  does not mean you  have the 
conditioning needed to  reach the summit of Ama Dablam. Plenty of people who have the endurance to  run a 
marathon or compete in triathlons fail to summit high-altitude peaks. Pure cardiovascular fitness is simply not 
enough. Focus on building the physical conditioning necessary to ascend 3,500 feet of vertical elevation gain on 
successive days carrying 35-40 pounds.  This trip  is a Himalayan classic that  includes  beautiful climbing in 
remote territory, and with it comes a very high conditioning requirement.
Prioritize your training efforts in the following way, assuming that you are in good health and injury-free:
1. Climbing conditioning – pack-loaded uphill hiking, walking, and stair climbing
2. Strength training for the lower body and core
3. Cardiovascular training, including both aerobic and anaerobic workouts without pack weight
4. Flexibility training
Most people will need to train specifically for their climb of Ama Dablam for at least 6-9 months, building up 
from a solid baseline of fitness. During your training, you will need to progressively ramp up your hike time, 
distance and elevation gain (at roughly 10% per week) to safely and effectively build your climbing-specific 
conditioning. Trying to rush this will increase the risk of experiencing some sort of training injury and not being 
ready for  your trip. Below are more details of how to incorporate these four priorities into your  training 
program.
Climbing conditioning - Hike  along  outdoor trails, gradually increasing your pack weight until you  feel
comfortable carrying a 40 pound pack. If you live where it is relatively flat, go up and down stairs or train on an 
inclined treadmill or stairmaster. Use whatever varied surface terrain (i.e. gravel beds, sand dunes, river banks) 
you have access to.  A reasonable goal would be to ascend 3,500 feet carrying a pack of 40-50 pounds in a 2-3 
hour period, or averaging  roughly 1,500 vertical feet per hour over rugged terrain. A good training option for 
pack weight is to carry water in gallon containers or collapsible jugs, so you can dump water at the top as 
needed, to lighten the load for the descent.  
In early season, start with a hike that gains up to 2000’ elevation over 5-7 miles round trip, and carry a  20-
pound pack; each hike try adding  3-5 pounds until you are comfortable with a  40-45-pound pack, then begin 
increasing the total elevation gain and mileage. When you can gain 3,000 feet while carrying a 45-pound pack, 
start decreasing rest breaks and increasing speed on each conditioning workout.  A month from your climb, you 
should be comfortable hiking on successive days with at least 45 pounds on one of those outings.
Although you will not be carrying such weight on Ama Dablam, by conditioning your body to that degree of 
high tolerance you will have built extra reserves that will serve you very well on the mountain as you inevitably 
start to lose musculature and bodyfat from being at extreme altitude for a full month. This extra reserve will also 
make it possible to focus on the many, many other components involved in a climb of such extremes, rather 
than dealing with the added harsh reality that your physical preparation may have been somewhat less than 
adequate.





Two training techniques that will be useful for high-altitude trekking are 1) interval training and 2) back to back 
training (discussed in more detail in “Putting it all together” below.) To include interval training, find a steep 
hill or sets of stairs that will allow you to climb steadily for several minutes. Push as hard as you can going up, 
then recover coming down, and repeat for anywhere from 20-45 minutes depending on how close to your climb 
you are.  Gradually add weight to your pack (no more than 10% per week) until you can carry 40 pounds the 
entire time. If possible, participate in as many hikes at altitude – and in winter conditions -- as you possibly can
to learn how your body reacts in extreme cold and above 13,000 feet elevation.
Strength conditioning - Training with free weights, bands, a backpack, bodyweight exercises, or gym 
machines will help you build overall strength, particularly in the core (lower back and abdominals), upper back 
and shoulders, and legs. Developing strength in your upper back and shoulders will help you with such tasks as 
carrying your pack and using trekking poles effectively.  The calves, hips, quads, hamstrings and glutes are all 
involved in ascending and descending steep, hard-packed snow and ice slopes, and a great degree of strength 
endurance is required in all areas of the legs and hips.
Training primarily with free weights will give you the functional, climbing-specific strength that will help you 
most in the mountains. Free weight-training requires that you balance the weights as you would your own body, 
weighted with a pack, in three-dimensional space. When starting any strength conditioning program, complete 
two full-body strength workouts a week for  45-60 minutes each, focusing on compound exercises such as 
squats, lunges, step-ups, dips, pull-ups, rows, dead lifts, bench presses, pushups, and overhead presses.  
Incorporate 1-2 weekly gym climbing sessions as well, focusing on building endurance in calves, forearms, and 
core.
In the beginning phase of strength conditioning, focus on building a foundation for harder workouts; to that end, 
keep the weight light enough to concentrate on good form and complete 2 sets of each exercise for 8-10 
repetitions. As you continue to train, you will shift focus to building  strength (generally lower reps 5-8 with 
heavier weight). 4-6 weeks before your climb, shift your training to focus on strength endurance (higher reps 
10-15 with light weight) to turn the newly gained strength into greater strength endurance. Each training phase 
should vary the weight used, repetitions completed, number of sets, and rest intervals. Regardless of training 
phase, always be sure you maintain proper form in order to prevent injury or strain.
Cardiovascular conditioning – Include spinal-loading aerobic training options 4-6 times a week. Appropriate 
options include trail running,  walking on an inclined treadmill, doing stair stepping or  step mill training, 
jogging, working on an elliptical machine, walking up and down hills, or participating in step aerobic classes. 
While biking, rowing and swimming are aerobic options for the earliest stages of training, be sure as you get 
closer to your trip that you include activities suggested above that load the spine and legs the same way that 
hiking will. 
When first beginning a cardiovascular training program, begin with three weekly workouts of 30-45 minutes of 
sustained activity at a moderate intensity, and build to 4-5 aerobic sessions of sustained effort for at least 45-60 
minutes. Be sure to include a 5-10 minute gentle warm-up before working at your target heart rate for the day
(for most workouts, choose a level of exertion that allows you to connect a few words together in a phrase, but 
leaves you feeling comfortably tired at the end of the workout), and cool down with 5-10 minutes of appropriate 
stretching of the muscles you use most in your activity,  including lower back, calves, hamstrings, hips and 
quadriceps.
Flexibility conditioning  – Be sure to include at least 5-10 minutes of targeted stretching following every 
workout, specifically for the hamstrings, glutes, hips, calves, forearms, lower back and quadriceps. If you have 
any areas of concern early season, add emphasis to making sure you have normal range of motion about all your 
joints. This will become even more important as you add weight and distance to your conditioners

Putting it all together --

Roughly a month before 
your climb, you should 
be at the conditioning 
level where you are 
comfortable hiking on 
consecutive weekend 
days, what  is referred to 
as Back-to-Back training. 
This involves hiking with 
your target  climb pack 
weight (40-45 pounds) on 
the first day for at least 
3,000’ gain, and a 
somewhat lighter pack 
(30-35 pounds)  for 
greater mileage or 
elevation gain (or both)
on the second day to 
simulate the back-to-back 
requirements of long 
days on your  trip. This 
will not only be helpful 
physically but also 
prepare you 
psychologically for the challenge of repeat high-effort days without any recovery days in between. A sample 
week of training a month prior to your climb might look like the chart above, in an effort to help you build as 
much stamina as possible.
Be sure to include at least one recovery day per week and listen closely to your body. Take the final week to 
taper or gradually reduce intensity and volume of training so that by the time you leave for your trip  you are 
well rested and physically and psychologically up to the challenge.
You can find additional training resources at www.BodyResults.com for the following:
• Training Articles
• Training Books and DVDs
• Customized Online Mountaineering Specific Training
Special discounts are available for Alpine Ascents Customers at the page www.BodyResults.com/aai
This training information was provided by Wilderness Sports Conditioning experts Courtenay and Doug 
Schurman of BodyResults.com.  They are the exclusive conditioning resource for Alpine Ascents.  They 
oversee all client training, are co-authors of the book, The Outdoor Athlete (2009) and are creators of the 
Train To Climb Mt Rainier DVD.