The plan behind the story · The eleventh time Lhakpa Sherpa climbed Everest, she went as a guide
Ten weeks to a summit day
In ten weeks you will have climbed a real mountain on your own legs, with the pack, the pacing and the turn-round time worked out in advance. If you are getting going, the same ten weeks take you from the nearest hill to a full day out with 600 metres of climbing.
Why this works
Lhakpa Sherpa has climbed Everest eleven times, more than any other woman. We-Ha.com, her local news site in West Hartford, Connecticut, reported that she prepared by walking to work and hiking the hills near home, around jobs at a supermarket and cleaning houses.
That is the method here, scaled to fit: walk uphill often, carry something, make the days longer. A summit is mostly a question of how much climbing your legs can do in one go, so this plan counts ascent, not miles.
Fitness does not cover height. The NHS (the UK health service) says altitude sickness can happen above about 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). Nothing in this plan goes that high. If your next mountain does, read “What next” first.
Before you start
- Check with your GP (family doctor) if you have not exercised for some time or have a medical condition.
- Kit. Boots or sturdy shoes, a waterproof, a warm layer, hat and gloves, food, water, a map and a head torch, in a rucksack.
- A way to measure climbing. Most walking apps and sports watches show ascent.
- A turn-round time. Decide it at home before every hill day, and keep to it.
- The forecast. REI’s guide to Mount Washington says the summit can be about 25°F colder than the trailhead. Dress for the top.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–3 (getting going) | Walk up the nearest hill at a pace you could talk at: 100–150 m (330–500 ft) of climbing, building to 300 m (1,000 ft). | 1 hill walk, 2 walks of 30–40 minutes | Make one short walk a journey you would otherwise drive. |
| 1–3 (already fit) | 60 minutes of continuous climbing on hills or stairs with 8 kg (18 lb) in a pack. | 2 sessions, 1 hill day with 600 m (2,000 ft) of ascent | Sherpa trained on the walk to work. Carry the pack on yours. |
| 4–6 (getting going) | A half day, 3 to 4 hours, with 450 m (1,500 ft) of climbing and a small pack. | 1 a week, 2–3 shorter walks | Go with a friend, a club or a guide on new ground. |
| 4–6 (already fit) | Pack up to 10 kg (22 lb). Hill day with 900 m (3,000 ft) of ascent. | 2 sessions, 1 hill day | Eat and drink every hour on the move. |
| 7–9 (getting going) | Rehearse: 2 hours in everything you will carry on the day. | Once, plus usual walks | Change anything that rubs now. |
| 7–9 (already fit) | Two hill days back to back, 900 m each, then one day with 1,100 m (3,600 ft). | 1 weekend, 1 long day | Ease off in week 9. |
| 10 (getting going) | Summit day: a hill with about 600 m (2,000 ft) of climbing. | Once | Start early. Allow as long for the way down as the way up. |
| 10 (already fit) | Summit day: about 1,300 m (4,250 ft) of climbing, REI’s figure for the Tuckerman Ravine Trail on Mount Washington (8.2 miles, 13 km). | Once | In the UK, a full mountain day such as Ben Nevis. |
If it goes wrong
- The weather turns. Go down. The mountain will be there next week.
- Your turn-round time arrives below the top. Turn round. That is what it is for.
- Sore knees on descents. Shorten your stride, use poles, lighten the pack and halve the next outing. Pain that is sharp or lasts needs a GP or physiotherapist.
- You miss a week or two. Go back one row.
- Chest pain that spreads or does not ease, severe breathlessness or fainting: stop and call 999 (911 in the US).
Track it
One line per outing: date, hill, metres or feet climbed, hours, pack weight, how the descent felt. Add up the ascent each week.
What next
- Going above 2,500 metres (8,200 ft)? Plan the pace before the route. The NHS advises a few days below 2,500 metres first; above 3,000 metres, sleeping no more than 500 metres higher each night and resting every three or four days. If symptoms start, stop climbing, and descend if they are no better after a day. See a GP or travel clinic first if you have had altitude sickness before.
- Make a list. Sherpa told We-Ha.com she wants to take her daughters to the highest point in each US state.
- Hire a guide for the first big one. Guiding is part of how Sherpa earns her living.
To find your own way in the hills, the plan behind Barbara O’Donnell’s story builds a logbook of navigated days. If walking is new to you, start with the walking plan for beginners.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.