Spring alpine time again! Get out in the cold mountains and have some fun! God dammit!

Chair Peak NF WA Feb 2010
Trip report here>Link<




Snowshoe Peak MT Feb 2010
Trip report here>Link<

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!
Time for me to get out in the cold mountains again put a smile on my face and giver!

 

Training for climbing? Or should I say time in the gym to improve climbing?

One thing for sure mention training on http://cascadeclimbers.com/ and your sure to see lots of opinions and some arguing. When it comes to training in a gym I am all questions and no answers. I have learned a few things about how gym time has changed my climbing. Never a gym rat before I started going in the mornings two years ago. Lost I was especially when it came to weight lifting. This fall I stumbled upon this article
http://www.mensjournal.com/everything-you-know-about-fitness-is-a-lie/ on http://mountainathlete.com/ it opened my eyes and pushed my gym time in the direction that I have taken it since. Now keep in mind I realize all the weight lifting, pull ups, running and the likes are not what make me a better climber. Only more time climbing does that. But when it comes to long days in the mountains the gym time has help make them easier, if any thing the gym has given me more durability. So by day four of an ice climbing trip I am more fresh than I used to be. I climb better and more so I slowly become a better climber or at least that's the plan. So in my case getting up at the crack of dawn and dragging my self to the gym is paying off. I am going to start an online training log http://bakertraining.blogspot.com/  for me to see where I have been and where I'm going. Others will judge and comment if they want. I am always looking for sound advice. One thing for certain I have to keep an eye on the little obsessive-compulsive demon in my head! Reminding my self that the gym is a mean to an end not the end!

Fact:
My lower back has given me trouble most of my life. Injured it in a little dirt bike crash as a teen. Lifting heavy (heavy for me) squats and especially deadlifts seem to be the cure. Who would of thunk!