My Take On “Climb Every Mountain (But Train Hard First)”
Not necessarily. Having been a climber for 20+ years, I can say with certainty that additional fitness and strength will never hurt you on a climb. Climbing ( hiking ) a 14′er is a bit different that a technical climb on a 14′er. Next time try the Casual Route on the Diamond ( Long’s peak) and you might feel different about your approach to dog training advice. Personally, I believe the best training for climbing is actually climbing. Career often gets in the way of this lifestyle and the gym becomes a more integral part of the preparation. What this article does not distinguish is the need to train for a specific type of climb. Lots of cardio and lower body strength for a long slog type of climb ( think Rainier) vs the specific type of training for a long technical rock climb (Longs) etc
