Speed Climbing Cho Oyu with Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg
The previous spring, Kilian Jornet y Emelie Forsbergthese two great runners specialised in mountain races, set out to climb a peak over 8,000 metres high at the highest possible speed. Their commitments made it difficult to train adequately for a peak of this altitude in the Himalayas, so they adopted new forms of training that were completely radical to what we are used to, in terms of acclimatisation and preparation for the climb of the sixth highest mountain on earth. 8,201 metres. "Turquoise Goddess" without assistance or oxygen. A real adventure. Here we will give you the keys to their training and preparation.
The traditional way to acclimatise is to go to places at high latitudes, so it involves relocation. Start the ascent and as you go on, climb higher peaks than the previous one and descend to sleep at lower altitudes. This requires a lot of time and money to achieve the goal. But what preparation did they use? We describe it for you below. In this video, we find out how they did it and see these two top athletes in their element, which is the mountain.
Innovative preparation for high-speed high altitude climbs
Training from home
The idea is to create an environment similar to what is out there. The best way to create it is to prepare under hypoxic training conditions.i.e. with an oxygen deficit. This type of training increases the athlete's aerobic performance and, through this simulation, allows him to face the precarious conditions of altitude to which the body is subjected in a high altitude climb. The most common mechanisms used: a hypoxia tent or a mask with a gas mixture. What is relevant, apart from the mechanism, is the routine you use to execute the exercises.
Simulations at home
One of the tools that should not be missing at home for this type of training is a treadmill, with it you can simulate jogging up to 6,000 m.a.s.l. in a controlled environment, incorporating the mask with a gas mixture while you train. Another way to simulate is to sleep inside the hypoxia tent controlling the oxygen as if you were at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. These types of simulations are done progressively week by week.
Before the ascent
Both athletes reached some 340 hours of controlled altitude. Before the ascent, and the transfer to the Himalayas, they slept one night in a refuge in the Alps and competed in similar high altitude competitions.
The results of the Cho Oyu climb
The results are positive, the simulation served to acclimatise the body to a large extent to the oxygen-free conditions. characteristic of high mountains. Undoubtedly, these results are the gateway to further research and further design of simulated environments, allowing them to achieve their objectives without the need to travel to the site.
With this type of training and athletes in optimal conditions, such as Kilian Jornet y Emelie Forsberg They managed to conquer the summit in 9 days, encountering significant difficulties due to the altitude from 7,500 metres.
