For such a difficult
climb we need to be really well prepared. It is said, that if you want to beat 8-thousander
you have to be in the best shape of your life...
And therefore we are all beginning to train hard, so we will not came back disappointed...
And therefore we are all beginning to train hard, so we will not came back disappointed...
Personally, I have began training in early September 2014, when I pushed myself to run at least 3 times a week for about 1 hour each time. In addition to it, I had began trekking every Sunday (or almost any..:-) in surrounding mountains, with my inseparable 30 kg rucksack on my shoulders.
In December 2014 I started to look for a bit more information about Broad Peak and I came to a conclusion, that my training is still not sufficient enough and I add 30min bodybuilding for 4 times a week.
In case that, I still haven't burnt myself, then I climb 3times the stairs in our 27-story apartment complex (again, with my inseparable 30 kg rucksack on my shoulders).
However, the best training is still in the mountains, so I will try to get out every week and get from it as much experience as I could.
All about how (or if..;-) I manage to fulfill all my training resolutions, I will inform you right here ...:-)
2015-06-21 Training XX
We had another public holiday in China, so I decided to drive to six hours distant mountains. And there I had my toughest Broad Peak training ever! 1500 meters up on very steep slopes and the same 1500 meters down, 32 kg heavy rucksack, all day strong sun - all that lowered my strength to zero in long 10 hours hiking. Even 5.5 liters of water that I drunk through the whole climb, was unable to restore my strength and I didn't managed to climbed to the mountain top (my personal summit stayed 500m bellow...) My heavy rucksack let me feel bruises on my hips again and as usually, it tested my knees the most on the descent. However, those are the moments when I realize how hard the Broad Peak climb might be and how hard I should prepare for it.
Just three days later, I went for running around my city and I experienced the most torrential rain ever! Water flooded all streets just in minutes (so I could not see sidewalk curbs at all) and I run in ankle-deep water! Perhaps, because the rain was still warm, it didn't stop me from continuing running and I even broke my personal record! ;-)
2015-06-13 Training XIX
Climbing Broad Peak will even require some technical climbing. Therefore, I had decided, that this weekend I would give my back a rest and I would train rock climbing instead. Only 1 hour drive from my apartment is quite nice rocky area which I didn't know about before (otherwise I will be there every second weekend!). I called my friends and we had very nice climbing day finished by BBQ in the nature..and yes, some beers too! Most importantly, I practiced my climbing skills again and tested some of my gear and ropes...
2015-06-06 Training XVIII
Prohibiting mountains entry to all public (as the most effective fire-fighting precaution...) made me to plan my route in very detail in advance so I could slip into the forest around the public gate. Fortunately, I succeeded and so I could train this Saturday with my 32 kg backpack again. This time I wrapped all water bottles into two sleeping bags and my back was extremely thankful to that idea. The effort, in the baking sun and high temperatures (which forced me to drink 4 liters of water within 6 hours!) rewarded me with the views from the 2,300 m high hill. There is still something good about the ban - I didn't meet a single soul during the all day...
2015-05-31 Training XVII
My back had started to complain straight from the beginning and mentioned that only two weeks ago, I had promised him rest (after a super hard training day). Even my counter-argument that, the time of the expedition is dangerously coming soon, did not help and the back grumbled all the way. So I tried to completely ignore it and instead, to enjoy the beautiful surrounding lake and mountain views. Not conquered hill (also from a training day, two years ago) remained untouched again. I was coming back home with entirely sweaty clothes, broken walking stick and completely exhausted. Well, not all days are lucky and easy...
2015-05-23 Training XVI
The starting day of our expedition is coming soon and therefore it is time to buy tickets and arrange transport of my gear to Pakistan. That's why I had decided to cycle to a remote airport straight through the mountains as a part of my training (I must also say, that my back needed to relax a bit from my last week overweight training...). A beautiful mountain road finishes directly in front of the airport, so I managed to arrange cargo directly at the airport counter, even with my muddy bicycle... :-) And I think that a 54 km ride over the hills was a good training too!
2015-05-16 Training XV
After the last mountain training with my bike, last weekend I went to much closer hills instead. In the heat of very hot and sunny day, I was trying to prove that the training for 8000 peak should not be easy... My first plan was ruined by guardians of the mountains - that means, by Chinese 'green guards' who crossed my way and banned me from going up because of a "high fire risk". Even the attempt to sneak around them failed and so, I had to move 20km away to the place where I have trained two years ago in a preparation for the 7500 meters high Muzstagh Ata. All the time, I could not figure out why that day was unusually difficult for me. Back at home, while having a shower, I had discovered that I had bloody bruises on my hips and also on my back... Very curiously, I weighted my backpack and it had 44 kg(!) instead of planned 30kg... I will be more careful with weight next time for sure..!
After the last mountain training with my bike, last weekend I went to much closer hills instead. In the heat of very hot and sunny day, I was trying to prove that the training for 8000 peak should not be easy... My first plan was ruined by guardians of the mountains - that means, by Chinese 'green guards' who crossed my way and banned me from going up because of a "high fire risk". Even the attempt to sneak around them failed and so, I had to move 20km away to the place where I have trained two years ago in a preparation for the 7500 meters high Muzstagh Ata. All the time, I could not figure out why that day was unusually difficult for me. Back at home, while having a shower, I had discovered that I had bloody bruises on my hips and also on my back... Very curiously, I weighted my backpack and it had 44 kg(!) instead of planned 30kg... I will be more careful with weight next time for sure..!
2015-05-01 Training XIV
There was another holiday in China, which offered me full four days for training in the mountains. This time I had not hesitated and I tried what it really is to carry bicycle on your shoulders all the way up to the snowy peaks. Camping equipment, food and drinks for 4 days, plus my heavy bike (which I will definitely not take to the Broad Peak!) made my already first meters extremely difficult! By the end of the day my back hurt so much, that it did not let me sleep in one position for more than a few minutes. Therefore, the next day, we decided to build a base camp, from where we started our day hikes with significantly lighter loads. And it was on the upper slopes where the Sun taught us a lesson - it sunburned our faces into pink colors and my eyes burnt to bloody-red color too. Neither of us had predicted that in few hours we would reach 4200m snowy slopes that were perfectly reflecting the Sun...and on top of it I had forgotten my sun glasses in the tent! And therefore, I took back home not only heavy bike, back pain, sunburned nose and bloody eyes, but especially a lot of new experience and good lessons, some of them immortalized on the photographs. After all, you can check them here too...
2015-04-27 Training XIII
Too many personal obligations prevented me from visiting some mountains again and therefore I did only 'an urban' training in the city. I started shortly after midnight and if I made it easier by the flat terrain, I made it more difficult by rucksack weight. The night training was exactly the same as the previous ones and maybe the only exception was a sight of women who wash cars (with water from the nearby small river) just between midnight and 6am in the morning.. After two exhausting hours, I finished my training very un-sporty way: by joining a night BBQ on the street...;-(
2015-04-04 Treining XII
This time my duties had not allowed me to go too far from my home and I went to almost the nearest mountain which I can also see from my apartment. A rainy night before turned the forest road into muddy slide, which was fortunately gradually dried during warm, but not very sunny day. Mostly monotonous road ended in a nice hill covered by thousands of stones. On top of one of them I quench my thirst by beer that I also carried on my shoulders. However, my back is still remembering the 32 kg heavy backpack even after few days now...
2015-04-04 Tréning XI
While there was Easter in Europe, in China it was Tomb Sweeping Festival. However, in both cases, it meant a bit longer weekend. I went for three days hiking to the nearest mountains, where some peaks are rising above 4,000 meters level. In this thin air I tested my breathing abilities as much as my physical preparation. On the first day we had climbed for long nine hours until we got to a place with amazing views where we stayed camping. Beautiful sunrise kicked us out from our warm sleeping bags, straight into 1 degree cold air outside, but the view was worth of it! The second day we managed to climb to the highest mountain - Jiaozi Peak / 4220 m / and then I climbed other two 4000-s peaks solo. The last one gave me really hard time, since I had to climb over some exposed sharp ridge with steep /hundreds of meters deep/ slopes on both sides. A reward for it was completely flat top with a wonderful place for a tent and with even more beautiful views. But the following morning I could not even see more than 20 meters ahead... A gray cloud covered the whole mountain and snow started to slash my face with painfully hard snowflakes. Going back through the sharp ridge was crazy... The strong wind was furiously and unpredictably pushing me from one side to another and my heavy backpack didn't make it easier for me either! I tested not only my balance, but mostly my weak courage and good luck... Even that, it was still good training and one of the most beautiful trips in Chinese mountains.
2015-03-28 Training X
My two Chinese friends dragged me to a 10 kilometer cross-country running this last weekend. The route was quite hilly and led through forests, villages and along nice lakes. But I didn't have time at all to enjoy surrounding scenery, as the first runners escalated in a pretty fast pace. From the overall - a bit more than 150 participants, I finished on a very satisfying 13th place. But the next day, I walk up the stairs like a pregnant woman - my thighs has changed to stones...:-)
My two Chinese friends dragged me to a 10 kilometer cross-country running this last weekend. The route was quite hilly and led through forests, villages and along nice lakes. But I didn't have time at all to enjoy surrounding scenery, as the first runners escalated in a pretty fast pace. From the overall - a bit more than 150 participants, I finished on a very satisfying 13th place. But the next day, I walk up the stairs like a pregnant woman - my thighs has changed to stones...:-)
2015-03-21 Training IX
One of the main attractions in Kunming - Dragon Gate (nice temple in a high cliff) - became the scene of my last workout. The first two hundred altitude meters, I had ascent on a very steep slope. But only all the way to the point where we were surprisingly asked for an admission fee (in the middle of the mountain)! This was the point, where I turned with my friend back, to head for another location. That was a nearby dam it the hills. While my buddy choosed to have a rest next to water, I made my way through the valley to the outlying slopes. Those kilograms in my backpack were killing me more than the terrain itself. However, still much better training than the one in the city for the last two weeks.
2015-03-21 Tréning IX
One of the main attractions in Kunming - Dragon Gate (nice temple in a high cliff) - became the scene of my last workout. The first two hundred altitude meters, I had ascent on a very steep slope. But only all the way to the point where we were surprisingly asked for an admission fee (in the middle of the mountain)! This was the point, where I turned with my friend back, to head for another location. That was a nearby dam it the hills. While my buddy choosed to have a rest next to water, I made my way through the valley to the outlying slopes. Those kilograms in my backpack were killing me more than the terrain itself. However, still much better training than the one in the city for the last two weeks.
One of the main attractions in Kunming - Dragon Gate (nice temple in a high cliff) - became the scene of my last workout. The first two hundred altitude meters, I had ascent on a very steep slope. But only all the way to the point where we were surprisingly asked for an admission fee (in the middle of the mountain)! This was the point, where I turned with my friend back, to head for another location. That was a nearby dam it the hills. While my buddy choosed to have a rest next to water, I made my way through the valley to the outlying slopes. Those kilograms in my backpack were killing me more than the terrain itself. However, still much better training than the one in the city for the last two weeks.
2015-03-17 Training VIII
This time, I went out into the streets already at 22 o'clock with my faithful friend - 30 kg rucksack. I dragged my 'friend' around the town for a bit more than two hours and learnt my lesson about arranging my weekend better for the next time...! Good night.
2015-03-10 Tréning VII
All passersby looked at me with glances worthy of homeless people, who under the weight of collected belongings are seeking some refuge for another sleepless night.
In my case, the "collected belongings" represented big backpack with 30 liters of water in plastic bottles...
Finally at home, and after three hours of brisk walking, I could not properly distinguish if I was really taking shower, or I was laying in my bed and all this was just a dream...
Good night!
2015-02-26 Training VI
2015-02-22 Training V
2014-12-15 Training IV
2014-11-02 Training III
2014-10-27 Training II
2014-09-09 Training I
