Anyone can climb mountains - including you. We show you what is important when climbing in the high mountains and the Alps and how you can master even the most difficult climbs without months of training.
Interview with climbing expert Wolfram Kurschat
BIKE: What does your training look like to really get up to speed on the mountain?
Wolfram Kurschat: First of all, you have to have the right attitude: I love riding mountains. With this in mind, it's easier to push the pedals, because at least 50 per cent psychology plays a role on the mountain. Bike training often involves going up and down, and you can't always work specifically on your mountain performance. However, if you want to improve this, there is no getting round suitable intervals. If you don't have a mountain on your doorstep, you have to switch to the roller or find a flat route that can be ridden evenly. Climbs can be simulated well here. Tip for the roller: High resistance and a raised front wheel provide the right feeling. The constant pull on the chain is what most people find challenging. If you do this kind of training, you will get up the hills well.
What is more important to you: having more power on the mountain or a low body weight?
Both. If you are heavy, you have to work harder on steep ramps. Depending on the gradient, you have to ride 5-7 watts more per kilo of weight. If you look at the best climbers, you will quickly see where the optimum lies: At a height of 1.70 to 1.84 metres, that's around 65 to 72 kilos of body weight. However, this should not be a must for hobby bikers. Nevertheless, those who reduce excess pounds will gain in mountain performance and, of course, in well-being.
How do you eat on the days before a race with a lot of metres in altitude?
For optimum mountain performance, a low weight and the best possible oxygen intake help. So: better basmati rice and light side dishes than pizza with lots of cheese before day X. If you have a flat stomach on race day, you not only feel lighter, you are lighter and can breathe better than if the heavy pizza or schnitzel with chips is still parked in your digestive organs.
Climbs in the mountains with more than 1000 metres in altitude
Riding uphill for several hours? That's what some high mountain tours demand of bikers. In order to face such a challenge, you should train precisely these aspects beforehand: in other words, ride for a longer period of time at a higher power level. The longer the mountain, the more important the power distribution. What counts here is that you ride into the mountain with a similar input power to that with which you arrive at the summit. Now, very few people have long climbs on their doorstep, but there is a trick you can use to help yourself: even GA2 intervals compensate for the metres in altitude. A good aid can be a watt system that shows exactly how hard you are really working. As watt systems are expensive, you can also work with a heart rate monitor: For your training, this means that you should do long intervals (20-40min) at 80-90% of your heart rate maximum. Start at 80% for the first 5 minutes and increase slowly.
What counts on ascents in the high mountains
1500 metres of altitude in a row or 3500-4000 metres of altitude per day are not uncommon in the high mountains. Your training prepares you specifically for long-term exertion with long intervals. You should also bear these things in mind:
Outsmarting the brain
Long climbs usually take more of a toll on the mind than on the body. You can get through any mountain with simple psychological tricks: 1. think positively and tell yourself out loud that you feel good. 2. look for intermediate goals that you can aim for when travelling uphill. The next tree, the hut 200 metres up. For example, you can quickly break down 1000 metres in altitude into 5 sections of 200 metres each; this is much easier to manage mentally.
Back strength
is crucial for an economical and pain-free mountain tour. Due to the bent forward posture on the ascent, the back muscles stretch. This makes it harder for the muscle to work. If you have a strong torso, you stabilise your hips and the step becomes more economical, with fewer left and right movements in the hips. Benefit 2: Muscles are the best protection against back pain. Therefore: strengthen your core for 15 minutes 3 times a week.
Eat right
There's no getting round carbohydrates on strenuous mountain tours. If you want to know how much you should eat per hour, you can find the right information here:
- No carbohydrates: 30-60 minutes of exercise
- Up to 30 grams of carbohydrates per hour: 1-2 hours of exercise
- Up to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour: 3 hours of exercise
- Up to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour: more than 3 hours of exercise.
Tricks for summit happiness
These tricks will make your uphill ride noticeably easier. Important: You need to take a long-term approach to these tips.
The saddle angle so that the nose points slightly downwards. This can be advantageous on long and steep climbs as it allows the muscles to work in position. Important: Do not lower too low, otherwise there is a risk of hand pain!
High cadence reduces muscle fatigue on long mountain tours as you use your endurance muscle fibres more. This is particularly important on multi-stage races/tours - the high frequency (90 revolutions per minute) helps to protect the muscle fibres. Important: High frequencies must be trained beforehand as they require more oxygen at the beginning (higher pulse). Start at least 4 weeks in advance.
Make weight
Good news and bad news in one. The good news is that less body weight is the ultimate accelerator on hills. Depending on the gradient, you can save 5-7 watts of power per kilo. This is very noticeable for riders with a fat waist. The bad news: you have to diet for this. If you want to lose weight, you should take a long-term and slow approach (8 weeks minimum).
In our Training plans in the PDF download below you will find three time budgets that guarantee the right amount of training for everyone. With 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 hours of training per week, you will be fit for the high mountains.
