Training for Alpine Climbing

Many clients and people I meet at slide shows or shops ask me how I train for alpine climbing, and I never have a concrete answer. I have never kept training logs, but over the next five months I am going to detail my training as I get ready for my upcoming trips to Alaska and Nepal in the Spring and Pakistan in the Summer. I have a decent aerobic base, and decent overall strength, but I just took one month off after the K2, Broad Peak and Latok II season due to fatigue, so I will start from the beginning to build back up to better climbing strength, and it wont happen overnight that is for sure. I had moderate nerve damage in my toes as well from this summer, which has been fun to deal with, but is slowly going away .

There will be method to the madness some days and others will seem random, however I am looking at a five month period before peaking, and in that time I will have many periods where I peak and plateau. Training for a goal makes it easier to stay focused, the key is to be consistent and maintain desire over the duration of training.

Training for alpine climbing, specifically for my goals (mixed routes in the Ruth Gorge in early spring, guiding on Makalu in April/May and then Nanga Parbat in the summer) requires a unique combination of aerobic conditioning and power endurance. I have trouble training aerobic capacity and power at the same time, but if you want to mixed climb for many hours in a day on a cold wall in Alaska you better be able to train both at the same time. The biggest issue for me has been finding the best recovery program, so as I figure out what is working for me I will post it.

I plan to update three times a week, sometimes more and sometimes less. If you have any comments on the training please feel free to email me.

I am a big fan of training instead of reading about it; but to get started on your own program I recommend Climbing: Training for Peak Performance by Clyde Soles. As I find literature specific to the phase of training I am in, I will post it.

AAO Fall '09 Clinic Tour

The Midwest Fall '09 clinic tour with AAO comes to a close and my return to climbing, instead of talking about climbing clothes, will happen this weekend. It was actually pretty fun, and certainly AAO (www.goaao.com) took great care of me. I learned alot about the needs of the Midwest in terms of sales and gear over the last three weeks. I will be back soon enough, but now it is time to go climbing for a while, while Brian, Vanessa and Jon continue the tour. Self portraits in front of a few stores in the Midwest territory.

SCARPA & CAMP Warehouse Sale

Check it out if you are in Boulder for the weekend and want to get a great deal on the best footwear, hardware, harnesses, etc...

time to start training

I have been out of the Karakoram for a month now, the feeling in my toes is just starting to come back and it is time to start training. Big plans in the future mean big training needs to be done. I am a firm believer in pushing it when training, in my opinion the strongest alpinist today is Ueli Steck, watch and get inspired!

2009/2010 Guiding Schedule: Updated

This is the list of expeditions for 2009 & 2010. Please email fabrizio.zangrilli@gmail.com for pricing, individual trip descriptions, itineraries or to reserve your spot, as space is limited, on any of the listed expeditions; or to organize custom guiding and/or personalized rock, ice, alpine and expedition training.

Fabrizio is also available for slide shows for your club, school or company.
__________________________________________________________________
2009

June 10 - Aug 15:











K2 (8611m) & Broad Peak (8046m)
Karakoram, Pakistan
with Field Touring
www.fieldtouring.com


October 05 - November 05:
















Pumori 7161m
Khumbu Nepal


November/December:
















Custom Ice/Alpine/Rock Climbing and Expedition Training
__________________________________________________________________

2010

January/February/March











Custom Ice/Alpine/Rock Climbing and Expedition Training


April/May:











Makalu 8463m

Barun Valley, Nepal
with Field Touring Alpine
http://www.fieldtouring.com/?page_id=975


June/July/August:











Nanga Parbat 8125m
Pakistan
with Field Touring Alpine
www.fieldtouring.com

November:










Cholatse 6440m
Khumbu, Nepal


December:











Aconcagua Private

Recent Press

A recent collection of press articles on me from Outside Magazine, Nation Geographic Adventure, Climbing, Rock and Ice, Denver Post, Time Magazine, Ski Press World, and 5280 Magazine.

Marmot Athlete Fabrizio Zangrilli Set to Lead Unprecedented ...

4/17/09 - Top alpinist Fabrizio Zangrilli – a recent addition to Marmot's global athlete team – will lead what might be the first-ever commercially ...
www.climbing.com/.../marmot_athlete_fabrizio_zangrilli_set_to_lead_unprecedented_expedition_to_k2/

An Impossible Mountain Rescue on Latok II in Pakistan - TIME

Aug 16, 2009 ... Fabrizio Zangrilli, 36, was in the area because he recently finished guiding a climb of K2. "Fabrizio is so acclimatized, and his skill set ...
www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1916483,00.html

Go Light, Go Fast by C.A.M.P.: Fabrizio Zangrilli Leads Light ...

Aug 14, 2009 ... Fresh off of leading the first commercially guided attempt on K2, Fabrizio Zangrilli has been called on to lead the efforts to rescue a ...
www.golightgofast.com/.../fabrizio-zangrilli-leads-light-fast-rescue-effort-on-latok-ii.html

Fabrizio Zangrilli Set to Lead Unprecedented Expedition to K2 ...

Boulder, Colo. (Mtn Press)-Top alpinist Fabrizio Zangrilli will lead what might be the first-ever commercially organized expedition of its kind to K2.
www.skipressworld.com/.../331-fabrizio-zangrilli-set-to-lead-unprecedented-expedition-

» Boulder Climber Fabrizio Zangrilli Heads for K2 | 5280 Magazine

Zangrilli will lead 10 climbers in the first-ever commercial trip up the renowned Himalayan peak.
www.5280.com/blog/?p=13831

Desperate Rescue Underway on Latok II - Adventure Travel ...

Aug 13, 2009 ... National Geographic ADVENTURE (ngadventure.com) presents the best in adventure travel and ecotourism, with destinations, photos, videos, ...
ngadventure.typepad.com/.../desperate-rescue-on-latok-ii-will-fabrizio-zangrilli-be-the-hero.html

Rock and Ice Magazine: Zangrilli Set To Guide K2

Apr 13, 2009 ... Fabrizio Zangrilli near his home in Boulder, Colora ... The alpinist Fabrizio Zangrilli will lead what might be the first-ever commercially ...
www.rockandice.com/inthemag.php?id=308&type...

Zangrilli's resume includes rescue of 2 ailing climbers - The ...

Jun 2, 2009 ... While the summit is typically the main goal for a big-mountain alpinist, Fabrizio Zangrilli is focused on the challenge. ...
www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12498888

WHAT DOES CAMP STAND FOR?

I got this from the most recent CAMP-USA news letter, sign up for it at www.camp-usa.com

The name CAMP is an acronym that stands for, ‘Construzione Articoli Montagna Premana,' best translated as, ‘Articles for Mountaineering Made in Premana.' Some climbers know this. Most do not. We were interested in putting the climbing community's imagination to the test by letting them recreate the acronym based on their perceptions of the company, the sport and the lifestyle. From more than 1,500 entries, we are excited to announce the winning entry and top ten finishers as voted on by Rockclimbing.com registered users:

1st Place: Crags Are My Playgrounds
2nd Place: Caviar At Meatloaf Prices
3rd Place: Caught Above My Protection
4th Place: Climbing Away My Paychecks
5th Place: Climbing Against Mother's Protest
6th Place: Climbing Another Magnificent Peak
7th Place: Climbing: A Magical Pursuit
8th Place: Charley Ate My Piton
9th Place: Cultivating America's Missing Past-time
10th Place: Chow At Miguel's Pizza!

Thank you to all who participated! See the winning page post with comments at Rockclimbing.com: http://www.rockclimbing.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2201774#2201774

Product Review: Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus

There are two things that matter to me when picking a sleeping pad: will it insulate me from the cold and is it comfortable. Luckily for me, this summer I found a pad that did both very, very well. I have been using Therm-a-Rest products for quite some time, but managed to get my hands on a ProLite Plus for my guiding gigs on K2 and Broad Peak this past summer.

Getting some sleep on big mountains is easy for me, but getting a good night's sleep is crucial. My large ProLite Plus was long enough and wide enough to make sure that my feet and shoulders stayed off the ice and felt like I was floating while sleeping. I used the pad at 8000m on K2 and 7100m - the high camp on Broad Peak - and spent over 50 nights total on the pad over the season never regretting using it. If you are looking for a very solid, warm and comfy sleeping pad the ProLite Plus is a phenomenal choice! In Base Camp I would layer the floor of my tent with Z-Lite pads and slept very warm and very well when combined with my Marmot CWM EQ (-40 degree sleeping bag).

AAO Dealer Employee Incentive Week

Since my return from K2, Broad Peak and the Latok II rescue attempt I have been very fortunate to get out and rock climb a bit in Boulder Canyon but my numb toes - nerve damage from pounding from using the wrong size boots - prevented me from really enjoying it. The feeling is starting to come back, fortunately in time for a trip with the 10 people that won the AAO Dealer Employee Incentive Promotion - see www.goaao.com for details - to the Black Hills of South Dakota for a week of trail running, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing and being a tourist and partying - all on AAO's dime!




















We had an awesome time and I managed to spend alot of time rock climbing in The Needles and at Devil's Tower, went to Mount Rushmore to see the evening lighting ceremony, Wind Cave National Monument and got to relax with a very fun bunch of employees from various shops in the midwest. Oh Yeah, we stayed at Normarke Farm B&B, which is amazing!










Robert, from Midwest Mountaineering, enjoying the crystal pulling in the Needles.










Jon, AAO Rep, with Devil's Tower's shadow behind him from the summit.












The Summit registry from Devil's Tower.











Neil, Jon and Jake on the Summit of Devil's Tower after climbing the Durrance Route.











Devil's Tower at sunset.


















Another one of me, at the belay ontop of pitch 2, Durrance Route, Devil's Tower.










Mount Rushmore, lit up at night.

K2 Video: 360 degree from the Shoulder

I took this video at 5am on the shoulder of K2 on August 07, 2009, it shows sunrise over most of the Karakoram, including Masherbrum, Chogolisa, Broad Peak, the Masherbrum group, and China. It also shows the curve of the Earth. My dilemma that morning of moving up given the 10 people that were above me (I left C4 last as I was sure I was fast enough to leave with sunrise and summit early enough to return to C2 or BC the same day) went away rapidly as I climbed high and realized that it was the deep snow that was preventing everybody from moving faster. I had been up past the Bottleneck and Traverse before - in 2000 - and knew the best thing given conditions was to get down to BC as quickly as possible. I was back in base camp by 7pm that day, I left the Shoulder at 11am.

K2 Broad Peak and Latok Photo Albums 8

The view from C3 on Broad Peak up to the Col with the summit ridge on the right.












The upper half of Latok II. The NW ridge is the left hand skyline.












The Trango group seen from the Baltoro.











Looking down on the summit group on Broad Peak as I break trail to C3.

K2 Broad Peak and Latok Photo Albums 7

Latok's North Pillar well defined with the North Face on the left.











The view looking up Broad Peak from 6500m.












Latok III from a Heli from the South.












Me wishing that a Heli would come and resupply us with food.

K2 Broad Peak and Latok Photo Albums 6

LAPs (low altitude porters) carrying rope - in the end we had over 3500m of rope - up the Baintha Glacier to the base of the slope that lead up to the NW Ridge of Latok II.











Pakistani flag with Mickey. Strange I agree












Jordi C. , Alvaro, Dani, Chris and Jonathan in the back seat of the one remaining jeep during the ride back to Skardu from Askoli. We started out with 4 jeeps and by the end of the day only one remained due to a gas shortage in Skardu.











Latok's North Pillar from the North Side Base Camp. The NW Ridge of Latok II is the right Skyline - it lokos like it is a ridge on Latok from this angle. I spent two days here trying to figure out how to lead and orchestrate the rescue, finally I decided that base camp and all of the climbing would have to be done from the south side. It is not much easier, but we needed any help we could get.

K2 Broad Peak and Latok Photo Albums 5

After flying out of the North Side of Latok to Skardu to make the Rescue team in Skardu and Spain realize the importance of MI 17s and many more people and alot of fixed rope I waited for the Spanish guys to arrive and then flew in with Jordi C. and Jonathan and a few HAPS and LAPs. After shuttling us around we finally were dropped off 10km from where I had intended BC to be and where I had the food, tents and equipment airdropped - this photo is of us resting after finally arriving in base camp, after midnight. Luckily I had a prototype Petzl RXP, which is the best headlamp I have ever used, with a phenomenal beam, that helped me navigate to where we needed to be.











MI 17 in Dassu, we dropped off food, equipment and people and then started the shuttling of gear.











Matt and Wim above C2 on K2's Cesen Route during the push to the shoulder.

The view from C4, 8000m on the Shoulder of K2, looking up to the Bottleneck, Traverse with the Serac, and the summit slopes.

K2 Broad Peak and Latok Photo Albums 4

Wim, Gulam and Jake riding in a well decorated jeep on the way out of the Hushe Valley after crossing the Gondogoro La.











Jake Meyer leaping across a river crossing on the way out to Hushe after crossing the Gondogoro La.











Jake Meyer carrying many kilos 100m above camp 3, 7200m, on K2's Cesen Route. At 24 he has accomplished alot, and was certainly one of the strongest clients I had this summer.











Heli in K2 Base Camp.

K2 Broad Peak and Latok Photo Albums 3

Gerlinda Kaltenbrunner following me up to C3 on K2's Cesen Route with Masherbrum behind her right shoulder. Without a doubt Gerlinda is a superstar of high altitude climbing; her aerobic and technical abilities match any man climbing at high altitude today. It really was a great pleasure to spend the summer with her, David Goettler and Ralf Dujmovits again.











Gerlinda and David (fliming Gerlinda) following me up to C2 on the Cesen Route of K2 during the first summit push. We had stong winds and alot of snow up to C2 ( we managed a good rotation in front and managed to go from the bottom of the route to C2 in 4:20) and then very strong winds to C4.











The West face of Gasherbrum IV from Concordia during the trek to K2 Base Camp.











A pilot from the "Fearless Five" sucking O2 while we discuss the tactics for Latok II Rescue.