Climbing Conditioner - Mailbox Peak

Slogfest 2026 is a series of weekly conditioners that will help climbers build strong aerobic capacity for the summer climbing season. This series will run from the end of December to the end of June. Conditioners will increase in duration and gain over time. 

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1. These conditioners make up ONLY A PART OF YOUR AEROBIC TRAINING. Hiking only once or twice a week will not get you in shape for epic mountaineering adventures. 
2. Ultimately you decide how how fast to go and how much weight to carry on these conditioners. I have a few recommendations below, but  I am not your coach. 
3. Bring a headlamp, hard shells, layers, gloves, trekking poles -- especially if you're attending a winter session. Late-start sessions will likely be descending in the dark, and you know the weather here during the winter is cold and wet.

RECOMMENDATIONS!

I am not your coach. But I have been coached before. I've learned a lot from those experiences, and I have opinions about how to train for mountaineering.  If you want to make the most of your aerobic training, I highly recommend:

• Reading this guide on training from Evoke Endurance. The "Aerobic Capacity" section is most relevant for these conditioners. 
• Testing your aerobic threshold (AeT). Here's how.
• Setting your pace based on your heart rate (AeT), rather than how fast everyone else is going. I will be going at or under my aerobic threshold for all of these conditioners. 
• Creating an aerobic training plan that GRADUALLY increases duration at AeT every week. You'll also want to GRADUALLY add and increase weight as well. This will look different for everyone, though there are training plans you can purchase to adapt and make your own.
• At the end of every Slogfest session, ask yourself --> Could I do this again tomorrow? If the answer is no, you went too fast or carried too much weight. 

Success here is to eventually be able to go the distance, climb the gain, and carry the weight you need to complete your goal mountaineering trip in relative comfort and style. 😎 

Happy to talk more about this at Slogfest sessions, if asked. 

Mailbox trailhead parking lot, 9am