Training for mountaineering is tough and there is no way around it. It takes a lot of time and there is no half-ass-ing it, period, end of story. When speed is safety and one tired misstep can have catastrophic results, it pays to be in shape.
I like to mix it up between free weights, running, cycling and stairs with a backpack. It is cliché but the best training for doing something is actually doing it. I am lucky in that regard because I can go out and rock climb with some gnarly approaches every weekend now that I live in North Carolina. Prior to that though, I lived in Florida and before that I lived in Kansas and those are some of the flattest states out there.
Now I am not going to write one huge article on how I train because my cocky SOB level isn’t running that high right now. Seriously, to think that I know the best way to train is ridiculous. Actually, if anybody tells you that you should give them the big one finger salute while calling them a no talent ass clown.
If you are just starting to get into climbing or aggressive hiking it pays to take it slow. I am now going to do what every no talent writer does send you to another site to read the collective wisdom of a forum. Read it, check out some other stuff on SummitPost but come back to On The Sharp End.