Staying in shape while working for COBS

Im looking for advice about how to stay strong while working backpacking and mountaineering courses. Does anyone know of any lightweight training solution i can take with me into the field? Or do i just have to try and regain what ever i lose in the offseason? Is there a way to get back in shape quickly or some kind of nutrition plan/ technique to preventing atrophy? I know theres a lot of guides who dont really get to climb or train for several months per year and still crush

climb trees?

I used to river/horseback/hiking guide full time in summers, and as I got more into specialized training for climbing, got increasingly frustrated with how hard it was to stay in shape on the trail.

Ultimately, it will be impossible to stay in top fitness as far as power/endurance and strength go while you're out in the field. I usually did some sort of basic exercise in my free time– pushups, core workouts, pullups– and obviously my overall aerobic shape was excellent. But other than the rare campspots where there were bouldering circuits (Redwall Cavern in the Grand Canyon has a badass 5.12ish traverse along its base), I pretty much gave up on climbing-specific training, and had to play catch-up every fall.

Could look into a TRX system and grab some talon trainers to attche to it.

Where ya workin Nate?

OK firstoff, fuhgeddabout it. You will not remain in great climbing shape by ambling along behind your students. If you're the training type the best you can hope for is to have a power cycle end right before you start work, and then all the standing around with your pack on is just recovery. Eventually you are recovered and then you're in an aerobic phase.

Volunteer for the recon missions, fixing lines, stuff like that.

Pump & stretch:
1. stretching at 0530 is bullshit, focus on the 'pump' part.
2. it's for you as much as them. you may be able to actually gain core strength on a long mtn course.
3. soft industrial-age weenies need you to show them what a strong, capable, inspired life in the mtns looks like. Get fired up, it's contagious.

Ideally, your solo camp is dead center in a sweet boulder garden atop spongy alpine tundra. Or at least has TR potential. Learn to treat the occasional convenient boulder like a training apparatus and repeat whatever useful motions you can contrive, just like you're hang boarding. Enthusiasm for the mtn. environment i.e. climbing is a legitimate passion to share with your students, just be smart about what you're modeling and don't get them, or yourself, injured. Knowing ahead of time about a good TR site can be an effective carrot to get folks to camp on/ahead of schedule, and there are few things as pleasurable as a lazy day of running laps on an alpine afternoon.

Days off you're gonna be tired, so accept that. Get rested up and don't make big plans until at least your 3rd day off. Instructors who show up for orientation exhausted from the previous course + running themselves ragged on their time off cannot provide quality instruction, and that's why you're there, right? If you have time, get after it and have fun, it recharges your batteries and makes you feel good about life. Showing up bitter and resentful isn't gonna make for quality instruction either.

Scott Fischer used to do curls with rocks whilst hiking.

I hear there's a crusty old CD who lives in town and knows where all the good Pb bouldering is. Find that guy and bug him :)

Bonus: if you know how to crack climb, you'll probably be able to run up the Diamond without keeling over

Push-ups

You could use one of these, do maintain some amount of finger strength if don't mind carrying an extra 4 lb.:
metoliusclimbing.com/rock_r…

Not certain that adding weight to the pack is gonna give this guy the workout he's looking for….

Rob Dillon wrote: I hear there's a crusty old CD who lives in town and knows where all the good Pb bouldering is. Find that guy and bug him :)

I recently had to take a little over 2 months off that wasn't injury related. I climbed once at the local gym. I found that when I came back, I crushed. I noticed a very significant increase in my climbing ability. I also didn't work out in any way. My eating habits were a lot better.

*Sips wine* Hmm...Yes yes yes... I postulate that if you climb many days per week, many weeks out of the year, the time off will be more beneficial than working out as much as you can.

Plus it sounds like you're going to be pretty active in COBS, and you're a generally active person already. You don't say how long you're working for COBS, but I doubt you're going to have atrophy to any serious degree. Maybe lose some very climbing specific strength. If you use the time to recuperate, let any minor injuries heal, and reflect on your climbing, I think you will be much better off in the long run. You can always hangboard too. You don't need a board, just an edge above your head(door casing, edge on a boulder, tree branch).

I worked as a backpacking guide in Colorado for a few summers and only climbed once a week on my off-days if I wasn't dead tired. Aside from finger strength, I was in the best shape of my life. Slabs and cracks were a breeze.

After a week or two back at climbing, I was "crushing." The bummer was losing my legs and lungs once I went back to school. Climb when you can, it comes back quickly.

all really helpful suggestions. thanks everyone, im feeling a lot more stoked about several months of minimal rock climbing after reading this