Stephen Koch

Below is a short video of me training at Mountain Athlete. This workout, called Birdbrain and written out below, was very intense. One of my coaches, Dan Corn (a.k.a. Coach Junior) describes his intentions with it. I felt very pumped going without resting through the laps and sled push. I was able to rest while in the cave by using my feet on the support holds. I did not get sore from the pull-ups, all of which I was able to complete without having to go negative. I was in for my “medicine” this morning at 6 and had another great workout.

Freddie Heading up Death Canyon at 2:45 p.m.

I know it will be challenging to compete with much lighter and stronger climbers who also have more experience with competition. I am an Alpinist whose favorite type of climbing is what I did last Thursday up Death Canyon, remote, insecure, uncertain and with marginal gear. My partner, Freddie Botour, and I left the parking lot at 2 p.m. with the intention of climbing under the full moon and then with headlamps. Our plan worked well and we had a great adventure climbing Prospector’s Falls and four pitches above, on/in Raven Crack. Hans Johnstone and Greg Collins were up there a few weeks prior to our climb and turned me onto the conditions of the route. We made it up 2 pitches past their high point. I was doing all the leading and was unwilling to pull a final buldge to easier ground. So at midnight I placed a good nut and marginal piton, the only anchor I could get, and came down. I was home and in bed by 3:15 p.m. and made my flight the following day at 1 p.m. to do a slideshow for the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center.

Me training for the Ouray Ice Festival and Competition.

Prospector’s Falls (lower main ice flow) with the thin line of ice coming down Raven Crack.

Full moon rising, just in time!

Freddie in the moonlight with his headlamp on.

Full moon at 2 a.m. What a magical place!

BIRDBRAIN

Obj. Sport specific Strength

Warm up:  1000m Row

Training:

(1) 6 rounds
3 WTD pull ups @ 25#
10 sit ups

(2) 4 rounds
2 WTD pull ups @ 40#
10 push ups

(3) 6 rounds
3 WTD pull ups @ 25#
10 dips
(4) 8 rounds
2x cave lap w/feet
1 sled push (heavy)

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Comments:

While the focus of this workout is developing more pulling power it is also an extreme cardiovascular workout.   The breathing is hard and heavy and there is never enough time to recover.  In addition to this “BIRDBRAIN” causes your technique to improve throughout the time spent in the cave, by the time you have finished the pull up complex your upper body should be toast.  Since these pulling muscles are already worn out when you begin climbing in the cave you really focus on moving efficiently through the steep terrain.  It was interesting to see Stephen go through this workout when he started the cave laps he was still going strong and able to muscle through the first few laps.  However by about round three of the cave he began to tire and for the rest of the session his footwork and technique improved with each round.

With “BIRDBRAIN” Stephen spent about 25 minutes total in the cave climbing.  If you recall the point system I wrote about last week this was a 40 point workout, and in the next five weeks we are progressing up to a 100 point workout.  As we move forward week to week the amount of time spent in the cave climbing is going to increase up to just under a full hour of cave time.

The beauty of this time spent in the cave is that it is giving back a full body workout; pumping out forearms and grip, taxing the core and loading those seldom trained climbing specific leg muscles.  Beautiful.

It was interesting to see Stephen in the video below, because, if you watch his climbing at the end of the cave lap verse the beginning he is moving more consistently and powerfully at the end of the lap than at the start.  In addition Stephen was moving through the cave more quickly at the end of the session than in the beginning.  This leaves me wondering can I get Stephen climbing “smart” from the start?  Or is it necessary to warm the brain up for climbing in order to perform at your highest level?

- Dan Corn