by Kyle Bochanski Rucking Rules A few years ago MTI posted an article reviewing previous studies to create a list of “5 Military Rucking Rules Every Backpacker Should Know”. Some of these rules we tested again as we developed our MTI Route Card. We wanted to ensure accurate predictions of rucking times based on distance, […]
Knowledge
Rock Climbing Exposure Mini Study: How Can We Measure Fear?
Mountain Athlete Mike Mock climbing at the Fins, Idaho. By Kyle Bochanski In March 2016, MTI studied the effect of fear-induced stress on ice climbers. In June 2016, we conducted a preliminary follow-up study with a rock climber. Our ultimate goal is to develop a research methodology that allows us to determine how much fear […]
Clinging to Authenticity in a World Drowning in Social Media
By Morgan McGlashon There is an expectation in the outdoor industry that every mountain sports photo looks easy, fun, and flawless. Mountain athlete social media posts brim with giggles and smiley faces and stunning mountain photos and the obligatory cute caption about how great the day was. Every week brings new adventures in […]
Scrum Vision
Next weekend sixteen professionals from across the mountain and tactical spectrum will come to Jackson for the first MTI Scrum. Our goal with the Scrum is to conceptualize a new type of industry gathering. The typical model involves speakers, courses, trade shows, and artificial “mingling” times. While industry conferences suck you in with glitzy marketing […]
Guiding Mountaineering Can Be A Slog. So Why Do I Miss It?
by Lindsay Mann Mountain athletes categorize fun into three types. Type 1 Fun: Is fun while you are doing it and fun after the fact i.e. a powder day. Type 2 Fun: Is not fun while you are doing it but as the memories of suffering fade you come to reflect fondly on […]
Initial Thoughts for a Wildland Firefighter Pre-Season Fitness Assessment
By Rob Shaul and Kyle Bochanski Wildland firefighters (hand crews, Hotshots, Helitack, Smoke Jumpers) must pass an annual “Pack Test” prior to the fire season. The “Pack Test”, involves covering a distance of 3 miles in 45 minutes with a 45-pound pack over flat terrain. This test is widely considered within the service as not […]
Lessons Learned From a Female Mountain Guide
by Lindsay Mann I like Guiding Women-Specific Climbs. Here’s Why. For several years I have led women-specific climbs on Mt. Rainier and a Backcountry Ski Camp in Montana for adolescent girls. Many female guides bristle at guiding women-only trips for fear of getting stuck only guiding women. Not me. I like guiding these women-specific […]
The Durability Equation
By Rob Shaul I’ve always been somewhat of a contrarian when it comes to durability. In the fitness world, there is an entire subset industry build around “durability.” Durability “experts” range from acupuncture practitioners to Physical Therapists, to K-Star apostles, to EXOS-trained strength and conditioning coaches. Over the years, we’ve tried many of the detailed, […]
Lab Rats Wanted
By Rob Shaul We’re looking for coaches, individuals, and small groups of athletes who train together consistently to test our programming and give us feedback during and after completing the plan. We’d communicate via a private slack channel about pre and post training results, issues or question that arise during training, and any other notes […]
Chassis Integrity 2.0
By Rob Shaul I first deployed our Chassis Integrity methodology of midsection training last summer. The theory continues to evolve and here’s the latest: Chassis Integrity alternates between two types of circuits: (1) ART Three exercises – Anti Rotation, Rotation and Total Core completed in a 15-20 minute Grind for Time Example: 20 Minute Grind … […]