Arab mountaineer Nelly Attar: my K2 training regime involves taking a lot of ice baths

On June 20, I will begin my 50-day journey up K2, all 8,611 metres of it, in an attempt to become one of the first Arab women to summit the notoriously tricky mountain in Pakistan.

My journey actually began years ago, simply by going outdoors and exploring my surroundings. My father inspired me; he was the reason I began hiking when I was younger.

I believe in two things: one, life happens outdoors and, two, everything is amplified when you live on the edge. Every emotion is so big that you come back with a different perspective and with the feeling of being reborn. Every climb up a mountain, too, triggers these emotions. It’s what’s kept me hooked to the sport for years, and why I recommend it to fellow athletes.

Tricky terrain

Undeniably, there are a range of challenges you can face, starting with the climb itself — the difficulty level, the weather and the altitude. The weather is something nobody can control or challenge; you just have to work with it.

When it comes to altitude, the higher you go, the harder it becomes to breathe, to survive. Then there is also the discomfort of not being able to shower, and of living in a tent for a month or two.

Forgetting to clip on to the lines, or not clipping safely when you are moving up, is a dangerous yet common mistake climbers make. The dangers of falling off a ladder or tumbling into a crevasse are also real, and demand you go slow and steady, and stay attentive at all times.

Yet, you accept all challenges because fear is a good emotion on the mountain; it keeps you hyper-alert.

Train your sights

Train smart and find a good coach. Follow a training programme where you are tapping into your strength and endurance, yet have enough time to recover, as overtraining can put you at risk of injury or illness. Once you’ve found the right coach — one who is equipped with the skills and knowledge to help you build for the climb — always listen to him or her.

On challenging peaks, there will be days when you need to be on the trail back-to-back. This is important to factor into your training. Practise such that you’re climbing for many days, not only one day, with an hour-long session and another day with a break.

My training has been about spending as much time as possible on my feet. I’ve been hiking around the region — from Saudi Arabia and Amman to Ras Al Khaimah — to get the right kind of elevation and training volume, as well as for my back to get accustomed to increased loads.

In the past, I’ve struggled with freezing temperatures at high altitudes. To combat this, my K2 training regime involves taking a lot of ice baths, both for my nervous system to cope with extreme weather, as well as for the psychological aspect of being OK with being cold.

I train as soon as I wake up every day, which is when I have the most energy. I start training between 3am and 4am for a couple of hours, then come home to have the biggest breakfast ever and take on the day.

Food for thought

While I have been doing a lot of leg, arm and core strength workouts to be in the fittest shape possible, I’m now in a phase where I’m gaining a little weight to have some fat reserve for when I’m on the mountain.

Eating healthy most of the time is crucial, but I feel I owe it to my body to eat what I crave, given the amount of training involved, even if that’s sugar.

Bateel is my nutrition partner, providing personalised energy bars and healthy meals, but I also have my selection of chocolates, sweet treats and coffee — I am a coffeeholic!

Dates are another superfood I turn to regularly. I remember breaking my fast with dates while climbing Saudi Arabia’s highest peak, Jabal Sawda. From the sea and sand dunes to rocky peaks and snow, these dates have travelled far with me. They are rich in the nutrients, fibre, antioxidants and minerals essential for athletes.

Eating well is also key when you’re finally faced with scaling a mountain, even if you lose your appetite. It ensures you have energy for the ascent and descent. Eating well will not only help you keep fit, but also decrease the risk of cold-related injuries. The same goes for drinking a lot of water to acclimatise properly. I usually have three litres every day.

Thrill of the climb

My final piece of advice is: enjoy the journey. The most satisfying feeling at the end of a climb is reflecting on the experiences you gained, the people you met, the lessons learnt and the challenges overcome. And if you do summit — and before you plan that all-important descent — breathe it all in and enjoy the magnificent views, because you may never have that moment again.

Saudi Arabia-raised athlete Nelly Attar has climbed 16 peaks, including Mount Everest in 2019 and four of the seven summits challenge, which involves scaling the highest mountains on the seven traditional continents

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