Dear Climbers, we don’t know yet when we will be able to resume climbing on Donner Pass, but when we do we hope you’ll be up there with us! Private and group lessons will join our certified guides hopefully by July? August? Your guess is likely better than ours. In the mean time, here are some exercises to stay in shape at home. Some are more advanced than others, so be your own coach and take care.

Russian Twists

Sit on the floor and bring your legs out straight. Lean back slightly so your torso and legs form a V-like shape, bracing your abdominal wall to engage your core. Balancing here, twist your torso from side to side without moving your legs.

Pistol Squats

A pistol squat is a single-leg squat where you raise one leg out in front of you and lower down as far as possible on the other leg before standing up. It’s a great way to get full range of motion in each leg and build deep strength with flexibility. If you can do a full minute of pistol squats (30 seconds per leg), great, but consider using a door frame for assistance in getting up and down by lightly pulling on it as you come out of the squat.

Side Lines

Find an open space, mark off a distance of about 100 feet with 10-foot increments. Sprint from the baseline to the end and back, reducing the distance by 10 feet on each turnaround until you are finished. Try to touch the ground at each turnaround.

Finger Raises

Hold a high plank using your fingers to hold you as high as possible. This will really build finger strength and core, as you should be fighting to stay afloat.

Jumping Lunges

Lower down into a basic lunge, with your knee straight above your toes, not extending past them. Instead of slowly pushing back up, jump, quickly switching your legs to the alternate position while in the air, landing softly, and smoothly lowering down into the next lunge.

Box (or Stair) Jumps

From an athletic stance, jump with both feet up on a box or stair. Hold the squat position to the count of 10, then jump back down. Repeat.