There are many exceptionally strong and resilient tribes of people in this world. It is no coincidence that some of the toughest tend to come from our planet’s harshest environments. Probably our most inspiring role models for strength in the mountains are the legendary Himalayan Sherpas.
The Sherpas are the undisputed masters of extreme altitude mountain environments. For many decades, they have kept Western mountaineers safe, guiding them and hauling their stuff up and down mountains as high as 29,000 feet. A 2016 study found that average Sherpa porters carry loads about 90% of their own body weight and a quarter of them carry loads that weigh at least 125% of their own body weight. That’s mind boggling strength. How come we don’t ever see any Sherpas on the cover of “Muscle and Fitness” magazine?
There is clearly much we can learn from the Sherpas. However, we often have a tendency to look for some lost secrets, hidden miracles, or scientific explanations while ignoring the most glaring and overpowering reality that is reflected in the lives of the Sherpas. A great example of this tendency is Bulletproof Coffee, a coffee drink inspired by a yak butter tea that Bulletproof’s founder Dave Asprey tried on a trip to Nepal. Bulletproof claims to provide mental and metabolic benefits as well as maintain the drinker’s energy levels throughout the morning. We don’t know whether the product can really back up any of its claims. It actually has all the marketing hallmarks of a “snake oil” product but perhaps it has some benefits and it’s arguably better than a bowl of frosted flakes.
Scientists have also been trying for a while to figure out how the everyday feats of strength of the Sherpa are possible. It appears that the Sherpa people do have certain genetic adaptations that make them particularly efficient at using oxygen at extreme altitudes. However, scientists haven’t figured out any secrets behind the ability of the Sherpa to haul such enormous loads all day, week after week, year after year.
What I find far more interesting than Bulletproof, yak butter tea, or these scientific inquiries is a much bigger story that is getting less attention. Common sense and reality are staring right at us and offering us wisdom that we can use to turn our lives around today. Since the 1920s, Sherpas have been working tirelessly in the highest mountains in the world guiding Western mountaineers and serving as their porters. For thousands of years, the Sherpa people have lived epic lives in a harsh and challenging environment, surviving on high altitude farming, cattle raising, nomadic herding of yaks and sheep, and wool spinning and weaving. From my perspective, this rough life in extreme altitude and a cold rugged environment is the “secret” of Sherpa strength.
This seems too obvious to even write about but we do not tend to see a great deal of celebration of the tough and challenging life. Personally, I’m inspired by the Sherpas and here’s how I am going to modify my training this winter based on what is actually undeniably true about them. I’ll be nowhere near Sherpa strong but I’ll be stronger than I was yesterday.
All my training, including strength training, will be outside this winter. Over the last decade I’ve realized that cold isn’t a problem in training - our bodies heat up quickly and substantially when we exercise. Other than the initial shock and some of the coldest days, the cold is only really difficult when we are sitting or standing still. I’ve done plenty of cross country skiing and mountain biking in generally we don’t have to wear that much - our bodies stay really warm when we work hard. The main activity where I find cold more difficult to manage in the winter is road biking because of the airspeed, but appropriate gear can help us on all but the coldest days. Even when doing strength training we generate enough heat so that it’s not hard to stay warm enough. Last night I did a kettlebell workout outside in sweatpants and a sweatshirt and a hat. I never felt slightly cold even though it was below freezing and starting to snow. It’s a bit tough getting used to at first but the added challenge is just mental. Embracing this mental challenge as an opportunity to get tougher can make it fun.
I’m going to do a lot of climbing and outdoor aerobic activity this winter. Over the last few years I have been steadily increasing the amount of uphill travel on climbing skins that I do when I ski. Last year was also the first winter that I did more cross country skiing than downhill skiing. This year I will continue that trend and I may stay off chairlifts altogether.
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