How do I strengthen my ankles for long, steepish, snow and glacier routes?
I had to turn around on a long (5000ft) glacier route last week because one of my ankles had really begun to hurt. The ankle was so fatigued after 1000ft that I doubted my ability to safely finish the remaining 4000ft, and the descent. I had decent double plastic boots, and had no problem kicking steps up soft snow the day before, but cramponing up a long, 25-35°, solidly frozen slope was apparently more than my ankles could handle.
Is there a training regimen for foot and ankle strength?
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Get a balance board. When you brush your teeth, stand on it with bare feet and balance. Once you become stronger, balance standing on one foot. I did this during marathon training with good results.
To increase calf strength, try step-ups:
- Position the tip of your foot on a stair
- Flex your foot, raising your body by a few inches just using your calf muscles. Release slowly.
- Start with 2x12 repetitions. Over the next weeks carefully increase the volume or the intensity, by holding a weight (heavy book, juice box, dumbell)
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Go jogging.
Not on asphalt or paved roads, go "off-piste". Woodland trails are great. If you are able to, choose low shoes with low to moderate damping. Then run. Jogging over uneven ground is what I do to keep my feet strong. After years of playing handball I had trouble with my ankles, but running with low profile shoes in the forest (and trekking in the mountains come vacation time) keeps me on my feet (literally and figuratively). If you start to improve, and want to "up it a notch" then you can always go for no-padding-shoes or bare-foot and try some front foot running
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