Every year more than 10,000 eager stair climbers tackle some of Australia’s most gruelling stair climbing challenges on the planet, and Australia hosts more than 10 events all over the country! These unique challenges take you up the 88 floors of Melbourne’s Eureka Tower, the 1,506 steps of Sydney Eye Tower and let’s not forget the latest trend in climbing up and down the 5,000+ steps of the MCG, SCG, Adelaide Oval and the GABBA. Believe it or not, stair climbing is a highly competitive sport and is very well known all over Europe, Asia and the USA. Traditionally, climbers start on the ground floor of a building to then climb their way to the top floor via the emergency fire escape stairwell in the fastest time possible. Some of the fastest climbers in the world are born and bred Australian’s including Mark Bourne, Darren Wilson and Suzie Walsham who recently won the official world championships in Doha last month.
Is Stair Climbing actually a sport?
For most people the thought of carrying their body weight vertically for up to 20 minutes seems very unattractive but the growth of this unusual sport is getting bigger and better every year with some events attracting over 2000 participants of all abilities. At the moment the hottest stair climbing challenge is Stadium Stomping. This is an untimed event where participants climb up and down every level of Australia’s largest football stadiums including the MCG, GABBA, SCG and for the first time this year the Adelaide Oval.
Surprisingly, every stair climb is different, however they all have one thing in common… no matter how you fit you think you are, stair climbing is one of the toughest physical and mental challenges in the sporting world!
Usually after a minute or two your body weight feels as though it’s doubled and your forcing oxygen into your lungs as you simply can’t get enough oxygen into the blood to supply the working muscles. This is usually where the mentally tough excel because after about 5 minutes you seem to find this ‘happy medium’ where you can tolerate the pain and stay focused on getting to the top. Before you know it the finish line is under your feet and you’re greeted with spectacular views, a powerful endorphin rush and the ultimate sense of satisfaction and relief.
Interested in the sport of stair climbing?
Just like any sport or event, training and preparation is important and will only help you enjoy your stair climbing experience come race day. Stair climbing requires strength and endurance, a strong aerobic base, the ability to tolerate a high heart rate and high levels of lactate for a period of time. So the key is to improve on all of these elements by training specifically to the sport. For the endurance and aerobic component of training access to a skyscraper is the best place to start but they are hard to come by so improvising by running up hills, cycling up hills or using climbing machines will suffice. These aerobic sessions should be around 40 to 60 minutes including intervals of up to 10 minutes working at a rate of 85 per cent. Strength is also very important and the addition of squats, lunges, box climbers and cable rows will improve your overall performance. Because stair climbing is quite taxing on the joints, nervous system and cardiovascular system, recovery is the most important element to getting the best out of your body, which may include stretching, massage and cold bathing after vigorous workouts.
When race day hits there is a variety of climbing techniques to consider but the best climbers take two steps at a time, always use the handrail and never go out too fast at the start. Walking fast is much more efficient than running so don’t be afraid to walk. Starting too fast at the start of your race will certainly turn an enjoyable experience into something you will never want to do again! Pace yourself and don’t forget to check out the view on the top floor!
Happy climbing!
Article written by Adam Ryan for the What’s New in Fitness Magazine.
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