The High Sierra Protocol
A 12-week preparation cycle for technical high-altitude ultra endurance.
Twelve weeks out from a 100-mile effort above 8,000 feet, the work shifts from accumulation to specificity. Vertical, technical terrain, and the ability to fuel under duress become the only metrics that matter.
The block opens with a four-week vertical base — long back-to-back hill efforts at conversational intensity, designed to build connective tissue resilience before the intensity arrives.
Mid-block, sessions become race-rehearsals: night running with full pack, double-day efforts on technical descents, and structured fueling drills at projected race pace.
The final taper is shorter than most plans call for. Mountain athletes detrain quickly; we protect freshness without losing the specific adaptations of the prior eight weeks.