Introducing The Altitude Centre
The altitude centre is the UK’s number 1 altitude training specialist. Founded in 2003 The Altitude Centre has become the leading company in its field. Their clients include National Governing Bodies, Sports Teams, Olympic Champions, Climbers and members of the general public and for those reasons we’ve partnered with them.
Adventure Base have teamed up with The Altitude Centre to make sure we offer you guys the best possible chance of summiting or completing your adventures with us. Investing in your preparation is not only super important for your chances of summiting but also for your enjoyment when you’re on the mountain. There’s not a lot these guys don’t know about how you should train and the affects of altitude on the body… the clues in the title right so if you want to learn more then check out the site here and if interested fill out the form here and one of their team will get back to you.
We recently visited the centre for a mountaineering consultation and met with Nick and Sam. They spent the next hour checking blood pressure, measuring heart rate, looking at oxygen levels (at rest and under stress) and then explaining what it all means. We thought we knew a thing or two about altitude and training in the high mountains but these guys go another level and we love it! Having the data behind the science makes the training measurable and provides so much confidence when preparing for these bold adventures we all love. It did highlight a few (quite a few) gaps in fitness levels so it’s off the pies and on the bike for us this winter.
Here at Adventure Base we have two objectives when we run our trips. We want clients to be safe and we want them to have a good time. The work the guys do at The Altitude Centre increases the chances of both being a success and something we strongly recommend to all clients how are looking to make sure they’ve done everything they can to prepare for their adventure.
HERE’S WHAT THEY OFFER
MOUNTAINEERING CONSULTATION:
This is where you need to start. A consultation with one of our experts will determine your bodies sensitivity to low oxygen. In your appointment we will talk to you about altitude, explain the risks and give you important tips and advice on how best to cope. We then perform a health review that includes monitoring you whilst passively breathing altitude air up to 5000m. This will give you a good idea as to how sensitive you are. We send detailed consultation notes following the appointment. You can also opt to have an active test where you get to exercise at simulated altitude under the guidance of one of our performance staff.
EXERCISE SESSIONS: From £20
Hypoxic exercise sessions will let you experience what it is like to exercise at altitude. Just like fitness the more you do, the better you get. To pre-acclimatise for a trip to altitude we recommend regular sessions at least 3 weeks in advance of your trip.
IHE SESSIONS:
These sessions utilise the IHE protocol. IHE stands for Intermittent Hypoxic Exposure, a technique of breathing short bursts of mountain air (up to 6,500m) through a mask, alternated with normal air. IHE is the quickest way to adapt to low oxygen. What’s more, no exercise is required!
The pre acclimatisation sessions kick start the adaptive process to enable you to cope with low oxygen and to be more efficient with the available air, the main adaptation is at a cellular level with improved mitochondrial function.
A 10 session package is our strong recommendation for a minimum amount of sessions ahead of trips to altitude or to help you achieve your health and sporting goals.
RENT A SYSTEM:
Rent a machine from The Altitude Centre and you can experience the benefits of altitude training up to 6,500m from the comfort of your own home.
Options available are either IHE (intermittent hypoxic exposure) , exercise or sleep formats. Full training and advice is provided. You can also combine the 3 different training formats mentioned above from the one machine.