¨ © © ¨ © Dubai-based mountaineer, Atte Miettinen, takes on the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge t’s sometimes amazing the superstars that we walk and work next to in Dubai. Take telecoms executive, Atte Miettinen who’s been living in Dubai for the last Ifive years and been climbing mountains for the last nine years. Now we’re not talking hills here, but proper peaks. He’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m) in Tanzania a couple of times, Mont Blanc (4810m) in France a couple of times, Mount Elbrus (5642m) in Russia, Mount Ararat (5137m) in Turkey, Carstensz Pyramid (4808m) in Indonesia, Vinson Massif (4897m) in Antarctica, Cerro Aconcagua (6962m) in Argentina – its easy to see that climbing is a passion for him. It’s this passion that has lead to recently putting his career on hold and taking a sabbatical to pursue a personal dream of climbing the Seven Summits, the highest mountains of each continent. The Seven Summits have been climbed by only 336 people in history, including no-one from his native Finland or his adopted home long process it requires to acclimatize To get to the mountain, climbers need the UAE. Atte recently returned to Dubai one’s body to the low oxygen levels on to arrange a private plane to fly them from Argentina where he climbed Cerro the mountain. The summit of Everest, in the middle of the jungle, to a village Aconcagua, the fifth of his Seven Summits. at 8850m above sea-level, has just about that was discovered only 60 years ago. His next expedition will be to Nepal this 30% of the oxygen compared to sea-level. The local tribesmen walk around naked, month to climb Mount Everest. This This means that for every breath we take wearing only a koteca (to cover their john expedition to the highest mountain in in the UAE, Atte needs to take 3.3 just to thomas), carrying machetes, bows and the world will be a formidable challenge get the same amount of oxygen, which arrows and enjoying the occasional giant and will take approximately two months means that everything becomes a major spider as a meal. Atta trekked 100km door-to-door. Almost immediately after strain on the body. In order to cope with through the jungle and grasslands from Mount Everest, he plans to fly to the USA this, every climber needs to be in great the village to the base of the mountain, the to pursue the last of his Seven Summits, shape. Unfortunately, the UAE doesn’t most technical of the Seven Summits. The Denali, hopefully summiting the mountain offer many training opportunities for climb itself went according to plan, but before the end of June 2012. high-altitude mountaineers, but what on the way back, one of the climbers got Climbing Mount Everest today is a it lacks in high mountains it makes up into a problem and had to be evacuated very different challenge than it was for in high buildings. Atte is leveraging to a near-by gold mine. He and the other in 1953 when Sir Edmund Hillary and this by spending a lot of time climbing climber were locked up by armed guards Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the stairs of his 55 story apartment building for two days, before being taken to a summit for the first time. While the climb wearing a 25kg backpack – each exercise hospital for a few days and eventually has become easier in the last 60 years session includes climbing 200-300 floors, flown out of the jungle with a helicopter. thanks to developments in equipment, which takes several hours and is the best This is a real-life Indiana Jones story weather forecasting and support services simulation of mountain climbing. unlike anything most people have ever on the mountain, reaching the top of But not all Atte’s training is simulation. heard of... and just one example of the Mount Everest is by no means easy. The For example, last May, he was in Indonesia adventures Seven Summit climbers get expedition Atte is about to embark on to climb one of the Seven Summits, themselves into. takes two months, mostly due to the Carstensz Pyramid. ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ § ¥ 34 Men’s Fitness ( ) * + , - . / 0 1 2 1 3 0 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 : 7 ; 1 < 9 = > ? @ A B C D E A F G H A I D J K H L G M G C K G N E O F G K P H D I L Q R Q A L S G T Q J F G D P F A E B K O N U A L R F R G N N A L R N D J R U V ! " # $ % & ' % Men’s Fitness 35 o p q r s t u v _ ` a ` b _ c d d e f g h i f j ` k h l m n w When did you start the Seven Summits I finally made the decision to pursue the I come from Finland and have always been challenge and what prompted the Seven Summits, so I took a sabbatical into outdoors. I’ve also been into sports all challenge? from work and set my sights on scaling my life, but started with more mainstream I’ve been fortunate in my life to be the remaining four mountains, within 12 sports like football, ice-hockey, martial able to travel a lot for both business months, to complete my Seven Summits. arts and basketball. In Finland, we’re also and pleasure. My travels have taken me My first target was Antarctica’s highest used to the cold weather as normal winter to about 90 countries across all seven mountain, Vinson Massif (4897m), which temperatures often plummet to -30C, continents and for a while now, I’ve I climbed successfully in November 2011 but this is not the weather we normally been looking for unusual, off the beaten and immediately after in December, I go trekking and camping in. However, path type travel experiences. So when scaled Cerro Aconcagua (6962m), the I did my military service in the special a friend suggested the idea of climbing highest mountain in South America, to forces, so I spent a lot of time in the snow Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m), the highest which I had an unsuccessful expedition a and ice, which in hindsight, has been mountain in Africa, during a holiday couple of years ago. Now I have climbed great preparation for the high altitude to Tanzania about ten years ago, I was five of the seven mountains and my next environments on mountains. immediately sold on the idea. target will be Mount Everest, the world’s Mount Kilimanjaro then became the highest mountain in Nepal, which I leave w How do you physically start to prepare first of my Seven Summits, although at this for in late March 2012. The expedition for mountaineering? point, I had little knowledge of the concept will take about two months and I hope Every mountain is different, so there’s no of Seven Summits. to complete my Seven Summits project one-size-fits-all program for preparing for However, the feeling of standing on the by climbing North America’s highest mountains. For example, on a mountain summit and looking down into the African mountain, Denali in Alaska, in June. like Kilimanjaro, climbers normally use plains through clouds that were below I’ve always been competitive and local porters to carry equipment up the my feet, was so strong that I wanted to enjoyed setting myself challenges. mountain and only need to carry a small feel it again. This desire led to a few other Pursuing the Seven Summits started out daypack with something to eat, drink and expedition including Elbrus in Russia as a physical challenge, but I’ve come maybe a camera. On the less-commercial (5642m), the highest mountain in Europe to realise that the project also tests you mountains, climbers carry all of their own as well as Carstensz Pyramid (4884m), psychologically and teaches you a lot about equipment which often means carrying the highest mountain on the Australian yourself, as well as life in general. 25kg backpacks and even pulling sleds continent – although technically part of with 20-40kg of additional equipment Indonesia. w Was it a complete lifestyle change for as I recently did in Antarctica. Further, After returning from Carstensz Pyramid, you? some mountains are purely a hike whereas X Y Z [ \ ] ^ \ 36 W Men’s Fitness others require rock-climbing or scrambling components: running, weights, stairs and tyre I was pulling to increase the drag! To skills and the ability to use fixed-ropes as basketball. I do running and weights in the develop endurance and muscle stamina, well as climbing equipment like jumars. gym on the same days, 2-3 times a week, I rely on long training sessions and often In light of this, the starting point is a good and a normal session includes 60-120 mins train 3-4 hours per session. I try to avoid cardiovascular shape. In particular, good of running with 30-60 mins of weights, resting too long between exercises to keep endurance and stamina, which in practise mostly on the upper body. my heart rate up and train my body to means the ability to carry a backpack for I do stairs 2-3 times a week, which involves recover quickly. several hours at a time at a steady pace. carrying a 20-25kg backpack and climbing Most people prepare for mountain by the stairs of my 55 storey apartment What about diet? running a lot, which is a good start, but too building in Dubai Marina.