For those of you who run , but also do other physical activities in the mountains, at high altitude, what do you supplement your running with in terms of physical conditioning or training to make your time in the mountains easier?

Things like:

Weights

Plyometrics

Hiking

Hiking with a heavy pack

gym machines

etc...

You 'uns that are wildland firefighters have the most credibility right now  but any mountaineers  that have to deal with steep climbing and altitude sickness  would be welcome counsel as well...

I'll spend a week in a mountain range this summer from 8-10,000 feet with 12,000 ft peaks that I most likely won't go to the top.  but for sure at 8K bending over to tie my shoes gets to be a deep breathing exercise.  I hope to be back in the Fall for another Week.

For this Coastal boy, It takes some getting used to.  There is a difference between a 6 hour long run and being up and moving from sunup to sundown for a week at a time in July and September .

I'm considering Weekend Hikes on the Tahoe rim trail as one training method.

The good news is that sunup to sundown isn't as long down there as it is up here in the summer.

What are you considering steep climbs? - roped up stuff, 100% slopes, or closer to 30% or ....?

Will you be running all day or is this a field camp training for something or fast packing or ...?

Just trying to get an idea what you're really looking for.

I'd have to agree with valerienv about just doing. I haven't been at altitude for any length of time since I left Colorado. People vary in how they're affected by altitude, but staying hydrated is a main concern, and it never hurts to be younger and in better shape.

I was going to school at about 5000ft, but my research plots were about 11,500, where I worked a bunch of hours then descended before the afternoon thunderstorms, hopefully (misjudged one day). Camped at NPS campground near 8000ft, iirc, drove to 10,500 parking lot in am, then hiked with gear to my plots near 11500. This was back when people just did things - never occurred to us to train, but I was also only late 20s and didn't start running until a few years later (at 5000ft, still in CO). I thought my advisor was going to die when I took him up to the plots. I was surprised he was keeping up with me, then I finally turned and looked to see him very beet red.

If I were to train for this today, I'd probably do a lot of hiking with heavy pack. Shorter steeper climbs when time is limited, longer climbs when you've got the time. But if you're running, then I'd run.

I've not run at those elevations, but have hiked at them. The people with me might have had some elevation issues, but I never had anything major at that time in my life - or at least nothing that I remember.

With the pack horse support, will he be near you with supplies - like muling, assuming the horse doesn't run away - or going ahead and setting up camp? For this, I'd probably train running with a pack like you'd be using. I suspect there will be some hiking in there also (esp. if doing this for a few days), so train to hike and transition back and forth. I'm a believer in oversteep running and hiking - like if race is 20% slope, then train on 30% (actually, we don't have any extended 20% slopes locally). Be sure to hit the downhills in training.

Similarly for chasing mule deer with your camp, I'd probably emphasize strength workouts with staying on your feet for hours. Is this for hunting, photos, research involving animal movements, or ... = IOW, will you have extra weight on your way out? or be carrying other non-running gear? Never mind, I just saw your tag line and blog. (I'm a retired veg ecologist who has worked with people that do research animal movements following them on the ground, but also know a lot of hunters.)

If you don't have extended hills near you and need to use machines, I'd try a stepmill (escalator) with pack. Any bodyweight stuff you might try, just add your backpack and consider that part of your body - since it will be. I'd also consider some agility and upper body work - overall fitness.

Basically, the better condition you're in when you arrive at altitude, the better chance you'll have of enjoying yourself. BUT that's no guarantee of not having altitude issues.

Sounds like a couple fun trips.

Last year I was nervous because I spent most of the summer running, with no backpacking trips. But I was really surprised hell well prepared I was to haul my heavy pack around the mountains. I also found out trekking poles make a huge difference when carrying a heavy pack through rough terrain! I think specificity in training is key, I've seen strong fit people suffer in the mountains because they did most of their training in a gym.

This is comforting....My experience the last couple of seasons has been at the 8-10,000 range out of a horseback base camp for elk.  The Deer are up in the sheep country...

I do pretty well in the mountains up to like 10000 ft, despite living at sea level. I think once-a-week squats help with the hills, and keep me in shape for both ski mountaineering and speed-hiking at altitude.

I've also found that going up to 7000-8000ft once every 2-4 weeks helps maintain acclimatization to altitude. I'm normally quite sensitive the first weekend of a season, but if I just go to the mountains monthly I do fine on subsequent trips.