Training For Ama Dablam: Interview With Shika

​In this episode, I interview Summit Strength mountaineer Shika, who has just come off a successful summit of Ama Dablam in Nepal. 

Inside, she shares some insights into how the shift from just running and CrossFit for training to a structured, specialised approach for mountaineers prepared her for this adventure.

Episode Chapters:

0:11 Introduction to Shika's Journey
2:31 
Climbing Experience Overview
3:48 
Preparing and training for Ama Dablam
4:47 
Training Challenges and Approaches
6:09 
Structured Training for Success
10:03 
Overcoming Roadblocks in Training
12:08 
The Ama Dablam Expedition Begins
17:03 
Unexpected Challenges on the Mountain
17:49 
Reflections at the Summit
19:32 
Celebrating the Achievement
20:52 
Future Climbing Aspirations
23:52 
The Importance of Teamwork

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Interested in online training for mountaineering? 
​​
Check out the Online Summit Program: https://www.summitstrength.com.au/online-mountaineer.html

Training For Ama Dablam: Summit Strenth Case Study 

​Episode Transcript:
​
[0:00] Right, hello, hello, ladies and gentlemen. So in today's episode, we interview Summit Strength client, Shika, who has recently come off a successful

[0:08] summit of Ama Dablam in Nepal. And in this episode, she shares some insights around her training and her preparation she used for this big, high-attitude climb, as well as talks through her journey and her story where pretty much everything went wrong on the mountain. So this is a really interesting episode for anyone who's aspiring for this particular mountain or is just interested in hearing some really cool adventures from people tackling some amazing things. So with that being said, let's get into today's episode. All right. Hello, hello, Sheikha. A big welcome to the show.

[0:43] Thank you, Rowan. I'm excited to be on the show. Yeah, I think this is going to be an absolutely awesome episode and I'm super interested in diving into your story, everything you've been having going on. And I think this is going to be an awesome lesson. So I guess to kick things off, let's start from the top. Could you just let everyone know who are you, where are you from, what do you do, and what is your background in mountaineering?

[1:07] Absolutely. So my name is Shika Raju, and I'm from Sydney, Australia. And professionally, I work as an executive officer in the New South Wales Health System. So my role is centered around strategy, governors, and supporting the CHIP executive, making sure our organisation is aligned, effective and working together as a high-performing team. So this work naturally links me to my interest in positive psychology, especially grit and perseverance, teamwork and the growth mindset. So that's my professional side. I actually started mountaineering in 2018. It began when I signed up for the Everest Marathon. As part of that trip, there was an optional add-on to climb Island Peak. And I said, yes, of course. And even though I had never stepped foot on a glacier before, so it was a big challenge for me, I realised quickly that I needed proper skills. So before Nepal, I went to New Zealand. To complete a mountaineering course. That was my first experience with crampons, ice axe, rope work, and all the fundamentals. And that's really where the journey started. So since then, the mountains have become the place where I learned the lessons about teamwork, character, and who I am under pressure. And everything I practice on the mountain, strategy, preparation, trust, resilience, staying calm in uncertainty is exactly what I bring back to my work.

[2:32] And then since your your first uh first getting into mountaineering there in between then and i guess the most recent expedition we're going to kind of talk about a little bit um what things have you done in the past um what type of climbs or mountains or courses or talk us through that yes so i've been climbing since 2018 and over that time i've built my experience across a range of technical high altitude and endurance-based expeditions. So initially I started, did a training course in New Zealand, a mountaineering training course. Then from there, when I went to Everest to run the Everest Marathon, I climbed Island Peak. And gradually I progressed to Mirror Peak. Then I went to Mount Baker in USA to do more glacier training. And following Mount Baker, I went to Mount Kinabalu. and then I did Akankagwa, Chimbaraze, Manasalu, which was 8,000 metres. And after Manasalu, just this year, I did Ama Dablam. So across these climbs, I progressed from beginner alpine skills to technical ridge climbing and 8,000. So each expedition has been part of building towards Everest and later more challenging mountains. So, yeah, that's how it all started.

[3:48] And then when we first started, when we first started looking at working together, what was the challenge you were leading up to? What was the specific climb that was coming up? So when we after, when I got in touch with you, it was after Manasalu. And that was for, because I signed up for Everest in 2026. And I knew I needed a specialized training program. So part of that Everest, my preparation was I thought I'll do Ama Dablam. Where many people said to me, Ama Dablam is much harder than Everest. Why are you doing that? And there was all this negativity going on in my head. And I'm like, no, no, no. I will get a coach. I'll prepare for it. And I'll do Ama Dablam. Then I'll do Everest. So my most recent challenge was under blam and it turned out to be one of the hardest climb I've ever done. I knew it would be difficult going up, but the descent was on a completely different level. So yeah, so that's how I got in touch with you and your team.

[4:48] And then in the past, before this latest challenge, how did you typically approach your training for mountaineering? Okay. I have to be honestly, in the past, I was a bit ignorant about what true mountain re-conditioning required. I used to think that because I have completed 28 marathons around the world, like one of the majors, New York, Chicago, and all the tough ones, and I did CrossFit, I was automatically mountain ready. Oh my God, don't get me wrong. That level of fitness definitely helped me on Manasa and on other peaks of time. And the general endurance that carried me along the way. But deep down, I knew something wasn't quite right. I could fill gaps in my preparation, especially the Pacific strength conditioning that high altitude mountains demanded. And I learned that while I was in Manasalu. So my approach back then was more about relying on my overall fitness rather than training intentionally for the unique stresses of climbing, steep ascents, heavy loads, long duration, and the ability to stay strong late in the climb in my body is depleted. So looking back, I can see that I had the engine and.

[6:03] But not yet the mountaineering body. That's what changed for me leading up to this recent challenge and getting in touch with you.

[6:10] And then let's talk about the training that we did together leading into this most recent climb. And, yeah, let's talk about the sessions you did, the workouts you did, and all of that. So when we first started off in the initial stages, what did the training sort of look like initially? Okay, so the training really started when I signed up for Everest 2026. That was after Manaslu and then once I made that commitment I decided I would like climb Ama Dablam as a preparation climb and that's when it hit me I couldn't rely on general fitness anymore I need a proper pacific mountain training so because I've always worked with coaches for my marathons and triathlons I understood the value of having a professional guide the process I knew that I want if I wanted to take ever seriously and climb Ama Dablam well I needed someone who specialised in how to do performance, strength and endurance. That's when I reached out to your team. We had a chat about my future clients, my goals and also my weakness, areas where I knew I needed support. And it was clear from that first conversation that if I wanted to step into the next level mountaineering, I needed a structured targeted program. And that's how the training began. So how it progressed, as we got started, the training became very structured and very intentional.

[7:31] You set up my program month by month, and each week there was a clear purpose. What I really appreciated was the constant communication. Every week you would check in and ask how the session went and make adjustments when I wasn't feeling well, or when life got in the way. It never felt rigid. I felt supported and responsive. And for me, the structure worked really well. We built the program so that my long run or long hike happened on the weekends. And then I did the spring sessions and shorter conditioning sessions during the week. That routine became my rhythm. And because I train in the mornings, it's loaded perfectly well into my life. Like I would wake up at 4am, get the session done. And it gave me a sense of momentum for the day. The consistency of the structure, knowing exactly what I was doing each day, it made a huge difference. So over time, the training progressed from foundational work into more mountain-specific conditioning.

[8:33] And it wasn't just fitness anymore. It was learning how to carry load, how to stay strong and steep terrain, how to manage fatigue, and how to build physical and mental resilience needed for Ahmed de Blom, especially Everest. And then was there anything in there that I guess was a little bit different than what you've done in the past?

[8:53] Absolutely. So almost everything about this training with you was different from what I've done before. Coming from marathons and CrossFit, I was used to endurance and high-intensity sessions and pushing myself harder. But mountaineering training is a completely different world. So for the first time, the focus wasn't on speed. It was more on strength, endurance, stability, and being able to carry low for long periods of time, which I never did. We did a lot more targeted work like calf strength, ankle stability, hip strength, long incline efforts, things I'd never done before. So the biggest difference was how specific everything was. The sessions were designed to mimic what my body would actually experience in the mountain, steep climbing, and fatigue under pressure. Another difference was the consistency and structure. Having a weekly plan, monthly blocks, and regular checkings made the training feel purposeful, not random or generic. And honestly, the bigger shift was learning how to slow down. Not everything has to be a hard session, I learned. Sometimes the goal was simply to build volume, strength, and resilience over time. That style of training was completely new to me. but it made all the difference when I stepped on trauma development.

[10:03] And then before we get into the trip on the mountain, because we're definitely going to dive into that, last thing I wanted to ask you about the training was, through the process, was there any particular roadblocks or challenges which came up along the way? And if so, how did you go about working around them or overcoming them? Absolutely. So there were definitely roadblocks along the way. And I think that's normal when training for something as big as I'm a diplomat in Everest. but one of the biggest challenges for me was actually shifting my mindset.

[10:36] As I mentioned before, coming from marathons and CrossFit, I was conditioned to no pain, no gain mentality. Push harder, run faster, work at intensity. But mountain ring training is completely different. It requires patience, slowing down, building strength over time and understanding that easier sessions are just as important as hard ones. So learning to accept that that was a challenge in itself. There were also practical challenges, times when I wasn't feeling well or when life and work were busy. In the past, I would have pushed through no matter what. This time, the approach was more professional and more supportive, and it's because of you, Rowan. Every week, we checked in, and if something wasn't right, if I was sick, exhausted, or overloaded, you adjusted the program. That flexibility helped me stay consistent without burning out. Another challenge was trusting the process. When you're used to training at high intensity like I was, slowing down can feel counterintuitive. So I had to learn that mountain re-training isn't about pushing hard every day. It's about building durability, strength, endurance, and resilience over months. So this was my mantra for the last one year, I think.

[11:47] So the way I worked through these challenges was really through communication, flexibility and changing my mindset instead of seeing roadblocks as failures, like many, we treated them as information and honestly, letting go of that old no pain, no gain mentality has been one of the most important shifts in my training.

[12:09] So let's talk about the trip now, and I want to hear how it all played out. Give us the whole rundown. How did it go? Were there any challenges that you didn't expect? Were there anything that felt a little bit easier than you anticipated? Yeah, give us the story. Oh, boy. So this will be a big, long one. Anyway, the Ama Dablam was my most recent challenge, and honestly, almost everything about that expedition was something I didn't expect. The challenges started early. Our original plan was to summit Lobuche east, first for the climatisation, but a storm came in and shut the window down completely. The whole rotation was out the window. We were actually taking a helicopter from Amadeblam Base Coop to Lobuche to make the weather window, so it was disappointing when it didn't happen.

[13:03] When we decided to return to Ama Dablam because we couldn't do Lobache and there was no point in sticking around in Ama Dablam, we witnessed a helicopter crash on the day we were supposed to fly back. The helicopter crashed and our flight was the next. So everything was blocked. No helicopter was coming in. No one was going out. And that was on the day when it was storm. After that, flying wasn't an option. So our only choice was to walk all the way back to Ama Dablam base camp been heavy snow and that was a challenge in itself because of all that I went from around 5,000 meters straight into a summit push that would take up to 6,800 meters our entire.

[13:46] Climatization plan was gone so there was several things that has happened along the way for example getting sick which was completely unexpected so when I got, Got back to Armada Blum Base Camp, I got a cold. Then right before the summit push, a day later, I got diarrhea. I honestly thought that was going to be the end of my climb. Luckily, I had antibiotics and medications with me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to continue. And then the second challenge, Camp 1 and Camp 2, the Yellow Tower disaster. That's what I call it. So when we finally started this summit push, we slept at camp like from, we got from base camp to camp one, slept there. Then the next day we headed to camp two. We left at 8 a.m. And didn't arrive to camp two at 6.30 p.m. That is usually in normal that would take less than three hours. But for us, it was a long time. So what happened was that we were stuck at the Yellow Tower for six hours. And the yellow tower is already hard, but standing there for hours on an exposed face with climbers behind you and in front of you watching every move, that was mentally exhausting.

[15:02] And so in the second strategy, I mean, second problem, third problem was adjusting the summit strategy. So we had to sleep at Camp 3. Usually people would just go from Camp 2 straight to Camp 3. Just because we didn't acclimatise, we had to sleep at each camp.

[15:19] And then we decided that was a safer strategy to sleep and to let our bodies have some more time at altitude before pushing for 8,800, I mean, sorry, 6,812 metres. So summit morning, there was another issue, brutal steepness. So on summit morning, we wake up at 2.30am. Our Sherpa told us it was the only safe window before the wind picked up and the weather changed after the 5th of November. I actually thought climbing from Camp 3 to summit would be easy. I mean, it wouldn't be as difficult as from base camp to Camp 2 or Camp 3. But I was wrong. It was extremely steep from the very first step. At one point, I remember thinking, oh my God, thank God Rowan gave me so much calf training because without that strength, my calves would have torn. That's how steep it was. I reached the summit at 8am on the 5th of November. It was windy and we didn't stay long before. So we started descent. and we probably stayed there for 15 minutes. So the last challenge was the descent, the hardest part of the entire expedition. No one tells you that, how bad the descent is.

[16:33] So the descent back to Camp 3 was okay, but the descent from Camp 3 to Camp 2 was the hardest part of the entire expedition. It was incredibly steep, very exposed, and mentally terrifying. There were moments when I generally thought I might fall, but somehow, step by step, I made it to Camp 2. We rested there for the night, and the next morning we descended all the way to base camp, which felt like the longest stretch of the whole trip.

[17:03] So overall, yes, the storm, the cancelled acclimatisation plan, the helicopter crash, the sickness, the six hours at the Yellow Tower, the brutal steepness, and especially the descent, almost every challenge on a Dublin was something I didn't expect. It pushed every part of me, to be honest.

[17:23] And I remember having our conversation after this when you were first telling me about all of it. And it was just one thing after another, after another. I was like, oh, my gosh, like full credit to you for making things happen. So let's reverse a little bit and go back up to the top when you'd like obviously gotten to the summit. Like obviously a lot of challenges to get there. And as you said,

[17:47] very, very windy, didn't hang out there too long. But when you did get to the top, like what was going through your mind? Like what were you thinking about? What was playing through your head?

[17:56] So when I got to the top, it was windy, it was cold. I was just, I didn't even think of anything. I didn't even know where I was. I was just standing there remembering, just thinking, but where am I? What's going on? And then the Sherpa's like, all right, we're here. I'm like, are we here? Like, how are we here? And then I didn't even get, didn't enjoy the moment because it was so windy and so cold. We just had a quick bite and just descended down so that's how it was and the descent was on another level to be honest but nothing went through my mind I appreciated my training like as I as I mentioned as what's climbing from camp three to the top to the summit and when it was so steep that my calves felt like it's going to go into two pieces or and I will tear a calf muscle I was so thankful for our training but at one point I did I remember thinking to myself gee I felt quite good um I know I've been through so many challenges but I'm not exhausted or I'm not tired like I'm not failing and then I thought of all the training so that was a very powerful moment and I felt so confident just getting to the top.

[19:19] And then once you got down the mountain, which, as you said, was, you know, a challenge in itself, and it was done, you were down,

[19:28] how did you relax afterwards or celebrate afterwards? Like, how did you mark this achievement for yourself? So, when I got down, what did I feel? So, we came down. I didn't really think, it didn't register to me what happened. I was in that mode of just training and coming down and, like, just focus on the summit. At base camp, we had the next day, I mean, we had a celebration, sorry, that night. We had a cake and everyone was celebrating. And I was glad that we were back. Everyone was safe. That was what's happening. Like, I thought, okay, everyone is safe here. The team is safe. But he didn't register me what we did and he still didn't register me until I got back to Sydney so after leaving the base camp I got to Kathmandu and I spent a few days just relaxing in Kathmandu um I booked myself for several massages and just let my body recover after everything it had been through it was it was sort of the first time I actually switched off and allowed myself to take it all in.

[20:42] And then now that you're home and you're back into life and back into everything,

[20:47] what's up next? I know you've mentioned a couple of times, but what's coming up? When's it coming up? What's the next goal? So my next goal is Everest in April 2026. That's the main focus on my training right now. And after Everest, I'm looking at either Denali or Mukilu. So, and however, my long-term ambition is to gain enough experience and skill to attempt K2. And I know that's not a mountain you rush into. So every client from here is part of building the capability, confidence and adjustment to take on something of that level.

[21:31] Yeah, fantastic. So, a few big mountains in your sights ahead. So, I guess for anyone who is listening to this, because I think, you know, for listeners, we kind of will have a spread of people who, you know, maybe are in a similar journey to you going through and tackling some of these big mountain climbs and also people who are maybe just aspiring to that, like it's on the one day list or whatever.

[21:54] If anyone was considering right now to tackle, you know, this particular climb or another mountain like this what would be your words of advice so my biggest recommendation is to take the preparation seriously physically technically and mentally like for me i'm a double arm it's just not a fitness challenge it was a technical i mean it's a technical exposed mountain that demands specific training so i'm so glad i had the training that i did um and i would also recommend people get a proper mountaineering coach that what I found was amazing like working with a coach who understands the demands of steep climbing load carrying fatigue and altitude made a huge difference for me um I mean don't get me wrong general fitness helps but you won't prepare a person for fixed lines vertical sections with exposure on the mountain especially on the big mountain so my overall recommendation would be building a very strong base and getting a coach someone who understands what what the mountain demands as well as like calf strength having ankle stability and overall endurance like I'm a diplomat it's a steep mountain from the moment you leave camp base camp and it is brutal so I've learned the hard way how it's good to be trained in the Pacific sport.

[23:23] Absolutely. And I feel like this has been a really, really, really awesome episode. And I feel like, you know, it's been so cool to hear a bit about your story, the challenges you've gone through, and all of that. And we will 100% have you back on in the future, you know, after your future climbs as well. But I guess before we kind of wrap things up today, was there anything else that we haven't had a chance to cover, which you would like to add at all?

[23:53] So I'd like to add something I really value about mountaineering and is that it isn't an individual sport from my perspective. We often see summit photos. It makes it look like it's a solo achievement, but every successful climb or not successful is a result of a team moving together. So on the mountain, you constantly rely on the Sherpa team, climbing partners, guys, and the support of base camp. So decisions are made collectively, progress depends on communication, and safety comes from working as one. So on Ama Dablam, that teamwork was absolutely essential. And this is something that translates directly back into, I find, for my work, and I'm sure people can relate. You know, the mountains, for me, have taught me so much about collaboration, trust, and shared responsibility. So for me, mountaineering is not just about physical. It's a masterclass in teamwork, leadership and character building. Those lessons stay, I mean, for me, it stays with me long after the climb is over.

[25:03] Yeah, fantastic. And 100%, I'm sure so many people will exactly relate to that, to listening. So I just want to say, you know, as we're kind of coming to the end of this, it's been so, so, so good having you on today and having a bit of a chat. I think there's been an awesome episode. I think a lot of people are really going to enjoy it and get some good inspiration. So thank you for coming on. Thank you. Yeah, it's been fantastic.

[25:28] Thank you very much, Rowan. And I look forward to our training and going for Everest. Yeah, bring it on. So there we go, guys. I really do hope you've enjoyed today's episode. The last thing I will say before I wrap things up is if you were a mountaineer and you were listening to this and you were like, you know what? I really do feel like I need a specialist approach to my training. I've got some big mountains in my sight. I want to make sure I'm doing the right things to give myself the best chance possible. Then I would love to hear from you. If you want to learn a little bit more about the online personal training that she could use to prepare for this mountain and also our future ambitions, you can go to summitstrength.com.au slash mountaineer. Now on that page, there's a big video, which talks a lot about our program. And if it sounds like something you may be interested in learning a bit more about, there's a link on that page. You can book a free call with our team and we can have a bit of a chat, learn about you, your climbing, your training, and ultimately see if and how we may be able to help you out. So if you want to find out more, go to summitstrength.com.au slash mountaineer. And with that being said, thank you for listening. Hope you've enjoyed it, and we'll talk to you very, very soon. Bye.

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