There鈥檚 never a wrong time to head out the door. But if you鈥檙e serious about scoring the best conditions, enjoying a peaceful sunrise, or just fitting more adventure into life鈥檚 busy schedule, you鈥檙e going to need to master the art of dawn patrol (or at least give it a try). Besides, tackling a trail run or backcountry ski before breakfast sets a great tone for the day. Not a morning person? That鈥檚 OK. These top athletes have tricks to get even the sleepiest out of bed for an outing you won鈥檛 regret.
Plan Ahead
Nobody gets up at 5 a.m. on a whim. You鈥檝e got to make a plan. Set an alarm, have an idea of where you鈥檙e headed, and organize your essentials before bed. 鈥淚 prepare the night before, setting out my clothes, charging my headlamp, grinding my coffee, so I鈥檓 not looking around too much in the morning,鈥 says , an ultrarunner from Durango, Colorado. His most essential item? s. 鈥淚 use them to keep the chill off on early-morning runs, and I can easily stow them in the pockets of my shorts if it gets too warm,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e an ideal dawn-patrol piece.鈥
Have a Morning Routine
Turn on music, stretch, drink coffee鈥攚hatever you need to get going. Give yourself enough time so it doesn鈥檛 feel rushed. 鈥淚 used to give myself 30 minutes to get out the door, but that felt like a whirlwind,鈥 says , a ski mountaineer and photographer from Salt Lake City, Utah. 鈥淣ow I take 45 minutes for coffee and a little breakfast, check the avalanche report, and I鈥檓 out the door.鈥
Know Before You Go
If you鈥檙e heading into avalanche territory, triple-check your safety kit before you head out and make sure you鈥檙e familiar with all of it. 鈥淎t the beginning of every season, I鈥檒l do some practice with my avalanche safety gear, with friends or by myself,鈥 says McIntyre. 鈥淚鈥檒l practice pulling everything out of my pack and see how quickly I can assemble my shovel and probe.鈥 She uses the , which is very user-friendly for how advanced it is, and the and 鈥斺渢hey鈥檙e sturdy and strong and can handle a big, deep snowpack.鈥
Set a Date with a Friend聽
If you have an agreement to meet someone early in the morning, you鈥檙e likely to stick to it. 鈥淏ackcountry skiing, you need a partner anyway, but having a friend also helps with accountability,鈥 McIntyre says. 鈥淒on鈥檛 be late. When I was getting into dawn patrolling, a friend told me, 鈥榃aiting for a friend for ten minutes at 5 a.m. feels like waiting an hour later in the day.鈥欌
Make It Fun
You want to make the outing feel like an adventure, not an obligation; otherwise you鈥檒l be more tempted to hit snooze. 鈥淢ake whatever you鈥檙e going out to do feel approachable and fun, so it鈥檚 compelling enough to get out of bed,鈥 Grant says. 鈥淢aybe that means running a new trail or running your favorite loop in reverse.鈥
Watch Your Step
Grant鈥檚 go-to headlamp is the , Black Diamond鈥檚 smallest and lightest rechargeable light, which is plenty bright for even the darkest mornings. And to get a grip on slippery trails midwinter, he uses . 鈥淚 make sure those things are right next to my shoes, by the door, so I don鈥檛 forget them,鈥 he says.聽
Keep Your Expectations Light
The predawn hours may not be the time for personal records or uncharted routes. Come up with a mellow plan and be willing to adapt if you鈥檙e not feeling it. 鈥淭he fact that you鈥檙e getting up is already a win. Don鈥檛 put too many other pressures on it,鈥 Grant says. 鈥淚f the workout isn鈥檛 your best, you still made those steps.鈥 A lightweight ski, like the , makes each step a bit more effortless. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e often trying to squeeze in one run before work, so you might be hustling,鈥 says聽 McIntyre. 鈥淲hen you have less weight on your feet, going uphill faster becomes easier.鈥
It鈥檚 All About the Post-Mission Breakfast
If you need to, eat something small to energize you before you head out鈥攁 piece of toast, a banana鈥攐r pack a bar for the skin track or trail. But keep it light, because the best part of dawn patrol is treating yourself to a breakfast burrito and coffee on your way in to work afterward. 鈥淚 love stopping at a good bakery for a pastry when I鈥檓 done with dawn patrol,鈥 McIntyre says.聽
heritage goes back to 1957, when we started selling hand forged climbing gear from the trunk of a car in Yosemite Valley. Six decades later, we are still committed to designing and engineering the most innovative mountain equipment in the world.