TTM Summit Readiness Simulator · Powered by the Banister Model

The Mountaineering Readiness Calculator & Summit Simulator

The Summit Simulator from Train to Mountain is the free mountaineering readiness calculator. It runs the same Banister fitness-fatigue model that Train to Mountain members use, applied to the variables you enter: target altitude, training load, current fitness, and weeks to summit. Set your inputs, and watch the science calculate your readiness in real time. Train to Mountain members get this powered by their actual wearable data, training history, and a live Ridge AI agent.

CTLiChronic Training LoadYour aerobic fitness level - a 42-day rolling average of training stress. Higher CTL = greater fitness base. The Banister model uses this as the performance-building component. ATLiAcute Training LoadShort-term fatigue - a 7-day rolling average of training stress. High ATL means your body is currently carrying recent training fatigue. TSBiTraining Stress BalanceYour form = CTL minus ATL. Positive TSB (+5 to +20) is optimal for performance. Negative = fatigued. A well-timed taper peaks form on the day it matters. SRSiSummit Readiness ScoreTTM's composite cardiovascular readiness score - combining fitness adequacy, form, altitude experience, training specificity, and recovery quality. 75+ is the target for a confident attempt.
Step 1 - Set Your Target Altitude
Alpine Zone
4,808 m
≈ 54% of sea-level O₂ available
Required iRequired CTLThe minimum Chronic Training Load estimated for sustained cardiovascular performance at this altitude, derived from altitude physiology research (Muza, Fulco & Cymerman; West et al.). This is aerobic capacity only - technical skill and acclimatisation are separate.  CTL
60
cardiovascular fitness units
Jump to reference altitude:
What this score measures: Cardiovascular readiness for sustained aerobic effort at your target altitude - derived from altitude physiology research (Muza, Fulco & Cymerman; West's High Altitude Medicine and Physiology). Technical climbing skill, acclimatisation schedules, route conditions, and objective hazard are outside the scope of this model and must be assessed separately.
What this simulator can't do - but TTM can

Three layers of AI intelligence

This simulator works on your estimates. TTM works on your reality - wearable data, actual sessions completed, sleep scores - and re-plans your entire program every Sunday.

🧠
Custom Program Builder
Tell the AI your objective, your constraints, your history. It generates your program from scratch using the Prescription Engine - not a template - built for your exact altitude target, training environment, and available weeks.
Altitude-specific periodization from day one
Urban vs. mountain training plans differentiated
Injury history and time constraints built in
Refined through natural conversation
💬
Daily AI Coach
Every morning: your SRS, today's session, and why. Every evening: a coached debrief on what your wearable data actually shows - not just what you logged. The coach knows your full training history and speaks to it directly.
Morning readiness score from real data
Post-workout AI debrief with interpretation
Overtraining and injury risk flags
Weekly and monthly trend reporting
🔄
Adaptive Recalculation
Every week, TTM recalculates your entire remaining program against actual results. Missed sessions? Plan adjusts. Exceptional week? Taper timing shifts. The algorithm sees what you actually did - not what was planned.
Full program recalculation every 7 days
wearable auto-sync - zero manual input
Real CTL/ATL vs. projected comparison
SRS updated daily on your actual data
Adaptive plan intelligence

See how TTM adapts when life gets in the way

Training is never a straight line. Here's a real example of what happens when your ATL spikes after a big week - the same adaptive logic applies when you miss sessions or overperform. All measured by TSSiTraining Stress ScoreA weighted measure of how much a workout stressed your body. Combines intensity and duration. Higher TSS = more load on your system..

This week · planned
Monday
Threshold · 3×8 min Z4
TSS 85
Tuesday
Easy aerobic · 60 min Z2
TSS 45
Wednesday
VO2max · 5×4 min Z5
TSS 90
Thursday
Full rest
TSS 0
Friday
Long climb · 3h vertical
TSS 120
Saturday
Long vert · 3h + 1200m
TSS 110
Sunday
Recovery spin · 60 min Z1
TSS 35
Weekly TSS
485
as planned
This week · actual
Monday
Threshold · 3×8 min Z4
TSS 98 ↑
Tuesday
Easy aerobic · 60 min Z2
TSS 58 ↑
Wednesday
VO2max · 5×4 min Z5
TSS 102 ↑
Thursday
Full rest
TSS 0
Friday
Long climb · 3h vertical
TSS 135 ↑
Saturday
Long vert · 3h + 1200m
TSS 128 ↑
Sunday
Recovery spin · 60 min Z1
TSS 42 ↑
Weekly TSS
563
+16% above plan
62
CTL
−16
TSB
71
SRS
Next week · originally planned ⚙️ TTM Adaptive Engine working... Next week · TTM adapted Sunday
Monday
Threshold · 3×8 min Z4Reduced · 50 min Z2-Z3
TSS 85TSS 52 ↓
Tuesday
Easy aerobic · 60 min Z2Active recovery · 30 min walk
TSS 45TSS 18 ↓
Wednesday
VO2max · 5×4 min Z5Shortened · 3×4 min Z4
TSS 90TSS 58 ↓
Thursday
Full restFull rest · extended
TSS 0TSS 0
Friday
Long climb · 3h verticalEasy hike · 90 min low
TSS 120TSS 55 ↓
Saturday
Long vert · 3h + 1200mShorter hike · 2h moderate
TSS 110TSS 65 ↓
Sunday
Recovery spin · 60 min Z1Full rest · protect recovery
TSS 35TSS 0
Weekly TSS
485
as planned −49% from original
AI Coach · Sunday evening
Your ATL jumped to 78 this week - well above your CTL of 62. Your TSB is −16, meaning you're carrying significant fatigue. I've adapted next week to protect your long-term curve, so you have Sunday evening to review it before Monday. Your summit date hasn't moved. We'll recapture this load across weeks 11-13.
The physiology behind the score

Why cardiovascular fitness is the altitude bottleneck

At sea level, most healthy athletes can sustain effort regardless of fitness differences. At 5,000m, everything changes. The limiting factor isn't strength, determination, or experience - it's your cardiovascular system's ability to deliver oxygen to working muscles as atmospheric pressure drops.

🫁
VO₂max drops with every metre of altitude
VO₂max is the maximum rate at which your body can consume oxygen during exercise - the gold standard of aerobic capacity. At altitude, atmospheric pressure falls, reducing the partial pressure of oxygen in the air you breathe. Even if your lungs are working perfectly, less O₂ is available per breath.

The relationship is steep: VO₂max declines roughly 1% for every 100m above 1,500m. At 5,000m, an athlete who tests at 60 ml/kg/min at sea level is effectively operating at around 43 ml/kg/min - a 28% reduction. The mountain doesn't care how fit you were at home.
~1%
VO₂max loss / 100m above 1,500m
28%
Reduction at 5,000m vs sea level
📉
O₂ availability by altitude band
How much of sea-level oxygen is available to your muscles at each altitude tier. A higher cardiovascular base means you start closer to your sea-level ceiling - the gap between you and your limit is smaller.
Sea level
100%
2,500m
74%
Mont Blanc 4,808m
57%
Matterhorn 4,478m
59%
Mt Kenya 4,985m
56%
📈
Why CTL is the proxy we measure
Direct VO₂max testing requires a lab. TTM's approach - shared with elite performance centres - uses Mountain Fitness (MF) as a validated field proxy for aerobic capacity. MF accumulates through consistent, structured training over 42 days. A higher MF reflects a better-developed cardiovascular system: more capillaries, higher stroke volume, better oxygen extraction efficiency.

The Banister model doesn't just track load - it models how your physiology responds to that load over time, accounting for both the fitness you're building and the fatigue you're accumulating.
42
Day CTL time constant
r=.89
CTL-VO₂max correlation (endurance athletes)
🎯
What this simulator measures - and doesn't
The Summit Readiness Score is a cardiovascular altitude readiness estimate. It tells you whether your aerobic engine is built for the oxygen demands of your target altitude. It does not assess:

Technical skill - crevasse navigation, crampon technique, rope work.
Acclimatisation - your body's adaptation to reduced O₂ over days at altitude, which is a separate physiological process.
Objective hazard - weather windows, route conditions, team dynamics.

A high SRS means your cardiovascular system is ready. It is a necessary condition - not a sufficient one.
How TTM addresses the full picture →

Get your real readiness score

This simulator uses estimates. TTM uses your wearable, your training history, your actual physiology. Join early access and get a personalised program built by AI from day one.

Free during beta · No credit card · iOS first, Android following

No spam. Early access athletes get free onboarding + priority AI coach access.

Common questions

What is a mountaineering readiness calculator?

A tool that estimates your cardiovascular readiness for a target altitude based on your training load, fitness trend, and weeks remaining. The Summit Readiness Simulator runs the Banister fitness-fatigue model on your inputs and returns a single readiness score against the objective you set.

How accurate is the readiness score?

The interactive simulator gives a directional estimate from the variables you enter. The full TTM mountaineering training app produces the calibrated score using your real wearable data - heart rate, training load, vertical, recent session history - which is materially more accurate than any single-input form. Treat the public simulator as a quick sense-check, not a verdict.

What inputs does the readiness calculator need?

Target altitude, current weekly training volume, current fitness level (CTL or equivalent), and weeks remaining until the objective. The model uses these to estimate projected fitness on summit day and the cardiovascular reserve you should hold for altitude-corrected effort.

Why does the calculator focus on altitude, not summit speed?

Because altitude is the variable that most consistently breaks summit attempts among aerobically fit athletes. Sea-level pace and time-on-feet matter; reserve at altitude matters more. The model corrects for the oxygen drop at your target elevation to surface the readiness gap that pure fitness numbers miss.

Is the simulator free?

Yes. The public calculator is free, with no signup. The full TTM app runs the same readiness model on your wearable data, with weekly recalibration; that experience is part of the subscription.

What if my readiness score is too low?

The simulator surfaces the gap rather than promising you can close it. If projected readiness is well below the threshold for your altitude, the honest answer is usually one of: extend the timeline, drop the altitude target, or commit to a structured build that adds the missing fitness before the trip.