New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #16

Frank Stein wrote:

Mark is right. My wife hadn’t sent a 24/.12a until she was 58. She’s now done several up to 12b/25. She started climbing in 1996, but what changed for her is that she started to hear the clock ticking, and as result started to train and try hard.
in another example, Chuck and Maggie Odette sent their first .14b/33 last year. They are 64 and 50 respectively. 

Thanks for sharing this.  

I am enjoying my "climbing comeback" partly because exploring the edges of my abilities is so much fun.  I love the process of learning/training/improving/pushing myself, and I am curious where it will take me.  It is nice to know it is possible to climb hard at 50+ !

Another encouraging piece of the aging puzzle snapped into place for me today.  While focusing a lot on physical agility and endurance, there's always been a question about how to maintain mental faculties on into old age.

"Hard mental work is key to maintaining your cognitive intelligence.  That may sound a little ominous because it is hard for most of us to find serious mental work in retirement.  Two things: first, it's not impossible.  You can find a new job, or part-time job that pushes you to do serious cognitive work. Or you can do things for pleasure that do the same thing: Take courses, write books, learn new things you care about.  Use your mind.

Second, serious, complex exercise itself is extremely hard work for your brain... it is known that complex physical activity 'grows' your brain.  And not just the parts that are directly concerned with physical movement.  It strengthens and grows the frontal cortex, too... the thinking part."  (updated Younger Next Year by Allan Hamilton, MD.)

Just thinking about this, I realize part of the reason I was reluctant to retire was because the work I did at my job daily forced me to do hard mental work, and it kept me sharp. It was analytical, technical, math, decision-making... and sometimes I upped the ante by 'relaxing' with hard computer games during the workday.  I have to say that rock climbing could be the next closest thing, in terms of how it forces you to use your brain.  It's probably a great choice for us.  

As I read through these new last chapters on "Protecting Our Brains For Life", I'm happy to put some attention on how to stay mentally sharp for the next decades.  Staying engaged, connected, and interested in life is part of that.  Finding an approach to a route through a maze of rocks might be another way of staying sharp.    

Locker wrote:

what's that old saying???

"don't overthink it"

everything doesn't need to be analyzed...

 

The science of aging and fitness is very interesting to me, Locker.  When something potentially helpful comes out I read it and share it, and I appreciate it when anyone else shares science news, especially as there is so little of it on this subject.
It’s not for everyone. If it’s not your thing just keep on scrolling.   Easy peasy. 

Locker, exhaling will fill your lungs.

You have never heard of Rahsaan Roland Kirk! 

Lori Milas wrote:

Oh, Carl... I'm so deeply touched.  Poetry just has that way of getting you in the heart.  You wear your heart on your sleeve.  Tony has never written anything that deep.

Is your wife still taking swings at  you?  if so, there might be a reason why.    

Yeah it's very very deep, so deep it's hard to get the full meaning and nuances...

Lori Milas wrote:

The science of aging and fitness is very interesting to me, Locker.  When something potentially helpful comes out I read it and share it, and I appreciate it when anyone else shares science news, especially as there is so little of it on this subject.
It’s not for everyone. If it’s not your thing just keep on scrolling.   Easy peasy. 

Calorie restriction is the one things that has been proven beyoynd a dount to extend healthy lifespan.  I take all kinds of supplements, but there is no getting around the fact that restricting calories is mandatory if you want to try to live as long as possible. 

This brief mention of poetry, and Carl's oh so true verse (although I'm only mono-cep on one side), compels me to share one of my very favorite works. Critics say Mary Oliver lacks literary depth, or social passion, and is technical but without soul. To them I say hogwash. They lack the scope of life experience to get it. How many of these deskbound intellectuals have seen a great raptor soaring, dynamically, through the sky?

Something
just now
moved through my heart
like the thinnest of blades
as that red-tail pumped
once with its great wings
and flew above the gray, cracked
rock wall.
It wasn't
about the bird, it was
something about the way
stone stays
mute and put, whatever
goes flashing by.
Sometimes,
when I sit like this, quiet,
all the dreams of my blood
and all outrageous divisions of time
seem ready to leave,
to slide out of me.
Then, I imagine, I would never move.
By now
the hawk has flown five miles
at least,
dazzling whoever else has happened
to look up.
I was dazzled. But that
wasn't the knife.
It was the sheer, dense wall
of blind stone
without a pinch of hope
or a single unfulfilled desire
sponging up and reflecting,
so brilliantly,
as it has for centuries,
the sun's fire.

Mary Oliver

Kristian. i once saw a red tail hawk flying with a live snake in its talons.  once a massive golden eagle did a barrel role right in front of our windshild... 

My hiking partner and I always comment on how the birds probably make fun of us for being so slow and earthbound.  When you watch a bunch of ravens playing in the afternoon thermals you realize how crappy we have it stuck here on the ground.

I once watched a golden eagle cruise up one of the walls at Church Dome.  The resident ravens came to pester him.  He actually drove both of them almost to the ground.  But then of course he was screwed because they were faster and more maneuverable at that point.  They ended up one above each wing of the eagle and pestered him all the way down the wall.  The remarkable thing was the size disparity in that each raven was the width of one of his wings.

All 3 birds seemed very happy with the game!  And I was jealous as hell!

Bài đăng này thú vị

David pele wrote:Bài đăng này thú vị

I was just thinking that.

Where else can you get Mary Oliver and beans in one thread. The wild beans are calling, calling us to the soft animal of our beany bodies. To take our place in  the nature of all things wild

I was out this afternoon back on Dog Day Afternoon with Bob, who was a patient and really helpful coach.  I’d just really like to climb this route nicely.  Like... actually climb it, not hang or struggle.  It’s such a pretty route, and it’s a Cole/Houser route, so there’s that.

While I somehow made it to the top last week it wasn’t real—and I came home wondering if I could actually pick up the skills to do it right. It’s exceedingly hard. Not one move felt familiar—lean to the left, lean to the right...what looks like a right hand is really a left, and there’s a place for a right foot but not for the left. Memorizing the sequence, step up fast and power through.

Perhaps I climbed 10 feet of it, not clean, and will return to learn a little more once the skin on my fingers heals. Unlike the climbing I’m used to there’s only time for a few hard attempts and then all power is gone for the day. Try, rest. Repeat, then go home.

It’s hard to grasp how much strength and skill so many of you have or had. I am in constant admiration of those here who climbed routes like this and harder just in the course of things.

Just for fun I used the new Whoop video capability with my heart rate overlapped (in the shoe cam).  I actually couldn’t climb long enough to get the previously elevated heart rate.

Lori, Just to say I've done Dog Day Afternoon many times. Even when I was climbing much harder routes, I always approached that climb with respect. IMO it might be the best climb at its grade in the park, and it is not trivial. Your goal is a solid one, and when you do it (as I'm quite confidant you will), you'll be a happy camper. You might ask your partners about what I call bridge routes. Easier but similar. Face but not slab. Hard to read. Body English required. I'm trying to think of a few but I'm striking out right now. Tired. Walked miles with Dog, did the intermediate Pilates reformer series (advanced is nearly impossible for mere mortals), then wore out the rowing machine. All followed by three ale's. Fried I am.

Lori Milas wrote:

The science of aging and fitness is very interesting to me, Locker.  When something potentially helpful comes out I read it and share it, and I appreciate it when anyone else shares science news, especially as there is so little of it on this subject.
It’s not for everyone. If it’s not your thing just keep on scrolling.   Easy peasy. 

I over think EVERYTHING Lori. I found out I like learning new things, and researching, studying, overthinking is fun at times, esp in the down time. 

Got outside today, it wasn't all that cold, about 17, cloudy for the most part. Rock was a little damp. 

Top roped a 16 (Golgotha) with a little roof and then a crack. I don't really like roofs, I get stuck under them. Didn't really enjoy it as a warm up. 

Then did a 20 face climb (Bung) which has really cool beta and quite thin holds at the top, have to think about it all the way. 

Then did a lovely grade 15 crack (Shedidit) that's cool to lay back most of the way. I want to lead this so was checking out gear placement on the way. It'd take cams and maybe some torque nuts. 

Nice day, got both grandkids around tonight, the fire's on, Cindy is making burgers, the four dogs are snoring, I've had some beer and moussaka and herb and I'm feeling finnnnne.

Kristian Solem wrote:

Lori, Just to say I've done Dog Day Afternoon many times. Even when I was climbing much harder routes, I always approached that climb with respect. IMO it might be the best climb at its grade in the park, and it is not trivial. Your goal is a solid one, and when you do it (as I'm quite confidant you will), you'll be a happy camper. You might ask your partners about what I call bridge routes. Easier but similar. Face but not slab. Hard to read. Body English required. I'm trying to think of a few but I'm striking out right now. Tired. Walked miles with Dog, did the intermediate Pilates reformer series (advanced is nearly impossible for mere mortals), then wore out the rowing machine. All followed by three ale's. Fried I am.

Kristian, thank you for your encouragement and suggestions.  I know that you and others here 'get it'... that desire to climb something beautiful and make it beautiful.  I would never work this hard to lift some number of reps or pounds in the gym, but I would go all the way to try to make that next step up on a beautiful rock.  It takes a lot of humility for me to be willing to botch it up, a lot, while learning...and maybe never be able to complete it.  For years I danced, and it's still in my blood, so these routes that have such exquisite lines and require a certain Body English really call.  I believe Bob was suggesting some routes that could be called bridge routes as a way to be more ready to climb DDA.

The thing is, just another 5-8 feet on DDA and the rest of the route would be sailing.  It's VERY hard to walk away.

You mentioned Pilates reformer which got me thinking.  I wonder if we have any Pilates here in Josh/Yucca.  Will check that out.  That's the kind of work that might help me climb better.  

I'm also having a chuckle at your sentence "Walked miles with the Dog" and wondering if we can find a piece of neighboring slab to Dog Day Afternoon and name a new FA that.  (Or just "Walking The Dog")

Your Mary Oliver poem, while not as good as Carl's, is beautiful, indeed.  The best part of my day yesterday was leaving the route, at sunset, turning back to see the silhouette of those rocks with a few stars starting to shine... a waxing moon.  The desert here has transformed in the last week. It's very hard to leave it and go inside.  I don't want to be anywhere else.

Oh... and it is a Houser/Cole route (not the reverse).  I take it that the first name listed on MP is the lead climber?  It must have been very hard for Dave to ever walk away from all this.  

Carl Schneider wrote:

I over think EVERYTHING Lori. I found out I like learning new things, and researching, studying, overthinking is fun at times, esp in the down time. 

Got outside today, it wasn't all that cold, about 17, cloudy for the most part. Rock was a little damp. 

Top roped a 16 (Golgotha) with a little roof and then a crack. I don't really like roofs, I get stuck under them. Didn't really enjoy it as a warm up. 

Then did a 20 face climb (Bung) which has really cool beta and quite thin holds at the top, have to think about it all the way. 

Then did a lovely grade 15 crack (Shedidit) that's cool to lay back most of the way. I want to lead this so was checking out gear placement on the way. It'd take cams and maybe some torque nuts. 

Nice day, got both grandkids around tonight, the fire's on, Cindy is making burgers, the four dogs are snoring, I've had some beer and moussaka and herb and I'm feeling finnnnne.

Carl, if I haven't said it before, I'm so happy you've hung in there with us and continued to write. I feel like we've almost gotten to visit Australia and experience life there.  I'd miss it a lot of you didn't post.  All your pictures over the last few years have really filled in the pieces.  Thank you!

--

As for researching and 'overthinking'.  I think some people have been blessed with natural good health and can't even imagine why anyone would spend time worrying about it.  My mother was one such person who led a moderate life, but ate and did whatever she pleased until she died at 102. She couldn't understand someone more delicate like me, who had one thing after another almost from birth.  She certainly never grasped diabetes.  

But what we're after here is even more than just basic good health (which is not a given).  We want to climb "at a certain age'.  So that requires a little extra attention.

In the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda, which I studied for many years, the yogis said that most people are given a measure of effortless good health until somewhere around the age of 50-55.  During that window of time we will make a deep and spiritual choice about whether and how to go forward in life.  Without a strong, positive will to be vibrant and engaged in life, there will be a slow steady decline into death (or fast decline if the vices of youth all pile on at once).  I felt very aware of that window, and decided to get pro-active.  How long can we hold illness and decay at bay so we can continue to have fun and play ... I don't know.  But I do know that this is no longer a freebie.  

Lori Milas wrote:

...In the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda, which I studied for many years, the yogis said that most people are given a measure of effortless good health until somewhere around the age of 50-55.  During that window of time we will make a deep and spiritual choice about whether and how to go forward in life...

Have you met Brandt Allen? You two might have a lot to talk about...

I like this shot. I'm not sure why I had the camera pointed at him, but I'm glad I did.   

Old reliable. Classic.