New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #16

Russ Wallingwrote:

Stopped reading right about there...

I know you couldn't look away. That shit's hot. Did you ever see my lycra lizard skin suit? Very cool but not flashy enough. Almost a disguise. A good dogging outfit. 

I wonder what Fish looked like In flashy tights??? I know some photos must exist. Maybe I’ll go talk with Bulwinkle. Or Russ please roll out a photo- I know your holding 

Does anyone here remember Ken Gohegan? He was the vet in 29 palms, great guy. He and I put up a great route up in Indian Country we called The Last of the Gohegans. For some reason he had a knack for making tights for climbers. He made these for me. Damn stupid chalk bag blows the entire effect. Live and learn. Butterfly Crack. Keesee photo.

The Last of the Gohegans.

I started with knickers.  Then it was painter's pants.  I never got tights though, they seemed too delicate for what I was doing---or maybe it was the way I was doing it!

I've climbed in tights a couple of times. Made me feel almost slutty... I felt a little vulnerable, yet excited... . 

I think only a few people look good in tights; Nureyev, David Lee Roth and me.

Carl Schneiderwrote:

I've climbed in tights a couple of times. Made me feel almost slutty... I felt a little vulnerable, yet excited... . 

I think only a few people look good in tights; Nureyev, David Lee Roth and me.

David Lee Roth thought he looked good in anything.  You remind me of him. 

If I remember correctly David Lee Roth did a fair amount of climbing. It was during the 'Lycra period' so he fit right in.

Jan Mcwrote:

Lori, a lot of climbing harder climbs is learning to 'trust'.  Some would call this learning to 'make believe'.  You put your hand or foot somewhere and make believe that it will stay.  If you believe strongly enough it will.  This is part of the mental control that is so much a part of harder climbing (along with not thinking about the consequences while climbing something scary).  It is what seperates the hard boys from the wanna be's and never will be's.

If you want to see how powerful this can be, go out to Future Games rock and look at the bottom 30 feet of the route Games without Frontiers.  Imagine how much belief it must take to get up that blankness.

As my buddy was coaching me to break into 5.13's he commented "you want it to feel like a hold, just pretend it is".

Kris - Ken Gohegan took care of my cat, musta been in the mid-90's or thereabouts. I remember he had to slice open an abscess on the side of her mouth once; she merely flinched, while I almost fainted. He said, "Humans are such wimps!" He was a great vet and I was sorry when he moved out of town.

 I remember many of the local climbers wore tights that he made. Somehow I missed out on that.

Brandt Allenwrote:

Kris - Ken Gohegan took care of my cat, musta been in the mid-90's or thereabouts. I remember he had to slice open an abscess on the side of her mouth once; she merely flinched, while I almost fainted. He said, "Humans are such wimps!" He was a great vet and I was sorry when he moved out of town.

 I remember many of the local climbers wore tights that he made. Somehow I missed out on that.

Brandt, it’s never too late! 

Tights were fortunately a passing fad, but one that I was not immune.

C'mon Randy, you can't even see the tights in that pic. Surely you must have something more "revealing?"

When I think of tights one of the most memorable images in my brain is of Jim Bridwell standing in front of a bunch of hi-school girls, who he was guiding, in the most worn out, see through tights you can imagine. Showing them the proper way to fit your harness.

Ho Man 

who are these guys?

Guy Keeseewrote:

When I think of tights one of the most memorable images in my brain is of Jim Bridwell standing in front of a bunch of hi-school girls, who he was guiding, in the most worn out, see through tights you can imagine. Showing them the proper way to fit your harness.

Ho Man 

who are these guys?

By way of explanation: That big widow-maker tree was hanging over the nice ledge on Trapper Dome, threatening to massacre unaware sport climbers with the slightest breeze. It was being held up by the 6 foot stub of one branch leaning against the wall below. The decision was taken to break the branch by bombarding it with a few well placed bowling-ball size rocks. After the first strike it was evident that the tree was gonna go... Jan ran for dear life...

Then it did...

Casualties were taken...  I seized the moment to steal the shades from one of my dying comrades.

Photo's courtesy of Richard Grigsby, who quite sensibly took advantage of his role as photographer to maintain a safe distance.

Went out to Morialta for a climb Saturday and Sunday . This is from Saturday. A lot of chatting, some climbing... 

https://youtu.be/cipG11j5V8c

Nice, Carl!  And... to all you who posted pics of climbers in Lycra, really?  Actually, thank you for those visuals because now I can get rid of my infatuation with all you 80's climbers, kinda like picturing an audience in their briefs. (cure for stage fright).    

I'm trying to understand the local controversy over using power drills to repair worn bolts.  Maybe I'm missing some larger picture?  I've run into more than a few rusty spinners on rocks that haven't seen much use... and even this week I understand that a route I was on had mismatched old bolts that were dangerous.  Short of putting Police tape around every dangerous bolt, WHY wouldn't the Park be grateful for a willing, professional volunteer to take his or her personal time to go rebolt those bolts?  

The route we were on would require Bob to go get a permit to replace the errant bolts on that one route (with a power drill).  That permitting process takes weeks.  Meanwhile, me, or anyone, could be on that route unknowingly.  I'm missing something here.  

The alternative is that there are no good stewards, no willing persons who care enough to go out and do this job... and the whole place goes to hell.  

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I'm taking a climbing 'pause'.  The summer is here, it'll be 109 this week... and Friday was my last and sort of final day out for awhile.  I went with Kristian and Jan's words on my mind.  It was time to just climb and do some magical thinking.  So even though it was a familiar route (10b) on Cap Rock I worked on clearing my mind of reason and doubt, and just moving up.  What a great way to finish off a season!  

While thinking about what's next, I know that steep slab and vertical face climbing are where I'm drawn.  I think in part it's because it's visually impossible, and it engages belief systems.  I like the 'pretend the hold is there' idea.  We already do that, but draw the line somewhere...  I can now pretend right up to a 10b.  But the 10c overhung slab is too hard and suddenly I think it cannot be done.  It's a head game, I think.  

If I can get out early one day this week I will head over to Future Games Wall and see those routes.  Looks like opposite direction of Rubicon.  So, if Kristian can climb that... and there's pictures to prove it, then I can do something amazing, too.  Time to learn more Jedi magic.

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John Long addressed this... probably too woo woo for most people, but over time we learn to tap into unseen forces.  As age takes away some physical ability, it increases psychic/mental ability, imo.  I'm most interested in that aspect of climbing 'at a certain age'.   Flex spiritual muscle, imaginal muscle... less physical muscle. 

But back on earth here... looks like we'll be having some surgeries before summer is out.  And Tony is struggling not only with pain, but with having regained some weight while he's sidelined.  I have injured my groin, or hamstring... somewhere back there... and having some big pain myself.  This whole week I've been unable to walk upon arising... and hobbling most of the day.  Pain really takes over. So, it's helping me have more compassion.  If you cannot get up and walk/run/climb... if you are stuck in the house with pain, there is always food.  I'm asking Tony how I can help.  He's not a talker. 

On my own little health journey... we went to the Asian market yesterday so i could replenish my supply of natto.  Any of you big strong macho types... you ain't done nothin' until you've wolfed down some natto.      

I've never understood the desire to eat rotting food...

Tim Schafstallwrote:

Thinking of a Gunks visit next week, Mon-Wed or so.  Any Gunks locals want to climb ?

T

I am ex-local :)

I will send you a PM

Todd Berlier wrote:

super psyched i managed the FA on this bp this morning.  since it was going to be hot and i try not to be gone all day, i got up at 3:45am, made coffee and got on the road by 4. got to the boulder at about 6am just after sunrise and warmed up on a flash board and did it second try. i called it Slippery Slope Fallacy. i think its in the 6/7 range but its also a style of climbing im not very good at. either way it a beautiful problem in a gorgeous place.

Wow! What a great boulder, and such a fun looking problem, congrats!!! 

.....

Lori, only one hobbler allowed per household, didn't you know that? And, ummmm, the tights didn't exactly make me think of the audience in their underwear....

A little more like the perpetual kilt question. :-)

We finished our project saturday. An alternative 3rd pitch to our route Soul Whisperer

We named it Extra Treat 10b??