65....what??

I turn 65 next year, so starting to ponder what might be a fun way to mark that. Usually people do birthday laps, but shit, that'd finish me off, from boredom if nothing else, since it would only be feasible in the gym.

Soooo....

Something over the course of the whole year? My b'day is in January, so that seems pretty good for a time frame.

65 new to me routes?

65 different belayers?

Both?

New to me routes, would mean road trips and meeting people, for it to happen. I doubt there's 65 routes I can climb, around here, once the stuff I've already done is taken off the list. That means new areas. 

Belayers, well, I could probably beg up that many here, but then we're back to the gym. 

Something else? 

Have fun, but don't.get started with idiocy, please. 

Best, Helen

65 pieces of gear, one route, on your birthday

Rasputin NLNwrote:

65 pieces of gear, one route, on your birthday

This is a new level of desert rack 

OLH photo book on display at the life celebration for s.price.

She knows how to put together a book.

Helen, last I heard 2Row is kickin it in a small coastal town in Ecuador. 

Just stay healthy and go out and climb!   :-)

I think Steve Williams has the best idea, but...

You could try to climb your age in climbing grades in, say, a weekend,  Say thirteen 5.5's or five 5.13's, your choice.

More seriously, treat yourself to something.  Spend a little more than you should on something you don't really need.   Maybe climbing-related, maybe not.  (In my case it has been camera stuff.)

One climbing possibility:  come to the Gunks in the Fall.! Some of the best easy-to-moderate climbs on the planet, mellow approaches,  the Fall colors are pretty and the weather is usually good.  Combine with a visit to NYC for some culture.

Do whatever is most fun and say f**** it to the number!

65 belayers sounds cool, I'd join in with that.

If you do the 65 different belayers you will have some great stories for the Worst First Date Stories thread

what RG. don't focus on the number aor do anything silly related to the number. have the best experience that you can..  hoping that the world health situation and crazy politics etc.  will allow us to take a big road trip next year when I turn 60.. 

Bryan Lwrote:

If you do the 65 different belayers you will have some great stories for the Worst First Date Stories thread

Ya fer sure, I strongly don't recomend 65 different belayers. One year I did 35 and I am still trying to figure out which one to use for the worst first date story. Granted there were some good ones too, but the potential consequences of a bad  belay are serious. I would try for 65 New routes in a year.  Twice I have gotten caught in bad thunder storms trying to climb on my birthday In June. Get some friends together and have a small celebration.  Just my two cents.

I celebrated my 65 by climbing six 5.10s (led 5 of them) and one 5.5 on my birthday.

Would 65 days climbing be too easy?

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

what RG. don't focus on the number aor do anything silly related to the number. have the best experience that you can..  

Joking Nick...

Same birthday coming up for me, a little sooner. "There is no time like the present" couldn't have any more salience. Want to get better? Get better now. Want to have more fun? Have more fun now. We older climbers are in an incredibly lucky group, but none of us know when it will all come crashing down. So forget about your birthday. What are you doing today?

Well, I do intend to have fun, that's the main idea, and yes, that includes right now. "Right now" has been for a couple years now, so nice to not work!!!

However?

That 65th, I will add a modest pension in, as an officially retired public servant! That, deserves being noted, I think. ;-)

No, 65 belayers wouldn't be all people who are totally new, sheesh. I'd want my friends top of the list, but, to get 65 routes, I'd absolutely have to travel. An opportunity/excuse for new areas! That also means, meet up with the friends I've got scattered all over, the peeps from here that I "know" pretty well but have yet to meet, and people who are indeed new to me entirely.

In other words, chase some fun!

I'm doing that anyway, this is just keeping track, paying attention, a little nudge to push a bit....and armchairing and daydreaming some, for now.

All of which help, just getting that first foot out of the chair each day ....and doing something besides Netflix and cheesecake.

Best, Helen

Allow me to be the first, many months in advance, to wish you a ...

May your day be #blessed with sixty-five well-dressed, eligible bachelors bleating their way with pitchforks to your front door.

Best,

Fritz

RG.. i seem to have done a horrible job typing whatever  gibberish I posted....  

No worries Nick.