New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #18

Guy Keeseewrote:

 Castle Rock Spire

Kris and I on summit of CRS.  Yes he is a little feller :)  18th ascent, 2nd Free ascent, not by me though, I did some French Free to overcome the 5.11D off fingers. 

Mr. Keesee was standing on a rock in that shot...   

Guy: All-time great photo of you and Kris!

My Judas story: First time I tried it I stood at the base and rubbed a lovely wound into the back of my hand trying to get a solid jam. Don't think I ever got both feet off the ground.  I gained a little better crack technique, and learned to move off of less secure jams, came back and did it. 

Mr. Keesee standing atop Trash Can Rock circa?

Gotta love the white VW Transporter there...

Now we are talking.  Wow!  Thank you so much!  

I'm fighting with my insurance company all day today so don't have a lot of presence of mind to comment much... but may I say, those smiles.  Why is it climbers smile so much and share so much friendship?  I have also marveled at the comparatively long and happy marriages you all have had (I know there are a few exceptions).  One would have thought that with bad-boy climbers out being bad boys relationships would be short and divorces the norm.  But that doesn't seem to be the case.  You seem to settle down for life, and take good care of your spouses.  This is so rare. 

I hope to add myself to those statistics, at least on the Happiness Meter.  Climbing does wonders for the soul.  Man... look at those smiles.    

Brandt, if you are ready, we can go climb Judas.  I can bring my step ladder to get some kind of start...  sounds like you won't need one!  

Guy, great shots and Judas story!

Wow, loving these pics, everyone! 

If I had discovered climbing way back then? Hmmmm.

I suspect it's the climbERS I would have discovered. 

Lori - I'd be willing to give it a try, but chances are slim that I could pull it off. 

About 2 hours in .... we had cleared the Poison Oak forest. That is Jan Macs wife, Rachel, behind Kris. 

Bill Leventhal, taking a rest and recuperation break. We went as a party of 4 just to have another party around in case "something went wrong"  

No smiles here.... about 5 hrs into the CRS approach. Much to heavy loads.

Hike all that was and there are no spots level ennnuf to bivi, we found this spot up about 150 feet of 5.2 don't roll off!

No smiles ... this is about 5 pitches up, after the walk trough pitch, about 1,500 feet of fresh air off my right shoulder, I was worried, scared and the crux was looming overhead. 

Kris doing the 1ST crux, 5.11 off fingers leaning out and over some really big air. I felt calm enuf to grab camera for a second. 

Bill on the top. I was to afraid to stand there or to even think about a victory smoke, we still needed to get down!! Wow a partial CRS TR.... 

Lori good luck "dealing" with Insurance....  Right now Im dealing with the IRS, so sitting at computer, with photos at hand. CRS was a dream of mine sense I had started climbing. When I first met Kris he had just moved out from NYC and wanted to know about any adventure climbing in CA. I tossed this out, he said "yes" and it was on. That is a real smile on my face - the kind you get after wanting something so bad for many years then finally sending. You know the feeling, weather its "Run For your Life", a hard Boulder problem or a Big Wall then its off to the next one, the next one and the next one.......  we are like junkies. Climbers must fuel the stoke. But im sure that everyone on this thread knows this. 

Castle Rock Spire might just be the best summit in California, and certainly the hardest to reach via its easiest route (5.11d). That was one hella day...

Guy Keeseewrote:

Carl… what is it? A one string? 

Two

Alan Rubinwrote:

 I did start to put on some pounds--though never too many, but also became stronger--so some of those pounds (though definitely not all) were muscle. Still probably stronger now in my 70s than I was in my 20s, but joint and other issues are negatively effecting my performance.

Alan, I agree with Ward.  Recall my last session with you I commented that you are climbing significantly stronger than you were back in the Spring. Keep it up, I hope to be climbing as well as you are in 10 years' time.  

Thanks to Alan and others, I was priviledged to climb at the some of the more obsecure and less travelled crags of NH and MA in 2020.  It was so much fun going for onsight on routes which have no or little chalk.  That really took the sting out of months of avoiding pubic transportation and crowds.  I owe all those who helped to keep me sane and motivated a ton of gratitude.  

Jesus.  What a shot. This really says it all.  Those toes are barely there and it looks like Kris’ head and hands on/in a crack?  On lead.  Good Lord. 

I’ve just been musing this afternoon what all you guys have gone through together… The friendship, adventure, the hardships and I can’t think of many other ways that you could have this much in this lifetime.  You seem to have stuck together or at least stayed in touch over decades.  And you have memories that money can’t buy.

Quite honestly, and secondarily, I wish I could have given this to my kids. I just didn’t know there was more than Little League and soccer which just wasn’t a good fit.  One kid might not have died and the others might have had the bonding and excitement to look back on. But it’s not just the teenagers who could use this, I don’t see adults having all that much fun, either.

Now I’m getting some excitement … with gratitude that it wasn’t too late.  I haven’t gotten to experience the collaboration of swapping leads and literally being in harms way with friends. But I can see from the smiles and the stories part of what you must have felt.

For some reason I was thinking of Castle Craigs which I guess is not the area you were talking about. On my way to Mount Shasta I happened to look up and left from the freeway and saw all these incredible spires. Have any of you been there or climbed there before? I have thought of it so many times. Sugarloaf, another  spire, is also open right now below Strawberry area and I know they are all currently above what I can climb, but wow, I can sure think about it.  Just save me a spot for when I’m a little stronger.  

On Sugarloaf… The Man Who Fell To Esrth. 5.11. Browsing through routes I see Tony Yaniro and Bachar on several.  So did you guys all hit the road? 

Finally, at our humble abode Tony called me outside to view this large creature.  

Jan Mcwrote:

Way back when I got my Stone Master diploma and was 117 pounds.

In my 50s after I was well doctored with the proper hormones in me.  Not really lean at 130 but fucking strong.

With good endurance as well.

Wow, Jan, you are probably the only other male adult climber I have come across who was between 115 and 120 at your peak.
I am 60 now and about half way between 117 and 130. But there is no way I am f*&@ing strong, more like f*&@ing weak. :) 

I saw Graham and Luke the first or second time I was at Shagg.  They were eitther 14 or 15 then.  They had zero footwork back then.  By that I mean they were basically campusing Ginseng the whole way up.  Jaw dropping and I commented loudy that "these kids will 5.15 some day".  Ginseng is one .12b I was never able to get.  Had to settle for Two Shaved Heads which is more my style; less steep and crimpy.

Lori Milaswrote:

 Browsing through routes I see Tony Yaniro and Bachar on several.  So did you guys all hit the road? 

Totally!  A roadtrip gets me way more motivated than another run on my proj 1.5 hrs away by car.
Even within the NA, many destinations await; JT, up and down UT, Ten Sleep, Lander (WY), Bend, Banff, and a return to the many crags of CO.
Thinking about Puerto Rico this winter for great culture and good winter climbing.  Short, direct flight from BOS helps too.

S. Neoh, when I was young I was 5' 3.5" and weighed between 112 and 117.  At around 38 it all fell apart and it took 10 years for doctors to figure out that my pituitary had quit working.  Things just get worse at such a slow rate that it isn't obvious what is wrong.  Once on meds I 'beefed' up some and ended up around 130 and much more muscular than I used to be, but not really any stronger considering I weighed more.  I did have a LOT better endurance though.  I climbed really hard from 48 till my mid 60s when I had to slow down due to arthritis in my shoulders and fingers.  Now it is in my knees.  Heredity is a bitch!  Of course, I wouldn't trade any of it for anything.

Lori Milaswrote:

Jesus. What a shot. This really says it all. Those toes are barely there and it looks like Kris’ head and hands on/in a crack? On lead.  Good Lord. 

Guy got this pic as well. My shadow, after pulling the crux. That thing's as trad as trad gets.

Guy Keeseewrote:

Bullwinkle AKA  Dean Fidelman on the Right. Gary Ayres (RIP) and Shawn Curtis (RIP) L-R 

You've shared this shot before and I think it seems so classic to me. Of course I'm a newbie to climbing so this seems so strange to me. When I was that age all I was doing was smoking dope, surfing, listening to Zed Zep and polishing my car. What year was this? 

S. Neohwrote:

I saw Graham and Luke the first or second time I was at Shagg.  They were eitther 14 or 15 then.  They had zero footwork back then.  By that I mean they were basically campusing Ginseng the whole way up.  Jaw dropping and I commented loudy that "these kids will 5.15 some day".  Ginseng is one .12b I was never able to get.  Had to settle for Two Shaved Heads which is more my style; less steep and crimpy.

I saw them trying a 13c/d route that I had bolted at Rumney, almost sending it without using the best (hidden) sidepull at the crux which I had somehow brushed the chalk off of after my prior attempt.  Last first ascent I ever snagged before those guys.

Wow. This thread is starting to remind me of the East Coast crew vs. the West Coast Crew.  So glad ya’ll are getting to know one another and exchanging stories!  Very cool.

Back when one of my kids thought he was black I got to listen to the rap contests between 2Pac and Biggie.  I say West Coast had it going on. (As does Joshua Tree and Yosemite… and I guess now, Spy) 

For a short while my grand dog, Gidget, also had to wear her colors.    She was always game for anything.

S. Neohwrote:

Totally!  A roadtrip gets me way more motivated than another run on my proj 1.5 hrs away by car.
Even within the NA, many destinations await; JT, up and down UT, Ten Sleep, Lander (WY), Bend, Banff, and a return to the many crags of CO.
Thinking about Puerto Rico this winter for great culture and good winter climbing.  Short, direct flight from BOS helps too.

Great winter climbing and culture in El Potrero Chico also.  Easy to get there.  Next trip starts mid-February, contact me for details if interested.  If you head west on a road trip, City of Rocks/Castle Rocks have a lot to offer.  And here in McCall we have the Memorial on Slick Rock, rated the third best sport multi-pitch in the US by Climbing, but that was before Flyboys went up.