New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #18

 My closest call was burning a hole through a piston (running too lean) of my RD400 @110mph and did the big high side. broke my collarbone and sprained both ankles. Got super lucky as no oncoming traffic and enough of a runout up the other lane to not hit anything solid. Usually no sand traps in street racing...  had I been going the other direction I would have T boned a cliff. had the engine blown on the previous corner I would have hit the guard rail of  bridge and launched into a river..  or been fed through the guardrail like a cheese slicer...   Got my leathers off immediately  before the adrenalin wore off so they would not get cut off.  picked up all the pieces of plastic, hid the bike and parts in the bushes and hitch hiked to the hospital.  I was rather paranoid about the 200m skid marks causing some state trooper to calculate  my speed... 

Incredible video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocHeJG5o8N0

Car talk time, I see.  BITD I had a '63 Corvette Stingray Coupe, the one with the split rear window.  327cu.in., 340hp, 4:11 rear axle, 75mph in 2nd gear, topped out at 140mph, chased but never caught.  Got married, had kids, end of the 'Vette!   Years later I got to drive a Formula 3 on a euro grand prix circuit.  Scary fast, but incredible cornering and brakes.   Got me over driving fast on the highway.  Now I poke along at the speed limit and get my adrenaline rush climbing.

I used to race motocross but never bought a street bike.  Would have loved an RD350 but I knew that I lacked enough self control and I would eventually go way over the edge and kill myself.  I have stuck to cars and alternate between sports cars and 4x4s.  I've set speed records in both!

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

Part of why the Seneca, North Carolina, Daks and Gunks rateings are so stiff is because no one wanted to be seen as soft  and with little information to go with it was best to just call it 5.8 if it was hard and 5.9 if it was desperate. 

And the dreaded "5.9+"  

Pam Dollarwrote:

Hi Folks! I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm not sure how to find climbing partners my age.  I just moved to the Tacoma area and would love to meet some folks to climb with that are more "experienced".  Anyone available to play outside or inside?  I am retired so my schedule is open

Hi Pam.  Welcome to WA, you are just in time for La Nina.  Hope you like to ski  8-)  I go thru Bonney Lake on my way to Crystal.

I am in Silverdale, retired, climbing actively, quite creaky with various joint deteriorations.  I could go outdoors, but the weather....  You may know that Frenchman Coulee on the east side usually has nice fall and winter climbing, basalt in a semi-arid climate.  On weekends you could troll for TRs and partners at the Feathers or Riverview Park.  

Try the Seattle Climbing Meetup for an online group that does day and weekend trips.  I hung with them for a year or 2 after retirement ('til I met more people closer to home at my climbing gym).

For gyms, Edgeworks in Tacoma is probably closest.  I think The Cirque in Olympia is maybe a better gym, and may have more older and senior climbers.  They also host the Senior Games, which I don't care about but friends enjoy, so there's that.  My wife and I expect to move to Lacey in 2 or 3 years, so I already have a Cirque punch card with 3 visits 'cuz I'm angling for partners there.  I have met several folks 40s-60s who were friendly.  

Lori Milaswrote:

Wow. Y’all just keep on sharing your stories, I had no idea that the way to a climbers heart was through his/her car. I am kind of amazed to read all of this. I will indeed check around that Joshua Tree, I know just the one. 

I was out climbing this morning and made the spur of the moment decision to go back to C.S.Special.  Thats a Houser route with Ed Ehrenfeld and Bob Molloy (have we talked about them?). To the left of CS Special is a Gaines route and to the left of that is a 5.9 which I found to be a lot of fun.

It’s a pretty amazing rock and that lower boulder start had me completely baffled the first time, and it still does. Maybe I made a little inroad on it but still no cigar.   As I climb these old routes  it’s almost like I can hear the talk, banter, laughter, machismo? that must have been happening as they went up. 

While I was digging in with my fingertips and toes at the crux on that nearly vertical slab all I could think was “What the FUCK were these guys thinking? How did they do this?”  The first bolt is 20 feet at least, and a fall off of that rock could be catastrophic.  I mean there’s no safety there.  

Some days I find it hard to feel any sense of accomplishment when I climb a route like that, on a top rope, and with SO much friggin’ effort, knowing who actually put up these routes, ground up.  Today was one of those days where I thought “SO? That was no big deal.”    Except to me it was.  3 laps on that and I was done.  (19 on the Whoop which means I was working hard.) 

That looks hard. I think I'd be stick-clipping the first bolt. No good reason not to... 

After a hard day yesterday I'm feeling reflective this morning (and pretty wiped out)... I'm feeling grateful for this gift of climbing.  It's nice to have one thing that I feel somewhat competent at... I didn't know that would mean so much in the rest of my daily life.  To be able to walk up to an imposing rock and think "Yea, I can probably do that."  It's probably why kids get Little League and Girl Scouts... to gain a sense of skill and competence.  Any way, with miles to go, I'm feeling some ownership of my ability to climb. 

I got a text message on my way into the park yesterday that Ken, my son-in-law's dad, would probably die that morning. Ken was a robust outdoor contractor when he learned he had melanoma when his vision suddenly went blurry 4 years ago, and it turned out to be cancer in that eye.  He was only 54 when he found out.  Since that day he has done everything he could to fight it... had the eye removed, took all the conventional treatments, went vegan and all organic, flew to Austria for some fancy treatments not allowed in the US... but mostly, he spent every moment with his family logging in memories.  He rented a houseboat on Lake Shasta for the family.  He took the kids to Cancun for a week.  On holidays I would see him outside racing around on tricycles, and then on dirtbikes, with his 4 grandsons, and I'd be thinking how can this sick man be this full of life and laughter?  He sat on the floor and built leggos with the kids, laughing harder than they did.  He's left every kind of video, letter, reminder for the kids and grandkids.  Ken died yesterday while I was out climbing... I found out when I got back home. 

So, I guess that's been on my mind, and yesterday I sent up prayers for peace and angels to be by his side... and I sent one hard climb with him in mind "This one's for you, Ken".  I really feel that when we're here, we need to 'be here now'.  And when it's time to go, we go.  There's a time for everything.  God Speed.  May we not live our lives with one foot already in the grave.  

Hey… I just realized my earlier post could be a conversation killer.     Please carry on with your car talk. (Was anyone ever a fan of Car Talk on NPR?)

Mostly my thoughts were along the lines of gratitude for what we have while we have it.  

And some frustration because I seem to have a 10b climbing limit, and not one molecule further.  I mean, is that it?  What happens on that letter grade above that stops me cold? I don’t know how to break through… 

Todd Berlier wrote:

loved cartalk. 

"does the noise go away when you turned the radio up?"

Click and clack the tappet brothers. 

One of the best was when they had Martha Stewart on and with her help figured out how far you would have to drive to cook a turkey on top of the engine. Hilarious. 

Parachute Adamswrote:

Click and clack the tappet brothers. 

One of the best was when they had Martha Stewart on and with her help figured out how far you would have to drive to cook a turkey on top of the engine. Hilarious. 

My wife and I loved the live shows and even the re-runs.  One of them even lived in the same town as us at one points.  The Republic of Cambridge is a 10 to 15 minutes drive away for us.
I remember that MS episode. It was absolutely hilarious.

Their long suffering elder sister, tortured by many of these guys practical jokes, is/was an accomplished harpist.  We hired her to play at our wedding back in 2001.  She gave a beautiful performance.

Lori Milaswrote:

Hey… I just realized my earlier post could be a conversation killer.     Please carry on with your car talk. (Was anyone ever a fan of Car Talk on NPR?)

Mostly my thoughts were along the lines of gratitude for what we have while we have it.  

And some frustration because I seem to have a 10b climbing limit, and not one molecule further.  I mean, is that it?  What happens on that letter grade above that stops me cold? I don’t know how to break through… 

Yes, condolences....but it wasn't unexpected. He sounds like he put everything he had into what time he had. Most of us should keep that gratitude for what we have, slash the crap that's irrelevant, and truly live our lives.

As to your grade stuckage?

Simple.

Climb somewhere else than JTree!   

Best, H.

Old lady Hwrote:

Yes, condolences....but it wasn't unexpected. He sounds like he put everything he had into what time he had. Most of us should keep that gratitude for what we have, slash the crap that's irrelevant, and truly live our lives.

As to your grade stuckage?

Simple.

Climb somewhere else than JTree!   

Best, H.

Thanks Helen, I wasn’t pitching for sympathy, only reflecting on the great lessons he taught all of us. He was 100% present and living every moment that he had… and it was just an odd juxtaposition to be climbing hard as he was dying. I’m happy for him finally getting to shake off that burden of a body. Happy for us to still be alive and doing what we love.   It’s a sweet feeling…

As to this glass ceiling (10b), I wonder if I’ve met my Waterloo.     Like, that was it. Of course there’s an eternity of routes here to climb well within those limits. Nothing to complain about… 

Lori Milaswrote:

Thanks Helen, I wasn’t pitching for sympathy, only reflecting on the great lessons he taught all of us. He was 100% present and living every moment that he had… and it was just an odd juxtaposition to be climbing hard as he was dying. I’m happy for him finally getting to shake off that burden of a body. Happy for us to still be alive and doing what we love.   It’s a sweet feeling…

As to this glass ceiling (10b), I wonder if I’ve met my Waterloo.     Like, that was it. Of course there’s an eternity of routes here to climb well within those limits. Nothing to complain about… 

No no no...see, you already climb harder than 10b. 

Cuz you're in Joshua Tree. Kinda like those Gunks grades. Run with it! 

And yeah, I expect to get my ass spanked bad there, lol! I prolly can't even drag my carcasse TO the climbs, let alone do anything on anything!

But that trip south won't be about grades. If that was ever the case, I'd be doomed long ago.

I meant to ask, what was your solution for that bouldery start thing? Or is it still a step ladder/go around? Whatever you are doing with it, I'd do far worse, if that's any consolation.   

Waiting for the cable dude to show up. Nuthin like being in day way too many of being sick....and the internet goes down.

Can't even leave the house to go buy cheesecake.

H.

Lori, such a sad story about Ken. Unfortunately we are all at the age where we each have these family and friend deaths on a regular basis. Every life is precious, if they have been fortunate, every dearly departed leaves behind loved ones who suffer. 

I have fabulous news!  Despite the anticpated need for an anchor repair on my knee from my MRI, when the surgeon went in this AM to his surprise he just needed to do a Trim. He was quite happy and I am thrilled. I’ll be walking in 2 days. Probably climbing in time to take Helen to New Jack on her road trip!

And who knows, maybe even Vegas limestone with Brandt for a late birthday trip in Feb!  

Great news Phylp. Nothing like a “let’s cut and take a good look.” turning out with a good outcome. 

Glad to hear that it went so well!

Wonderful news, phylp!

phylp phylpwrote:

I have fabulous news!  Despite the anticpated need for an anchor repair on my knee from my MRI, when the surgeon went in this AM to his surprise he just needed to do a Trim. He was quite happy and I am thrilled. I’ll be walking in 2 days. Probably climbing in time to take Helen to New Jack on her road trip!

And who knows, maybe even Vegas limestone with Brandt for a late birthday trip in Feb!  

Awesome!

Kristian Solemwrote:

Awesome!

Great news indeed.