New and Experienced climbers over 50 #22

Old lady Hwrote:

Just a heads up....

City of Rocks reservations for June are opening up now (9 months out). I'm sure I'll be there, various unknown times, but I wasn't planning on reserving for the group this year. 

Best, Helen

I made reservation for June 11-25 on Monday.  Got the last site at Flaming Rock trailhead.   

Well I said I’d give an update on Speed of Life so here it is.  First cool morning so I went out there and hung off a gri gri on the crux holds and took measurements for my simulation in my basement.  Very sobering.  A lot of the holds are small but positive, but are steeply incut, and on many you have to use a full crimp without the thumb (my weakest grip).  Not to mention the huge dynos between them.  I did a bunch of sets on the upper holds where I would pull onto the wall and just hold for a count of 10. 

Crux crimps, big move to these, then big move to the top (hard, not as hard as the move getting to them) on a 40 degree overhang.  Maybe 1/4 first digit. Top holds in the above photo.

Todd Berlier wrote:

awesome Ward! big moves on small holds on a steep wall! my favorite style. in a forest with leaves that change colors and fall to the ground and decay--even better. throw in a fall day with frost on the ground, sleeping in and sitting in front of a fire with my pjs on until noon b4 climbing--heaven!

Yes, I’m glad I went out there.  Have you watched Dave Macleod’s videos?  He talks about going out and getting on your project, because if you don’t you might think that you are strong enough to do it when in reality you aren’t.  I need to lose 8 to 10 pounds and do a lot more full crimp without the thumb hangboarding and campusing.

Edit:  Old Lady H, you do realize that a huge percentage of our country work at jobs that they hate, and the thing that they most look forward to is Sunday when they get to watch a bunch of steroid jacked up people chase around a plastic replica of a blown up pigs bladder.  I mean, this is the actual highlight of their week, and their life.  

And I’m weird?

You people are weirdos.   

Ward Smithwrote:

Yes, I’m glad I went out there.  Have you watched Dave Macleod’s videos?  He talks about going out and getting on your project, because if you don’t you might think that you are strong enough to do it when in reality you aren’t. 

Good job, Ward.
Totlaly agree about *believing* one is strong enough for one's project while training in the gym or on plastic. The real thing tends to be harder and trickier. At least for me.
I am a big admirer of Dave MacLeod. At 44, I think he is one of the top all-around climber. It seems like he has excelled on all the different disciplines of climbing.

Good luck on SoL.  The holds look heinous.  :) 

S. Neohwrote:

Good job, Ward.
Totlaly agree about *believing* one is strong enough for one's project while training in the gym or on plastic. The real thing tends to be harder and trickier. At least for me.
I am a big admirer of Dave MacLeod. At 44, I think he is one of the top all-around climber. It seems like he has excelled on all the different disciplines of climbing.

Good luck on SoL.  The holds look heinous.  :) 

For once I totally agree with soon.  I think Dave M might be the best ever at old school serious REAL climbing where failure comes with consequences. Sort of takes all that warriors way hocus pocus to the extreme.  

Is there a reasonable video of Dave M on a hard trad route?

Hey Kris, has Barbara ever heard Into The Trees by Zoe Keating?  Pretty amazing modern cello music.  Stunning in fact!

Jan Mcwrote:

Is there a reasonable video of Dave M on a hard trad route?

Google "Repeating Iain's Horror Show".  I enjoyed it starting at 2:30.  His running narration is pretty good.
This is the latest one I watched. There are lots more.

Edit:
This one - Mnemosyne E9, first ascent, Ben Nevis north face - is wild.  The narration is so good.

Ward Smithwrote:

And I’m weird?

Do you need to ask???  

ed "it's a fine, fine madness...." e

phylp phylpwrote:

I had a experience climbing today that I cannot recall EVER having in my life.  I needed to go into LA to get something and I decided to try to get a workout in at Sender LAX.  A guy was looking for a partner for today so I arranged to hook up with him.  Last night he texted me "I'll be getting there a little early as I need to take the belay test".  I figured he just had never climbed at Sender before.  I showed up and he told me it was only his second day of climbing and he had never belayed before!  I don't think I have ever put my life in the hands of a beginner before. (Not counting when I have taken my nieces and nephews out and assumed I was soloing stuff to get the rope up, even though they were using the Gri-Gri to "belay".)

Needless I say, I checked that he had actually passed his belay test and repeated three times "never take your brake hand off the rope".  And the first route I did, I warned him I was going to jump off without warning.  Which I did.  But it all went OK and he had an amazing time and I got a great workout.  I basically gave him a 1-1 climbing lesson, with brief history of free climbing thrown in, for the next 3 hours.  He was a very nice young man and climbed very well for his second time.  He's a surfer and lifts, so he's got great balance and is pretty strong. Fun day.

I’m a little perplexed why you wanted to ‘jump off without warning’ with someone new to belaying. But I’m glad it worked out ok. 

Carl Schneiderwrote:

I’m a little perplexed why you wanted to ‘jump off without warning’ with someone new to belaying. But I’m glad it worked out ok. 

Sounds like she was just recreating the standard test that most gyms give.  Usually the belayer is backed up though.  Even weirder is that for the belay p[art of the typical lead test they will say something like - "climb up to the 5th bolt and take a surprise fall".  Big surprise.

Carl Schneiderwrote:

I’m a little perplexed why you wanted to ‘jump off without warning’ with someone new to belaying. But I’m glad it worked out ok. 

Carl, I probably did not make it clear that in US gyms, the first belay certification is for toproping only. I wouldn’t have made plans to do any lead climbing with a complete stranger, even if they were experienced. By just looking around when I’m at the gym,  20% of them are lead belaying incorrectly. In fact I’m always surprised that so many people advertise for strangers to meet them for gym lead climbing.

When I jumped off, I was 10 feet up over a padded gym floor. Better place to test if he was actually going to be able to catch an unexpected toprope fall than 40 - 50 feet up. The main thing you are testing with a beginner is that they are not doing something to defeat the locking function. And then you can look down and watch as they lower, to make sure they are lowering you with the rope in the proper position. 

Jan Mcwrote:

Hey Kris, has Barbara ever heard Into The Trees by Zoe Keating?  Pretty amazing modern cello music.  Stunning in fact!

Thanks for the tip. I'll find it...

Well, I’m off to Mount Arapiles tomorrow for a week for some easy trad and then the Northern Grampians for some sports. 

Two week in Real World.

I intend to get fully grounded.
Away from tales of cruel humans.

Carl Schneiderwrote:

Well, I’m off to Mount Arapiles tomorrow for a week for some easy trad and then the Northern Grampians for some sports. 

Two week in Real World.

I intend to get fully grounded.
Away from tales of cruel humans.

Another lovely bit of writing. The trip sounds perfect!

Best, H.

Lori, how are you doing? I hope better. 

Carl, have a grand time.

Mark Frumkinwrote:

Lori, how are you doing? I hope better. 

Carl, have a grand time.

Thank you for asking Mark. So far not wonderful but I feel I am making progress. I’m coming to realize that this has been going on for a long time and I don’t just wanna patch it up with a quick fix. It’s looking like it’s probably Celiac Disease that I just haven’t managed perfectly – – and with celiac it has to be 1000% perfect or the consequences are dire. Tony and I go out to eat sometimes and just try to live a normal life so I don’t know I probably got a little casual with the traces of gluten… at any rate I decided to stay close to home for the foreseeable future and eat only home cooked meals that I can guarantee are gluten free.  My iron levels dropped precariously low and it’s taking time to get them back up. So… I think we have a plan and I know I’m strong and I’m just trying to be patient while I do what I have to do. I hope I have the opportunity to pray on Bob’s pity one day and get him to agree to some of the outrageous routes I normally wouldn’t put him through—Trix being at the top of the list and White Room.  I probably have a small amount of empathy to cash in on so spend it wisely.    

Carl, have a wonderful time and take pictures!!! Everyone else do likewise! 

My house blew down.
and my eggs got additionally scrambled