New and Experienced climbers over 50 #22

Lori Milaswrote:

Thank you. Yea… this is not the route he climbed.  

So the plot thickens.  

From Zach just now:  "

Flattered by all of this. Thank you for sharing Lori! I am honored for this moment to have played a part in inspiring you to start rock dancing yourself.  What was going on in the photos is that we did have a mega long top rope, and I wanted to see if I could rainbow up through shawnshank and then down climb left ski."

Here's my recollection:

Not everything has to have a name or be a "route". Looks like this guy knew exactly what he wanted to do. Create a    by starting up one side of an arc shape and then descending the other. Fun on TR!

Andrew Ricewrote:

Not everything has to have a name or be a "route". Looks like this guy knew exactly what he wanted to do. Create a    by starting up one side of an arc shape and then descending the other. Fun on TR!

Well, thank goodness.  Mystery solved!  THERE IS NO ROUTE!!!  He made it up!  

So, Russ... stuff this in your pipe.

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I still have no climbing news.  What I have is only health updates.  This is truly a 'peeling the onion' thing.  

After the ridiculous pronouncements of the parasite doc in New Mexico... I'm so glad I wrote about it here, because your response helped me to see this sooner.  If he could botch a lab report so badly, maybe he isn't to be trusted.  He BEGGED me to complete the herbal protocol for parasites (I had already done so for worms)... I let him talk me into it one more time, got violently ill, and decided to back away.  He cannot be the only guy in the world who can deal with parasites.  The ones I was chasing earlier are gone by every conventional lab test.  

However, both my Primary doc and new Naturopath both independently said they suspect a reactivated Epstein Barr. My recent lab tests for it, where >20 is positive, my results are 750. Both docs want to treat me as though this is what I've been suffering with.  I came home with a prescription for Valtrex (Valacyclovir).  Tomorrow I will try ozone therapy.

So... the only other thing I am doing at this moment is to force feed myself.  I stood on the scale and saw 150 pounds and totally freaked out.  I'm truly not hungry, but this cannot go on.  I pulled out MyFitnessApp and am now tracking my food.  If only I could swap places with Helen and eat cheesecake all day long.  I asked my Registered Dietician to supervise this and stay on me.  I asked Tony to go wild at Walmart and buy me GF Oreo cookies, make his crostini soaked in olive oil... when all else fails I eat at McDonald's, Big Mac w/o bun and fries.  It's a stuff-face all day.  

No climbing.  YET.  So you have to it instead!!!  

Lori Milaswrote:

After the ridiculous pronouncements of the parasite doc in New Mexico... I'm so glad I wrote about it here, because your response helped me to see this sooner.  If he could botch a lab report so badly, maybe he isn't to be trusted.  He BEGGED me to complete the herbal protocol for parasites (I had already done so for worms)... I let him talk me into it one more time, got violently ill, and decided to back away.  He cannot be the only guy in the world who can deal with parasites.  The ones I was chasing earlier are gone by every conventional lab test.  

I'm glad you came to this realization. When you had texted me I was concerned that it seemed this "parasite doctor" was making a diagnosis that no responsible doctor would make remotely and with only a blood test, IMO it sounds like the guy is a quack and might have been looking for a diversion to explain why his expensive and difficult "protocol" hadn't delivered for you. 

I hope you continue to feel better and that you are getting the care and support you need. 

Lori Milaswrote:

However, both my Primary doc and new Naturopath both independently said they suspect a reactivated Epstein Barr. My recent lab tests for it, where >20 is positive, my results are 750. Both docs want to treat me as though this is what I've been suffering with.  I came home with a prescription for Valtrex (Valacyclovir).  Tomorrow I will try ozone therapy.

Oh yuck!  I had mono when I was like 19 and it kicked my ass real hard.  I can't begin to imagine what having it later in life would feel like.  I hope if this is it they figure out how to clear you of the virus and let your body heal.

No climbing here.  My wife is travelling for work so I'm playing single parent for a week.  It's extra work, and we both miss my wife, but I cannot believe how relatively easy it has been.  I am so lucky to have such a good kid.  Wife gets back tonight.  Unseasonably warm here, so I'm sure we'll get out and do something this weekend in the glorious fall weather.

GO 

Took advantage of a beautiful day last weekend and ended up on a newly developed route. 140 feet of techy slab - so good. Used some rope tricks to get off it since we only had a single 70. Is it time to buy an 80? Jim says no, but I’m starting to see the need….

ErikaNWwrote:

Took advantage of a beautiful day last weekend and ended up on a newly developed route. 140 feet of techy slab - so good. Used some rope tricks to get off it since we only had a single 70. Is it time to buy an 80? Jim says no, but I’m starting to see the need….

Beautiful looking route.

ErikaNWwrote:

Took advantage of a beautiful day last weekend and ended up on a newly developed route. 140 feet of techy slab - so good. Used some rope tricks to get off it since we only had a single 70. Is it time to buy an 80? Jim says no, but I’m starting to see the need….

SPlatte? That thing looks like the stuff of nightmares!

ErikaNWwrote:

Took advantage of a beautiful day last weekend and ended up on a newly developed route. 140 feet of techy slab - so good. Used some rope tricks to get off it since we only had a single 70. Is it time to buy an 80? Jim says no, but I’m starting to see the need….

Lovely photo of you!

ErikaNWwrote:

Took advantage of a beautiful day last weekend and ended up on a newly developed route. 140 feet of techy slab - so good. Used some rope tricks to get off it since we only had a single 70. Is it time to buy an 80? Jim says no, but I’m starting to see the need….

For me it's all about how much weight I have to carry.  The 80 is getting up there!  But I decided an 80 would be worth adding last year.  It's my least used rope but it's nice to have for specific days.  I use it mostly for things with shorter approaches where the 80 means not carrying a second rope for raps.   I don't like double rope/1/2 rope technique but if you did two skinny 60s would be lighter than the 80 by about a pound.

Beautiful looking route!

phylp phylpwrote:

For me it's all about how much weight I have to carry.  The 80 is getting up there!  But I decided an 80 would be worth adding last year.  It's my least used rope but it's nice to have for specific days.  I use it mostly for things with shorter approaches where the 80 means not carrying a second rope for raps.   I don't like double rope/1/2 rope technique but if you did two skinny 60s would be lighter than the 80 by about a pound.

Beautiful looking route!

Thanks for this!! We do climb on double 60's a lot, and since I am usually the one with the rope the weight is important. I don't love climbing sport routes on the doubles although of course it works. We seem to be encountering more routes of late that require an 80m (ok, 3 routes.... ha ha!). 

I love slab climbing - can't get much better than something like this route for me. :)

Thanks @Andrew. Not too many photos of me that I like, but this one is ok! In my happy place. 

@Schmuck: Yes! I followed my husband up it - he declared it 'heady' although it is fairly well-bolted for the SPlatte (12 bolts in 140 feet I think?). The kind of climb that is well within my technical ability, but not quite there for the psychological ability to lead it.

This is the 1st time I hit my posting limit on MP! I must be pretty excited about this route! :)

ErikaNWwrote:

Took advantage of a beautiful day last weekend and ended up on a newly developed route. 140 feet of techy slab - so good. Used some rope tricks to get off it since we only had a single 70. Is it time to buy an 80? Jim says no, but I’m starting to see the need….

Half ropes or twins.

Some Euro sport routes are best done with a single 80m.  I got turned back from a few route on Kalymnos with my 70m and was a little short on a few other.
I have also read that single 80m is a real option for Red Rocks.  We climbed with two single 60m on the big routes there and that was sub optimal.

S. Neohwrote:

Some Euro sport routes are best done with a single 80m.  I got turned back from a few route on Kalymnos with my 70m and was a little short on a few other.
I have also read that single 80m is a real option for Red Rocks.  We climbed with two single 60m on the big routes there and that was sub optimal.

I've used 60 m half ropes at RR for years with no issues.  Where were they suboptimal for you?

rgoldwrote:

I've used 60 m half ropes at RR for years with no issues.  Where were they suboptimal for you?

Yes… I would like to know. I have always felt that in the Mts 60 doubles fit the bill. I hated it when Bishop locals started doing climbs with a 70m mandatory for getting down- stupid I figured. You end up doing short raps!
But lately I have been going to places where a 80 is the thing- to sport climb- but it’s hard to do a 40m long pitch, lots of gear needed. But we will see, maybe a thin 100m in the future?? 

I'm a Bishop local and my standard rope is an 80m - so I guess I'm being (or was being) hated on.  I try to keep pitches at 35m to accommodate the prevalence of 70m usage but I no longer worry about keeping sport pitches short enough that a single 60m will work for getting off.  I like long pitches and occasionally the natural end of something (the rock dictates) will come out at close to 40m - in those cases so be it - but I try to stay <= 35m and will be sure to make it known that an 80m is required if using a single rope.  

This is pretty sport centric in that it assumes people are doing routes with a single rope, including getting down.   I kind of feel that using a 60 to sport climb means it's not going to be uncommon to need 2 ropes.  

Funny a 100m was mentioned.  I was looking at what's available just yesterday even though it wouldn't become my standard lead length. 

Darrell Henselwrote:

I'm a Bishop local and my standard rope is an 80m - so I guess I'm being (or was being) hated on.  I try to keep pitches at 35m to accommodate the prevalence of 70m usage but I no longer worry about keeping sport pitches short enough that a single 60m will work for getting off.  I like long pitches and occasionally the natural end of something (the rock dictates) will come out at close to 40m - in those cases so be it - but I try to stay <= 35m and will be sure to make it known that an 80m is required if using a single rope.  

This is pretty sport centric in that it assumes people are doing routes with a single rope, including getting down.   I kind of feel that using a 60 to sport climb means it's not going to be uncommon to need 2 ropes.  

Funny a 100m was mentioned.  I was looking at what's available just yesterday even though it wouldn't become my standard lead length. 

State of the art.

TFPU!

rgoldwrote:

I've used 60 m half ropes at RR for years with no issues.  Where were they suboptimal for you?

We did not have half ropes or a static tag line so we used two *single* (not half or twin) ropes.  The added weight was not nice.
Advocates for 80m single for RR also mentioned less likelihood of rope jamming (no knot when rapping).
If I were do it all over again, I would probably spend that $$ and go with half ropes.  Even though I do have a 80m single.

Guy Keeseewrote:

Yes… I would like to know. I have always felt that in the Mts 60 doubles fit the bill. I hated it when Bishop locals started doing climbs with a 70m mandatory for getting down- stupid I figured. You end up doing short raps!
But lately I have been going to places where a 80 is the thing- to sport climb- but it’s hard to do a 40m long pitch, lots of gear needed. But we will see, maybe a thin 100m in the future?? 

Agree about double 60's for the Mtn.  At least for now..
And, yes, 100m single is coming. You can find *long* sport routes being developed now in Europe but for the time being, there are "half way" anchors for getting down.
Carrying all that gear up is another matter. For some of the long 70m I did, I had 19/20 draws/slings on me (16/17+2+1 spare). Heavy!

Longer than 80m seems inevitable.  Over the years, I had 50, 55, 60, 70, and now my first 80m.  With 70m (<= 9.5mm) being my norm the past decade or so.

Trying to climb a particular overhanging 21 in the gym again. 

This is about the 4th go over several months.
I thought I could get it today but nope…

https://youtu.be/L81t50E2S5I