New and Experienced climbers over 50 #23

On the taco thread the infamous rope shitter confessed and apologized. Many of the original players were on that thread hashing out 40 year old baggage .

Todd Berlier wrote:

I've heard John Sherman at some point called this the best V6 in the country. I don't know about that but the climbing at columbia is world class--too bad its small, has a short unpredictable season and poison oak fucking everywhere!

NICE.  Totally echo "Solid work, dude!".

rgoldwrote:

You want slabs?

This really makes me reflect on the enormous range of skill sets there are in free climbing.  Think about the different types of climbing required by different rocks, and how each on requires a unique group of skillsets.  Like the skillsets involved in: low-angle face and slab climbing; in various different sizes and angles of crack climbing; in steep face climbing; and in dynamic movement....  Each one of those is a huge discipline, with many layers to the onion as the difficulty of the climbing increases.  And all that is just to do with the physical (and mental) skills involved in the movement itself, not even mentioning the technical aspects.

I don't know why, but it makes me happy to think about how wide your skillsets need to be to be a solid climber.  Maybe because it's a reminder that there are many, many, many more years of learning I can do.

GO

I am busy planting some native indigenous desert flowers today. I think they called this is the desert petunia. 

Gabe, I think it’s wonderful that you foresee many many years of wonderful Climbing ahead. (Why does my damn cell phone capitalize the word Climbing every time I write it?) I think I’ve been going through a late life crisis ever since I started climbing, knowing that I couldn’t do it all and I had to have to be really selective about what I would focus on. Bob has often said to climb what you like and do what you’re good at and don’t worry about the rest. When I said yeah but I want to be a good all-around climber and I think I should at least be able to climb double cross without putting myself in the hospital he responded “well sure we can take the next three years and do the crack circuit here in Joshua Tree is that what you want to do with your next three years?“  Nope.

Probably the first 3000 posts of this thread are of me handwringing over whether I wanted to lead climb.  Of course I wanted to lead climb more just so I could feel like a “real climber“ and I knew I could do it I knew I had the chops but how exciting is the 5.5 route? And I had no interest in breaking a leg or a hip so I finally had to admit what I really wanted to do was climb the most exciting routes here behind a competent guide or lead climber.

So when your first time on the rock is at age 65 you have to release a lot of opportunities and focus on that one or two special things.  And now oh my gosh I’m so happy I made that call because I have memories for a lifetime.

You guys are still at that place where you can set big goals and work on them over many years and I’m excited for you. Mine are more modest but just as meaningful. I wonder if I will ever get to climb swept away. Or Runaway.  Fortunately some of my dream climbs are 5.9s  like White Room.  what an incredible gift this is I’m sure we all feel that way.

A little bit of easy (grade 17) sports climbing in Adelaide.

https://youtu.be/m1GFdUir5vA

I've had a great time leading 5.5 routes for over 40 years.

The Buttermilks yesterday. Someone left their truck in the middle of the road.

What I really do now days. Trap Cats. This Mommy & her nine Kitten are going to drive me into poverty sneezing all the way.

Mark Frumkinwrote:

What I really do now days. Trap Cats. This Mommy & her nine Kitten are going to drive me into poverty sneezing all the way.

Are these feral cats that you're trapping? Mom to be spayed, kitties to be rehomed?

rgold… thanks for posting that Video. It was extra cool to see a FA by Charles Cole, a man who could really climb slabs!

I have always felt that you are only as “good” of a climber based on your weakest discipline.

And yes lots of great 5.5 out there, especially the ones climbed back before WW2.

Lori- happy to know you are feeling better! But I wouldn’t be so quick to plant anything- we have, I predict, more freezing weather coming our way.

Later all 

Edit to add: Good on you Mark. Get them all fixed. 

Yes, feral, and all are being fixed & released except one. One somehow got something wrapped around her leg & it took me 9 days after I saw that she had a problem to trap her. Sadly she had to have her front left leg amputated & has become an in door cat. 

Mark Frumkinwrote:

Yes, feral, and all are being fixed & released except one. One somehow got something wrapped around her leg & it took me 9 days after I saw that she had a problem to trap her. Sadly she had to have her front left leg amputated & has become an in door cat. 

That's a good thing you're doing, Mark. The indoor cat may have the best life of them all.

Guy Keeseewrote:

And yes lots of great 5.5 out there, especially the ones climbed back before WW2.

So true.  For the East Coast, perhaps none more true than The Gunks.  I have so many fond memories of climbs between 5.1 and 5.7.  High E stands out because it was my first Gunks route and I finished the money pitch in a downpour.  It will take many, many days to climb all the good to classic climbs between 5.1 and 5.7 there.  And that is just The Trapps and Nears!
Closer to home, there are all those good and classic climbs on Cannon, in North Conway, and so on.   Look and you shall find!

Carl Schneiderwrote:

A little bit of easy (grade 17) sports climbing in Adelaide.

https://youtu.be/m1GFdUir5vA

Carl, interesting looking rock.  The straight edges and blockiness remind me of quartzite.  But the coloring does not jive with q AFAIK.  What kind of rock is that?
Looks rather warm.  Better than here; heavy wet snow.

Brandt Allenwrote:

I've had a great time leading 5.5 routes for over 40 years.

Absolutely and I'll add that low grade cruising is also great exercise for the "elderly" and way less likely to injure the body. I fully embrace it and will take 10 pitches of cruising over 2-4 pitches of flailing most days.

Brandt Allenwrote:

I've had a great time leading 5.5 routes for over 40 years.

Me, I stick to 5.5a!

this thing is insanely good and only 5.6 

Okay, the scale is all wrong, but wouldn't this be a pretty line? Maybe 5ish pitches??   

Finally saw a bit of blue sky for a while this afternoon. January can't last forever, right?????

Lori, glad you succumbed to good sense and finally believed all of us when we kept telling you you ARE a climber. Satisfaction is where we find it. I simply have to stick with top rope, careful bouldering, or dws if that ever comes up. Because I basically just....climb. Brain isn't interested in anything beyond that, once it's hands on rock. Hands on rope, is belaying. And that's where the brain is then.

Carl, fun as usual! 

And cats! We did a little of the catch, vet trip, release stuff, back when the workplace was down by the Boise river in a trailer parkish part of town. But, we still ended up with a set of 3 and a set of 2, kittens, that stayed with us until the end. Added in with the crowd we already had. My last little kitty (truly little, 5.5 pounds!) is doing great, but she's getting up there. It's occurred to me recently, that when she is no longer here is maybe the next big shift in my life. My last responsibility that I would never walk away from. House, yard, all the stuff....is just....stuff. 

Hmmmmmm.......

Best, Helen

EDIT to add, I'm awaiting the drop off of a prepared food thing I bought, just to try. Local food, local chef, comes in glass containers that you return. 2 soups, 2 mains, 2 appetizery sorta things, 2 desserts. So, 3ish days for 2 people who eat big, or 4 otherwise. It is chef's choice fixed menu (they post what that week's menu is). Pick omnivore or vegetarian. What I saw looked super good! 

But it's easy for me to get excited when food is involved.

S. Neohwrote:

Carl, interesting looking rock.  The straight edges and blockiness remind me of quartzite.  But the coloring does not jive with q AFAIK.  What kind of rock is that?
Looks rather warm.  Better than here; heavy wet snow.

Yes I believe it’s quartzite. It’s quite hot here, moving in to the 40s…

Some of my favorite climbs have been 5.4ish! Super easy....for strong climbers. City of Rocks stuff that essentially has close to zero pro of any sort, but significant fall consequences. "Trad" in grand bitd tradition!

H.

I guess I want to clarify that I don’t have any problem with 5.5 routes.  My problem was with leading any routes, taking the time to get competent at lead climbing, given the condensed time I have to climb.  And also the practical decision to not take risks that assure the end of any climbing for me.  I’m fine with that decision… 

That lesson was brought home to me not long ago when I climbed a route (top rope) and left my foot and ankle in a crack as I fell.  It was a hard fall that left me hanging upside down for a minute, trying to unhinge my ankle. (Not with Bob).  I heard a snap, and don’t know how it didn’t break.  But I had far less to fall on top rope.  

Has anyone seen the David Crosby documentary?  We just finished watching  Remember My Name for the second time.  The first time was a few months ago… and watching his brutally honest interview and recollection of his days with the Byrds, and then CSN and CSNY…. it was a  truth that made me feel somehow home.  He did what he loved to the very end.  Listening to Where Will I Be…  to Crosby’s voice makes me know that everything is going to be ok.  

We were lucky to live when and where we did.  We saw an early CSNY concert at the Greek Theater… Joni Mitchell did the first set, just sitting on a stool with her acoustic guitar.  I don’t think we knew her yet!  My friend and I had climbed the light tower on the hill behind  to watch from on high… I got the hiccups and the spotlight shook, cops came up to get us down, but they stayed up with us through Suite Judy Blue Eyes.  We all watched that great performance together… 

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So… something I never knew before, the desert has pollen, or some kind of allergen.  Tony and I have been sneezing and hacking and clearing our throats for the last couple of weeks… it’s gotten bad.  HOW DOES A CACTUS MAKE POLLEN?  But apparently this is a very high pollen area.  We both start hacking around 2 pm and it goes right up until sundown.  So, we already have one air purifier for the bedroom…now we have to get one for the family room.  I don’t recall ever having allergies like this… aside from taking drugs every day, what other options do we have?