New and Experienced climbers over 50 ##24

John, you were and are an inspiration to me! 

I have a video of you bouldering I got probably 40 years ago. It was great then & still is today.

John Gillwrote:

In the mid 1950s I had a body image problem. Ever see those ads on the back covers of comics, Charles Atlas trying to avert those ruffians at the beach from kicking sand in your face? I too was 145 lbs at over six feet tall. Then I discovered gymnastics and the enticements of body strength feats. Within two years I was 180, and pleasingly muscular. No more self image problems. 

Had I been totally dedicated to climbing I would not have gained the muscle, for it weighs a lot and gravity sucks it down. But at the time I found that being that muscular only aided my climbing. You could have both since the standards were at least for that time modest. We thought that 5.9 and then 5.10 were hard. 

"The past is a distant land, they do things differently there".

LOL John very killer.

Frank Steinwrote:

Carl, I’d like to say, as a heterosexual male, I’ve always had a giant man-crush for Iggy Pop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQvUBf5l7Vw

Iggy is way cool. 

Saw Iggy on Halloween one night in VA back around 1990, what a crazy show!

ed esmondwrote:

Helen, Air fryers don't really fry.  They don't use cooking oil.  They're basically a tabletop convection oven.  There's a heating element and a fan that blows hot air all around the food.  I think they're a little gimmicky, but could be great for someone with limited cooking opportunities (like your friend...).   Think of it as a "turbo" toaster oven. 

A microwave, an air fryer and an induction hot plate might be good choice for your friend.  (Years ago, I used to boulder/camp at Hueco every winter for about a month.  I got pretty good at Coleman stove/ toaster oven cooking.)

I did have some questions about a photo of food from the J Beard award Bakery you posted back in "Geezer climbers #23".  The bowl in the middle looks like a saffron flan or custard, Lower left some sort of tort with a meringue; but, I'm can't tell what the large upper dish at the top is. Maybe dumplings with a sauce? Looked interesting.

ed 

Thanks, this helps, as does the remarks from the others! Pretty sure I'll be getting my friend an air fryer soon, and helping them get up to speed with actual food, not drive thru stuff. I showed him a pick of a pizza recipe, lol!

https://www.sunshinespicecafe.com/

Link, for some food porn, but, your guesses were correct. Saffron pudding (made with local milk, cornstarch type pudding, no eggs), lemon tart with meringue, and really lovely dumplings, both tasty and good looking. And pistachio lattes, plus my plain coffee which was like a cross between Turkish coffee and an Americano. 

Woke to 2 inches of snow yesterday, it's mostly gone after rain all day. Buy potato futures, I'm guessing they'll be planted close to a month late, which means fewer and smaller spuds to dig. I'll be getting mine in regardless, but I think I'll have to resort to a posthole digger approach. Perpetual sogginess and snow isn't great for digging.

Lori? Your ranunculus (ranunculi?) are lovely! I bought pansy and narcissus pots to sit on the front porch. Cheers things up.

The other spring planted "bulb" that is sold now, is anemone. Once upon a time, when I worked in a farm and garden place with bedding plants, nursery, farm stuff, and, crucial to the story, pet department with supplies and live animals, including fish.

One day, this time of year, a customer wanted to know if we sold amoebas. I was very hard pressed to keep a straight face and merely say "anemones?" And direct her to the bulb rack.

Pretty sure we did indeed have amoebas, too. 

H.

I have always found it interesting to know people's rationale behind what they think their ideal weght should be.
It is my belief that one's lifestyle, activity, goals, and body image will tell one what one's ideal weight should be or ought to be.

I can see this in myself. I am about 5'5" (165cm) tall and have weighed between 116 and 128 pounds (52.5 to 58 kg) between when I was 22 and now (62)
116 when I wanted to be able to pull on the smallest edge possible on vertical rock and 128 when I was more concerned about body image at the age of 22 (no skinny legs).
I wear size 15 dress shirt and 29w (or 28w in my 30's) jeans so I am a small human being. Not super low BMI in any way even at 116.

Not havng any other supporting data on myslef, I decided that 122 (55.5 kg) is my ideal weight for now. Marginally muscular upper body but back to skinny legs. Suits my current lifestyle, climbing preference (more endurance than power, and no desire to crimp like a Motha), and body image (waist which is decidedly smaller than my chest). Everyone is so different in so many ways that I feel it is fool's errand to seek a universally right "answer" to the question of one's ideal wieght.

I’m 5’7-8 and 150 on the nose. Last year right after the COVID booster I shot up to 180.  Normally I’m 165, which always hurt my pride but that’s where I was. I haven’t really noticed a difference in my strength or ability yet at this lower weight, but then I’m not fully “back”.

I really appreciate the trailblazing of Beth Rodden. After having her son, she tried to hide the belly fat and slack folds of skin and didn’t want to wear anything revealing. She decided she was tired of hiding herself and put the sports bra on and encouraged us all to go and do likewise and tell the world go fuck itself.  I’m not quite ready for that but it could happen!  

Yesterday, on my afternoon, drive I saw eight or 10 ropes hanging off of Intersections rock for a group of climbers. They had placed top ropes on , shoveling Cole, billabong, the flake, and a bunch of others – – all as single pitch. Besides being excited that it looks possible to climb these routes as a single pitch I was really smitten by their stoke and the joyfulness of that group and their excitement just to share their afternoon with a complete stranger. I have never met an ornery or unkind climber. 

Russ Wallingwrote:

ummm...what?

OK, so your confused by my post. As said my father and I hit the gym every day. This did not prepare us for actuall climbing. I got really lucky to have a job 1 mile away from goG.

If I only lived in the gym(once again not a rock gym) I would not been able to solo Liquid at  turkey rock. Repetition is key to making yourself stronger, building confidense in your leads. Even though my father and I could do 3 sets to the extreme. That/IT did not prepare us for Yosimite. Thats 1 reason why me/brother/father failed at the 9th pitch of MC. For those that understand this Fact I think u would agree there is no better training for climbing then just to get your ass out there.

charles pricewrote:

OK, so your confused by my post. As said my father and I hit the gym every day. This did not prepare us for actuall climbing. I got really lucky to have a job 1 mile away from goG.

If I only lived in the gym(once again not a rock gym) I would not been able to solo Liquid at  turkey rock. Repetition is key to making yourself stronger, building confidense in your leads. Even though my father and I could do 3 sets to the extreme. That/IT did not prepare us for Yosimite. Thats 1 reason why me/brother/father failed at the 9th pitch of MC. For those that understand this Fact I think u would agree there is no better training for climbing then just to get your ass out there.

No idea what Liquid is... but 3 sets of 30 pull ups with 30 on your waist?  That is something I would need to see with my own eyes.  9th pitch of MC?  Isn't that 5.6? What is MC anyway?

As to there being no better training for climbing than climbing, I do not agree.  Of course, this only really works if you know how to climb already, then strength training is the best thing you can do for your climbing. If you stink, then yeah, go climbing to get better.

First year of the pandemic, I baked a lot of fucking pies. Then I ate them. It was the fittest I’ve been in a long time. Lesson?  Bake and eats lots of fucking pies.

Russ Wallingwrote:

No idea what Liquid is... but 3 sets of 30 pull ups with 30 on your waist?  That is something I would need to see with my own eyes.  9th pitch of MC?  Isn't that 5.6? What is MC anyway?

As to there being no better training for climbing than climbing, I do not agree.  Of course, this only really works if you know how to climb already, then strength training is the best thing you can do for your climbing. If you stink, then yeah, go climbing to get better.

LOL 9th pitch of middle cathedral NW butress.  My friggen Nemises. 2 of the 3 times we did it, like I was totally stumped. If U've done it u would remember the 9th pitch. follow crack under roof then  stem to your left  to get to the belay systems. 

You can look up Liquid Acrobat 5.12c on any south plat climbing guide.

AND even if your in that good of shape to be able to do those 3 sets of 30 pullups with 30 lbs on your back. And that had no bearing on my climbing.  Muscles mean shat when talking about Climbing. 

Since I have lived this life, and know the climbs I've done. pullups in any extreme will not prepare U for multi pitch climbs.

charles pricewrote:

LOL 9th pitch of middle cathedral NW butress.  My friggen Nemises. 2 of the 3 times we did it, like I was totally stumped. If U've done it u would remember the 9th pitch. follow crack under roof then  stem to your left  to get to the belay systems. 

You can look up Liquid Acrobat 5.12c on any south plat climbing guide.

AND even if your in that good of shape to be able to do those 3 sets of 30 pullups with 30 lbs on your back. And that had no bearing on my climbing.  Muscles mean shat when talking about Climbing. 

Since I have lived this life, and know the climbs I've done. pullups in any extreme will not prepare U for multi pitch climbs.

ummm.... ok.  Never heard of the the North West Buttress of Middle.  Can you provide a link to a topo or something?

^ Russ, I was curious too, and it’s mentioned in the 7th paragraph of this writeup by Roger Breedlove. Not sure if this is what Charles is referring to.

http://www.edhartouni.net/middle-cathedral-commentary.html
“The so called North-West Buttress, climbed in 1953, is a short route: on the slabs on the west side of the rock, above Bridleveil Creek”

Terry Ewrote:

^ Russ, I was curious too, and it’s mentioned in the 7th paragraph of this writeup by Roger Breedlove. Not sure if this is what Charles is referring to.

http://www.edhartouni.net/middle-cathedral-commentary.html
“The so called North-West Buttress, climbed in 1953, is a short route: on the slabs on the west side of the rock, above Bridleveil Creek”

That’s obscure.  I remember that article.  

 I think Charles is talking about experiences he’s had on his home planet, not here on Earth.  

Here it is guys. YOU DONT FRIGGEN LIKE ME. WHY I DO NOT KNOW

So like I guess I didn’t remember the name correctly MC is Middle Cathedral and I thought it was NW buttress, but like crap my memory is getting old. 

Rock Climb North Buttress, Yosemite National Park (mountainproject.com)

 I have to ask. Have U ever done 18 pitches in under 6 hrs. (slow time for me lol) I

Would bet your answer is no. IF you were ever a Climbing bum you would know that pullups by themselves will not teach you/and your body how to climb on any crux, I was 18 when first did MC. And I didn’t lie that we did 30 pullups with 30 lbs for 3 reps. And that did not prepare me/us  for MC. Only after moving (School) to CO did I get that point were I could climb every friggen day for 8 yrs in CO. Fortunetly I haven’t been drinking. Otherwise I’m sure I would snap again.

So I just passed this question of which route we did to my dad. According to him it was the N. Buttress. Sue me

What was that guys name on Super Topo that had moved to Ireland? Loved climbing had some old Yosemite connections. 

I got out to Thorn Buttress today. A bit chilly. I literally could not feel my finger tips on the first route and climbed it horribly. Then had a go at the solid grade 23 (5.11d) route (Japetus) I’ve been sort of projecting. Found a new hold/beta at the top. Still can’t get it clean, about three sits. The guy I was with took a big fall with the rope behind his leg. He was hanging upside down for a bit even after his fall finished which made me think his harness was too low, but he’s a big guy with big arms so maybe just centre of balance stuff. 

March was  late winter for us this year. I could have been ice climbing the last two weeks but a hot spot turning into a bone spur on my pinky toe kept me sidelined. for some reason my XC ski boots  are super comfortable so I did get out a and ski a fair bit.  This was yesterday  up on mt wishicouldtellya

cruising across a frozen beaver pond.  the open hardwood forests were still full of dry winter  powder and the gentle slopes made for some great runs on the skinny skis. Today its a fugly greay day. Raining and 40f.   

I'm going bouldering somewhere today.

Pouring rain here!