New and experienced climbers over 50 # 25

Russ Wallingwrote:

Still is...

Kinda like nosedive being 5.9! 

No climbing but as you can see we are in the heart of the Domelands wilderness with turrets and towers and domes all around us.  This was only about 3.5 miles to hike in.  Coming out is a little harder because the elevation gain is 3 times what it is hiking in.  We have kind of learned how to do the ultralight backpacking thing and even with warm sleeping bags and fishing gear my pack was only 14 pounds.  And the wild trout we ate there on Saturday night were delicious!

Gym climbing because it’s bloody cold and miserable. Led a pumpy overhanging 20 (5.10c).

https://youtu.be/-g-sbtgXgfU

Carl Schneiderwrote:

Gym climbing because it’s bloody cold and miserable. Led a pumpy overhanging 20 (5.10c).

https://youtu.be/-g-sbtgXgfU

Carl, I think of you so often because winters have been more and more of a killer for me too. Since I’ve known you, you really suffer during the darker months. Seasonal affective disorder is a real thing and there have been years that I spent a lot of it in depression. Some people have their antidepressant prescription ready to take as soon as the days get shorter, and then wean off as soon as the days get longer. I haven’t done that but I would give it a thought. It’s not as simple as taking a vitamin D supplement, but that does help. I did learn something interesting and that is that exposing your eyes to outdoor light for at least an hour a day , even if it’s rainy and totally cloudy, gives your pituitary enough light to trigger those feel good hormones. That means heading out into the darker days but with no sunglasses and just making sure you get real light every single day.  I found that red light therapy helps a lot too and those lamps are pretty inexpensive.

This too shall pass. Hope you feel better soon.

phylp, my Cereus Peruvianus Monstrose beats your agave.   

Gorgeous, Wendy!

Lori Milaswrote:

Carl, I think of you so often because winters have been more and more of a killer for me too. Since I’ve known you, you really suffer during the darker months. Seasonal affective disorder is a real thing and there have been years that I spent a lot of it in depression. Some people have their antidepressant prescription ready to take as soon as the days get shorter, and then wean off as soon as the days get longer. I haven’t done that but I would give it a thought. It’s not as simple as taking a vitamin D supplement, but that does help. I did learn something interesting and that is that exposing your eyes to outdoor light for at least an hour a day , even if it’s rainy and totally cloudy, gives your pituitary enough light to trigger those feel good hormones. That means heading out into the darker days but with no sunglasses and just making sure you get real light every single day.  I found that red light therapy helps a lot too and those lamps are pretty inexpensive.

This too shall pass. Hope you feel better soon.

Yeah I get very effected by the seasons. The upside is in spring I get almost manic! Winters in the Adelaide hills are miserable. At least if we had snow it’d be interesting. But it’s just cold and wet and dark. I’m counting down the days, firstly to tax time (I always get about 7 grand back as I don’t claim the tax free threshold which means I pay more tax than I should) and second until spring. I keep an eye out for the first daffodils. Jonquils first, then daffodils. When I see the first hints of daffodil yellow I know everything is going to be ok

Carl Schneiderwrote:

Gym climbing because it’s bloody cold and miserable. Led a pumpy overhanging 20 (5.10c).

https://youtu.be/-g-sbtgXgfU

It is summer in the Northeast of the US but many of us are reduced to indoor climbing too with pop-up t-storms most days, air temp approaching 30C, and dewpoint approaching 20C.

Wish I too took a video of a very steep of 5.10c I did yesterday which goes up and traverses a cave. Good route which made me sweat in spite of the strong A/C. Summer in New England is not much fun!!

S. Neohwrote:

It is summer in the Northeast of the US but many of us are reduced to indoor climbing too with pop-up t-storms most days, air temp approaching 30C, and dewpoint approaching 20C.

Wish I too took a video of a very steep of 5.10c I did yesterday which goes up and traverses a cave. Good route which made me sweat in spite of the strong A/C. Summer in New England is not much fun!!

Someone once told me there are two kinds of people: those who like to put clothes on and those who like to take clothes off.  I definitely like to peel clothes off in the summer. I don’t like being cold, but all four of my kids do or did.  But on a good hot day with a breeze, take it off!

Speaking of showing our bodies, there’s a great conversation going on started by Beth Rodden who confessed that she has worn baggy T-shirts, and opted to cover up since the birth of her child because she’s embarrassed of those bulges and wrinkles. She finally decided to wear a halter top out climbing—to celebrate those effects of childbirth—and I’m thinking about the same. I’d love nothing more than to climb hard with the bare minimum but it’s a double whammy when you’re older. We are trained to be ashamed of virtually everything about our bodies and faces as we age. It’s a hard habit to break.

Tony just arrived home.  I need to hear the whole story about his trip.  

S. Neohwrote:

It is summer in the Northeast of the US but many of us are reduced to indoor climbing too with pop-up t-storms most days, air temp approaching 30C, and dewpoint approaching 20C.

Wish I too took a video of a very steep of 5.10c I did yesterday which goes up and traverses a cave. Good route which made me sweat in spite of the strong A/C. Summer in New England is not much fun!!

Don't forget the smoke   .  

Lori Milaswrote:

We are trained to be ashamed of virtually everything about our bodies and faces as we age. It’s a hard habit to break.

No one trained me that way.  I shared a bathroom with three of my sisters growing up, and walking around naked on the second floor where our 2 bedrooms were was the way I grew up.  I realized when I went away to college and shared a communal shower room and bathroom with the whole floor, how most women were uncomfortable with nakedness.

In my experience, climbing actually has a way of reducing societal discomforts about bodies, if you started out with any.  Sharing campsites, bivies, hanging belays with people, changing clothes at the base of routes, peeing before putting the harness on.  No one blinks (among my partners) at exposed body parts and normal body functions.

My dragon fruit flowered really well this year.  They might just be one of the more stunning flowers out there.

phylp phylpwrote:

 No one blinks (among my partners) at exposed body parts and normal body functions.

Phyl is fun to climb with.

S. Neohwrote:

It is summer in the Northeast of the US but many of us are reduced to indoor climbing too with pop-up t-storms most days, air temp approaching 30C, and dewpoint approaching 20C.

Wish I too took a video of a very steep of 5.10c I did yesterday which goes up and traverses a cave. Good route which made me sweat in spite of the strong A/C. Summer in New England is not much fun!!

I really like overhanging stuff, boulders as well as routes. I don’t mind climbing inside, at least I don’t have to walk to the crag! My knees are quite shit these days.
On another note, bought some protein powder today. Im steadily reducing my weight and fat, sitting at about 65.5 kilos and 12.8 to 12.9 bf so want to make sure I get enough protein as I reduce overall calorie intake. 

LOL just saw Lori’s post about being ashamed of one’s aged body. Not me! I’m as allergic to shirt wearing as Iggy Pop is! As soon as it’s slightly sunny the shirt’s off, regardless of who’s around. 

when you get old enough bodily functions loose their stigma...

S. Neohwrote:

It is summer in the Northeast of the US but many of us are reduced to indoor climbing too with pop-up t-storms most days, air temp approaching 30C, and dewpoint approaching 20C.

. Summer in New England is not much fun!!

Why we moved to the mountains in the northwest 24 years ago.  That and having to ski on ice instead of soft powder!

phylp phylpwrote:

No one trained me that way.  I shared a bathroom with three of my sisters growing up, and walking around naked on the second floor where our 2 bedrooms were was the way I grew up.  I realized when I went away to college and shared a communal shower room and bathroom with the whole floor, how most women were uncomfortable with nakedness.

In my experience, climbing actually has a way of reducing societal discomforts about bodies, if you started out with any.  Sharing campsites, bivies, hanging belays with people, changing clothes at the base of routes, peeing before putting the harness on.  No one blinks (among my partners) at exposed body parts and normal body functions.

And caving carries this an order of magnitude further   

I have found that river rafting really forces one to deal with bodily functions since you are forced by law to pee in the river.  The boat(s) pull up to the bank, everyone piles out, everyone drops trousers and pees.  Takes all that stigma away really fast.  Then when you have to poop you need to go find the poop bucket and add your mess to everyone else's.