New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #27

Colden Darkwrote:

Not sure what a tv show that was filmed south of the Arctic Circle in Iceland starring Jodie Foster will tell you about me, Lori, but if you learn something interesting, please let me know! I’m all about personal growth. lol

Well one thing I learned is that Caribou screech. There was an opening scene with a pack of Caribou all screeching. I had no idea they do that. (Do they do that ?) Someone at HBO must have done a little homework to get at least some of the vibe right.  If you ever do get to see it, let us know how far off the mark it is.  
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I woke up this morning sore in odd places. My forearms and fingers are sore like they used to be in the climbing gym. I think I must have pasted myself to that wall yesterday and clung for dear life.    

If I were describing the route Buenos Aires in my terms, I would say I was climbing up a whole lot of nothing.   During crux moves there was not even a tiny edge to crimp on. There was no place for feet. It felt like pressing a little bit of rubber on that wall and applying fingertips to rough granite and pulling on up.  

Bob was coaching me to grab a left edge up ahead as a hold but at that moment it was 6 feet away and I couldn’t figure out how to move through that 6 feet.  

I am paying close attention to the head game of climbing . Illgner suggests you reflect on the last thought you had before you let go. I did not let go, I fell, but I think I was overwhelmed by the lack of holds and probably lost confidence.  I was smack up against that vertical wall and it can get on your nerves (and toes).    

I like how Brandt described the process of working a route until it reveals itself to you. I felt like I had a breakthrough on Torturer’s Apprentice and for sure on Tiptoe, both of those seemed impossible but once the sequence was figured out became climbable. so I’d like to go back to Buenos Aires and see if everything changes once that crux reveals itself. 

What I am hoping is that experience on many different kinds of routes will eventually lead to proficiency, and maybe even ease on whatever you can throw at me within that grade. 

The other thing – – and I know this is an old saw – I felt like I climbed a good 50 feet before I saw the first bolt (probably much less, just my guesstimate). I was pretty dazed looking at that bolt and looking down at certain death and joked “Why put one here? I mean what’s the point?” Minor point was HOW did that bolt get placed?  What Bob referred to as a ledge for standing I would call a precarious divet. WTF. 

I'm gonna see if I can find some desiccated ape arm pills so I can maybe do a pull-up.

Brandt Allenwrote:

I'm gonna see if I can find some desiccated ape arm pills so I can maybe do a pull-up.

You can do pull ups, I know you can!  You have those weighted thingies in your garage… anyway I don’t think they make desiccated vegetarian ape arms. Or any ape arms.   
I’ve been meaning to ask about your garden and bird nests.  I’ve been trying to hack away at the huge bush in front of our house… Tony mocking me. 

EDIT:  Ok, Hank, et all.  

Not 'pig eyeballs' as in a bowl of fresh eyeballs.  (I can't bring myself to post picture but you can imagine).

But "Pig Eyeballs" ...  nice, citified pig eyeballs.

  

And...  "Eyeplex" 

https://my.standardprocess.com/Products/Literature/Eyeplex-Fact-Sheet

And Cod Liver Oil.  WITH LOTS OF WATER. 

Because here's what my doctor has to say:    

Lori Milaswrote:

I woke up this morning sore in odd places. My forearms and fingers are sore like they used to be in the climbing gym. I think I must have pasted myself to that wall yesterday and clung for dear life.    

Wash those pig eyeballs down with a shit ton more water, always lots of water.

edit- Lori, you missed my point, I don't actually care in what form the eyeballs you consume come in. Hydration is insanely important for muscles and tendons, might explain why your forearms and fingers are unusually sore. 

Hank Caylorwrote:

Wash those pig eyeballs down with a shit ton more water, always lots of water.

edit- Lori, you missed my point, I don't actually care in what form the eyeballs you consume come in. Hydration is insanely important for muscles and tendons, might explain why your forearms and fingers are unusually sore. 

Thank you Hank. I can always use an extra reminder. I’ve made it a priority, but I think I miss the mark a lot. 

Missing the mark always makes me pay the next day, I'm sometimes too consumed in my daily diuretic drinks  to notice dehydration. Big knot in the shoulder now, big day yesterday climbing and skiing and no extra H2O...

I find that soaking up nice views always improves my attitude. 

Got one last ride in before we get hit by rain.

Not sure that animal parts supplements are the answer...but, maybe I should try eating this:

some dude  ate a VW bug back in the sixties. got himself in guiness book of world records. his electrical system is still messed up and he needs a valve job.. 

Randywrote:

Got one last ride in before we get hit by rain.

Imagine my alarm when my mind accidentally added a letter "t" to the last word in your sentence!

Glad you're only wet.

Worked to the max at the gym yesterday, took off today and plan another heavy training day tomorrow.

Started off with a warmup max hang almost 1.33x my body weight. Then a bunch of bouldering and pulled my first “advanced” problem. After which,I couldn’t climb crap lead. On top rope thrashed about on 4 peak difficulty and 10 moderate ones.

My last climb was a steep easier climb, could not hang on whilst clipping the anchor, so I reached my arm over the wall to clip in. :-P

Planning another day like that tomorrow and Saturday then light hike/rest from Sunday to Tuesday. I’ll see if I recover with two days off?

Li, I realized that climbing/training four days a week when strength/power training was too much for me at age 63.  Now I boulder/kilter board on Saturday, do roped volume on Monday, then boulder/kilter on Wednesday.  That way I get two days off in a row once a week.  Seems to be working.

 I’m heading on a bouldering trip at the end of February, then a sport climbing trip to the Red River Gorge in April, so I’ll switch to more days per week and more roped climbing after the February trip. 

Ward Smithwrote:

Li, I realized that climbing/training four days a week when strength/power training was too much for me at age 63.  Now I boulder/kilter board on Saturday, do roped volume on Monday, then boulder/kilter on Wednesday.  That way I get two days off in a row once a week.  Seems to be working.

Thanks for this, and I’m still figuring out what I can do. Kilter and bouldering may be in my future.

I generally back off whenever I don’t quite “feel it”.

At 150% body weight, I need to use half crimp, but at 133% I can still use an open grip. Trying to work up to 150% 20mm, and I am being very careful and cautiously loading my fingers.

Sounds like a fun road trip planned!

Li, from what you posted here and on the training forums, you are a .12- climber with .13 fitness. I know that progression on the hangboard is fun in itself, but you probably just need to climb more. 

It’s been a Loving Spoonful kind of week with great John Sebastian songs playing in my background. I have been humming Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind and finally realized why.   I love both these rocks, and it may come down to a choice.

I’ve wandered back to these rocks too many times since summer. They have really caught my heart. But there is a small matter of whether the Decompensator  can safely be rigged for a top rope. Grain Surgery is an easier and safer route.  so I keep going back and looking for alternate starts to the Decompensator besides shimmying up a huge boulder with the potential to slam into the wall.

Here’s one possibility from the ground… providing the boulder is tight.   

All that aside, it looks like a lot to ask of someone (Bob) if it’s going to be a project that requires some days or weeks to finally climb.  It looks like no small feat to walk to the top and a build anchor.

I’ve never been so motivated to do preparation work for some of these routes. As Randy and others have said, a lot of mileage is needed to get those skills. And every rock is different even the same grade.

(One thing, I don’t love the gym but I have been going a couple times a week and taking really good notes. I’ve been increasing weights by 20 pounds every time I go. My knee is now back to perfect. So gains in strength and muscle are indeed possible even at our “very advanced ages”.   )

I have a growing assortment of places I’d like to visit, but I’m just so focused on here and feel so lucky that I can walk out my front door anytime and go someplace new or someplace familiar. There is such a bounty of blessings here.

BYW— thank you for the reminder to stay better hydrated. I don’t know why I don’t get thirsty very often. Some of my soreness yesterday was due to using forearm muscles that I don’t usually use. But for sure some of the fatigue was just being dehydrated. I hope we can all remind and encourage each other.

Tony wants me to make another lemon meringue pie. He is really enjoying the dining experience this winter. I hate to think about is how much harder it is to drag every extra pound up those vertical faces.  I’m not a lot of fun anymore.

ACTUALLY it’s all Kris fault.     (I’ll have what he’s having.)

Frank Steinwrote:

Li, from what you posted here and on the training forums, you are a .12- climber with .13 fitness. I know that progression on the hangboard is fun in itself, but you probably just need to climb more. 

Thanks for saying so, and I’m thrashing on 12s and feel like just a bit more cranking strength will help me up some cruxes?

Agree though that more climbing is definitely needed. I was on one climb with nothing but shallow two finger pockets and the rests required some tension to hang on. Definitely see your point doing more climbing to get better load shifting skills. Toe to finger, sort of movements…

Losing some weight may help as well. :-)

Lori, check this out:

https://youtu.be/xDRg3XMfU94?si=18r-L8o7NSRjQ7vV

"I've been increasing weights by 20 pounds every time I go."

You have got to be kidding me!!!!!!

Brandt Allenwrote:

"I've been increasing weights by 20 pounds every time I go."

You have got to be kidding me!!!!!!

On leg presses… and I started light.  I’ll hit a max soon. 

Did some leading in the gym last night up to grade 18 (5.9) a nice long roof route where the end is completely horizontal. But now my shoulders hurt again   

Brandt its easy . just eat anything you want, whenever you want. 20lbs is easy to gain ;) 

Li Huwrote:

Thanks for saying so, and I’m thrashing on 12s and feel like just a bit more cranking strength will help me up some cruxes?

Agree though that more climbing is definitely needed. I was on one climb with nothing but shallow two finger pockets and the rests required some tension to hang on. Definitely see your point doing more climbing to get better load shifting skills. Toe to finger, sort of movements…

Losing some weight may help as well. :-)

Lori, check this out:

https://youtu.be/xDRg3XMfU94?si=18r-L8o7NSRjQ7vV

Li!  Wow.  Love this!  What made you think of it?  Thank you for sharing!

I'm all over the place with music lately.  Anything goes.  (Checking out Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River today).