New and Experienced Climbers Over 50 #28

I feel a little guilty posting about climbing.   Does anyone climb around here? 

I’ve been sick all week and thought by now I’d be over it, but noooo.  It’s banging wind and rain outside and cold.  I crave dry heat and sun.  I think Phyl logs her climbs over the years.  I wish I had because I have no idea what route this was, but I’m pretty clearly feeling happy.   

Not to derail the 'productive' political discussion, but here's an interesting video from a british climber in his 70s who apparently is still climbing E6/7 6b, which I believe is pretty hard.

Angry Pensioner

The exercises he describes aren't novel, but some good advice and inspiration.

Also, esp for the boulders in the group, if you haven't checked out the Careless Talk podcast, you should.

Hosted by Aiden Roberts and Sam Philips, it is characterized by free ranging discussions about the minutia of famed boulders as well as the meaning and psychology of our pastime.

Sadly, no politics ;-)

I don't think we traded up.

Mark E Dixonwrote:

Not to derail the 'productive' political discussion, but here's an interesting video from a british climber in his 70s who apparently is still climbing E6/7 6b, which I believe is pretty hard.

Angry Pensioner

The exercises he describes aren't novel, but some good advice and inspiration.

Thanks for posting this.

Main thing is injury prevention. 80% max makes sense for ageing people.  I have a setup for diagonal rows and had done 25-30kg, and will resume once I get to 80kg added weight hangs on fully gripped holds. Will maintain then begin rows again.

Lori Milaswrote:

"...I have no idea what route this was...."

Hello Kitty 5.9 FA: Chris Milller

Bob Gaineswrote:

Hello Kitty 5.9 FA: Chris Milller

Thank you, Bob. I assume from the blue chair that I was out with you that day climbing something fabulous.

But realizing this is a 5.9, and recalling that 5.9 can be very hard— maybe a realistic hope would just be not to lose ground.  Maybe a real victory here would be to still be able to climb a 5.9 route every year.  I think maybe most climbers here already understand this better than me.

Just putting this out to the general crowd here. I didn’t realize how frustrated I’ve become. I started this climbing season with big ambitions. I had chosen 4 routes that inspired me – – all a little bit of a reach, but possible. I had factored in time to work up to the grade. I injured my knee pretty early on in the season and that was 4 to 6 weeks of downtime. Not long after that I slipped off a boulder and injured Bob’s hamstring and he has needed time to heal. I recently got out with Chris and enjoyed my time on the Decompensator but in no way was that send. I would need Bob and some careful coaching for that. For the last 10 days I’ve been sick – – and I never get sick. Now it’s raining.

That’s not even to mention that the routes I want to climb are sun-facing routes and get too hot as soon as the season changes.

This is a lot of pressure I’ve put on myself!   

I guess what I’m thinking is that I need to “manage expectations“ the way I learned to do in business.  If you tell a client right out of the gate what they can expect you won’t have disappointed clients a year from now.  Perhaps, especially in the climbing world there are more setbacks and injuries than in other endeavors?  Might’ve been way better for me to have just one goal for the season and be a little more casual about that, and to know that whatever shit could happen WILL happen. . Cruise with it.  

(still about half the time when I come home from Climbing looking pretty beat Tony will remind me that “there’s always bowling”.   ). 

Todd,

Haven’t gotten on Speed in a while.  I need a smaller stepping stone, hence my project in Arizona that is probably V8 from the low sit.  Tough to do on a road trip for me at age 63.    I was just there a few weeks ago and with a ton of snow it was a six mile snowshoe round trip every day.  That, and my second cold in four years (although minor ) conspired to keep me from sending.   I was happy that my brother extended his usual winter trip to climb with me. Yes I failed, but I trained hard and got in really good bouldering shape.   I will be training hard this summer and will be going back there in November. 

I think that it is important to have lofty goals, even if you never reach them. I’ve been training for a trip to the Red in two weeks and hoping to on-sight a 12a. Ive onsighted two 12a’s and one 12b in the latest gym set so I feel that my fitness is good, but indoors the beta is much more obvious.  So I’m going to try hard but if I fail, that’s OK.  I wouldn’t be in this good of shape without that goal.

Edit:  Lori, the same applies to you.  Keep the lofty goals that you have.  If it gets too hot for your goal routes, surely there are easier routes of a similar style in the shade that you can work on in the interim.  The easiest thing in the world is to give up; most people in our age group already have.

Alan Rubinwrote:

I wa hoping to follow rgold's advice from earlier, but....

So, David, no one in the right ever 'cancelled' anyone? Historically, the right (and, I agree, certain elements of the left) have tended to cancel people---not infrequently large groups of people, quite permanently.

Al, 

Whenever one encounters someone like David, I think it's best to follow the advise of that great American, Homer Simpson (Season 4, Episode 9, "Mr. Plow"): 

"Nice meeting ya…. Just keep moving, don’t make eye contact..."

ed "who learned long ago that 'wrestling with a pig was not a good idea...'" e

ed esmondwrote:

Al, 

Whenever one encounters someone like David, I think it's best to follow the advise of that great American, Homer Simpson (Season 4, Episode 9, "Mr. Plow"): 

"Nice meeting ya…. Just keep moving, don’t make eye contact..."

ed "who learned long ago that 'wrestling with a pig was not a good idea...'" e

When it comes to politics on the internet, I always quote you Ed: “ How about them Red Sox?”

Having goals is big fun.

Expectations only lead to suffering.

Todd Berlier wrote:

Ward,

Thanks for the response and that rig looks reeeeally great: holds look positive, but small and far apart, perfect height (tall enough to be worried, but not get seriously hurt in a fall), nice landing and obvious start  4/4 stars on appearance alone. i hope it climbs as good as it looks.

Speed of Life is one of the most stunning problems ive seen (only by video, unfortunately), best of luck on it.

in all honesty, for the first time in my life im hearing distant whispers of giving up hard for me goals in climbing. not really, but i can tell those thoughts are coming, ill fight them with all i have, but i know they'll come. in a weird way im looking forward to a less impacting sport--road cycling, and ukuleke practice. 

I have had multiple friends seriously hurt, one killed, road cycling, so don't consider that to  be "less impacting" than climbing. Don't know anyone who plays the uke, so can't comment on the impacts from that.

Hi Ed, I know, I know.... but sometimes things are said--or written--that require a response. I know that it won't have any impact, but still...

And those Red Sox---well, they won the first game of the season---this will be the year!!!!

Calling folks pigs in political discussions IS one of the big problems,  just sayin.  Keeping it civil helps.

Climbing to me now is all about fitness and getting to spend time in amazing places,  my important life is my family and general sanity and I've got nothing to prove anymore. I'm training for project life now, the rock has been good to me.

What's Helen up to  I wonder?  

Hopefully Helen is well.  I did a drive by the lake today.

 Windy and cold with white caps but the sun was hitting the cliff and ice was crashing down.

its a late spring but the ice was out early. This season between ice and rock really drags.. 

one of the things that keeps me sane is biathlon training even though the season is over. its very zen like to hit a 6" steel plate and hear it ring at 50 yards  one handed with a replica of an 1840 French dueling pistol.

you can watch the video here. Tun on the volume and you can hear it smack the steel. wait for it to zoom.. www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/lepage-love.178660/#post-2590892

Alan Rubinwrote:

And those Red Sox---well, they won the first game of the season---this will be the year!!!!

Not if my D’s have anything to say about that…

Funny how weirdly some in this group respond to some things.  I merely stated that it was a pity that the general public had gotten too touchy to handle someone like Russ spewing a bit and all of a sudden people like Todd are piling onto a topic that never existed.  Sorry to rouse that animosity in you all.  Still, it doesn't make it any less sad that MP can't allow someone like Russ to coexist.

And those of you feeling like you are on the rightous side, you really should take a close look in the mirror.  Cause you don't act like it.

Todd Berlier wrote:

edit for Wendy: you are optimistic, it seems about 2/3 of republicans believe the election was stolen.

Just now saw this, Todd. You misunderstood me. I said that I think virtually all Republican senators and house members as well as the party leadership know the election wasn't stolen, but that they're lying about it to their constituents. It's those millions of less sophisticated and less informed constituents who are taking their word that the election was stolen.    

Jan Mcwrote:

Funny how weirdly some in this group respond to some things.  I merely stated that it was a pity that the general public had gotten too touchy to handle someone like Russ spewing a bit and all of a sudden people like Todd are piling onto a topic that never existed.  Sorry to rouse that animosity in you all.  Still, it doesn't make it any less sad that MP can't allow someone like Russ to coexist.

And those of you feeling like you are on the rightous side, you really should take a close look in the mirror.  Cause you don't act like it.

Solid post. 

Jan Mcwrote:

Funny how weirdly some in this group respond to some things.  I merely stated that it was a pity that the general public had gotten too touchy to handle someone like Russ spewing a bit and all of a sudden people like Todd are piling onto a topic that never existed.  Sorry to rouse that animosity in you all.  Still, it doesn't make it any less sad that MP can't allow someone like Russ to coexist.

And those of you feeling like you are on the rightous side, you really should take a close look in the mirror.  Cause you don't act like it.

I just want to add a little update in the interest of clarity. I wrote a letter last week to protest Russ’ ban but I wasn’t thinking it would even be read.  Yesterday I received a lengthy response from the Moderator who made the call.(which I would be happy to post if anybody wants it.). I wrote a second letter asking for further clarification and got a second letter back, and I could see that the moderator had some tough decisions to make.  

The upshot of it is this was not a permanent ban and Russ can get himself back in if he wants. The moderator is not asking for much.  The issue wasn’t the occasional snarky remark on a thread like this among friends. The issue was how to protect new mountain project members from hostility and ridicule in a way that causes them to finally abandon ship.  It wasn’t about x number of flags within a timeframe, but more about the impact on climbers who are nonplussed by the attacks. (My paraphrase)

I really appreciated that that Moderator acknowledged old school climbers and their counterculture ways of thinking. So the challenge was how to honor that while trying to oversee the larger population. I’m glad I don’t have to make these decisions.

Selfishly, I just want Russ to be back and I think he should give the moderator his point and try to be a little more judicious about who he gives a piece of his mind to.

To present the fair and balanced picture Tony said Russ should tell the Moderator to go fuck himself.  I can only guess which piece of advice Russ will act on.   

I have a feeling Tony could get himself banned from MP Pretty quick ;)