New and experienced climbers over 50 #30

Happy birthday, Todd!

Happy Birthday Todd!

Every year— comes around to quickly.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V9VoLCO-d6U

Happy birthday, Todd!

MM, heading up your way this weekend. My wife's family lives in Ellsworth. Might leave our daughter with her grandparents for a day at the splash pad and hit Precipice if it's not too hot or raining. 

GO

GabeOwrote:

Happy birthday, Todd!

MM, heading up your way this weekend. My wife's family lives in Ellsworth. Might leave our daughter with her grandparents for a day at the splash pad and hit Precipice if it's not too hot or raining. 

GO

Hey Gabe, Do you folks like Indian food? If so, there is an excellent Indian/Sri Lankan restaurant--Serendib, right in the center of 'old town' Ellsworth---very much worth a visit. It is a tiny place, so reservations are strongly advised. Enjoy your trip.

Happy birthday Todd.

Todd! Enjoy every day, but today - eat cake!

Happy birthday Todd! I happened to have cake and ice cream withy coffee this morning, yay! 

No bouldering though. We're in triple digits here....and no end in sight. 

Helen

happy birthday Todd. 

Exactly one year to the day from last years 100 year flood we have round two.. 6 inches of rain in two hours... not as bad as last years but still terrible for the folks affected. 

this is the bridge accross the street from me . about 100m from my barn.

they have been working on it for two days as the folks on the other side are stranded.

 probobly be open this evening. just like last year this is a band aid and won't hold up to another flood. They need to bring in much bigger stone. way too hot and sticky to climb this weekend most likly...   I am lucky. My place is high and dry. 

Todd Berlier wrote:

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. It is much appreciated!

Hear, hear.  Enjoy every minute while you still "have it".  And you do.

Li Huwrote:

Overhang. Yes, last time I was there it was lead only on that feature. It goes from -20 to - 40 degrees. The gym requires a 60m+ rope to lead.

Huh?  60+ m rope for a 60 foot wall?  Lawyers gone crazy or does not care about the difference between m and ft?

135 deg (overhung) is steep.  100 deg at .12- and below is my fav.  .10+/.11- at 180 deg (dead horiz) is doable but I do not enjoy it.

S. Neohwrote:

Huh?  60+ m rope for a 60 foot wall?  Lawyers gone crazy or does not care about the difference between m and ft?

135 deg (overhung) is steep.  100 deg at .12- and below is my fav.  .10+/.11- at 180 deg (dead horiz) is doable but I do not enjoy it.

Because it's not true.  see below.  I use a 40 M rope, which would not be long enough for the routes up the center of the cone.   But I don't do those routes.  No one has ever questioned the length of my 40 M rope. Edited to say, I rarely use PBUS if there's no one around specifically watching, and I've never gotten flagged for my belay style either.

S. Neohwrote:

Huh?  60+ m rope for a 60 foot wall?  Lawyers gone crazy or does not care about the difference between m and ft?

135 deg (overhung) is steep.  100 deg at .12- and below is my fav.  .10+/.11- at 180 deg (dead horiz) is doable but I do not enjoy it.

Yeah, my 40m gym rope is more than enough. But they made me use my 70m rope just the same.  

The climbs are between 5.11c to 5.14a on that feature. Really pumped near the top.  

phylp phylp wrote:

Because it's not true.  see below.  I use a 40 M rope, which would not be long enough for the routes up the center of the cone.   But I don't do those routes.  No one has ever questioned the length of my 40 M rope. Edited to say, I rarely use PBUS if there's no one around specifically watching, and I've never gotten flagged for my belay style either.

You’re lucky, But it’s a huge area for the staff to monitor.

Pretty much climb with PBUS and drag my huge 70m in. I’m glad the rules changed to 45m, cause that makes all the difference given most ropes are 40,60 or 70m.  

But I agree that 40 is enough for most of the gym.

Gnarly flooding again, Nick. Glad you’re high and dry. Hope your neighbors are doing okay.

A few shots of July on the Kenai Peninsula. It’s so green compared to the Arctic. I feel like I’ve been doing lines of chlorophyll. Temps in the low 60s. Someday soon all of you triple digit Californians will be clambering for a piece of the icebox. Or not. Good either way.

This is why I don’t have dogs anymore. 

phylp phylpwrote:

Because it's not true.  see below.  I use a 40 M rope, which would not be long enough for the routes up the center of the cone.   But I don't do those routes.  No one has ever questioned the length of my 40 M rope. Edited to say, I rarely use PBUS if there's no one around specifically watching, and I've never gotten flagged for my belay style either.

Happy birthday, Todd!  I hope you had a great day.   

I was just starting to accept the idea of an 80 mile drive to the Riverside gym but suspected it would be 40 foot walls in an older gym.  127 miles to Pasadena is just not going to happen—at least not on the regular.  

And those requirements for a lead card.  At Touchstone in Sacramento the initial requirements were a 10a, but as soon as I could climb that they had changed to a “comfortable 10c”.  By the time I could climb 10c it changed again to 11a and I was already on my way to Josh.  Perhaps they have relaxed those requirements now?  

It truly is miserably hot here with no sign of letting up. I’ve just stubbornly persisted in getting out every morning at six for however long I can stand it.   I keep looking at this dome off in the distance and it turns out it is the south face of snickers.  Brandt, have you climbed there before? When it cools down, I’ll find my way over there and check it out.

We have a family of roadrunners in our yard.   

On a whim, we watched Guess Who is coming to Dinner with Sydney Poitier and Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. It seems I remember that Spencer and Katherine had a decades long love affair, but he was Catholic and married and wouldn’t leave his wife. I was caught up with Hepburn’s wardrobe – – suddenly remembering oh that’s right! We used to wear skirts and nylons and make up and heels. Such a long time ago…sweet nostalgia.  

Lori Milaswrote:

Some of us still do

Lori Milaswrote:

And those requirements for a lead card.  At Touchstone in Sacramento the initial requirements were a 10a, but as soon as I could climb that they had changed to a “comfortable 10c”.  By the time I could climb 10c it changed again to 11a and I was already on my way to Josh.  Perhaps they have relaxed those requirements now?  

Most of the Touchstone are 5.10c. 5.11a would be pretty tough for most new leaders to pass. They may have realised that and relaxed it from 5.11a to 5.10c again to get more people to lead?

They’re pretty picky at most gyms regarding belay and knowing how to fall and feed rope their way or you’d typically not pass.

Sender One, Hangar 18, Stronghold are sort of picky, but the climbing is relatively easy.

Rockreation is really relaxed and 5.9 is enough to pass, but the climbs are pretty difficult so 5.9 there is like 5.10c at most other gyms.

I’ve solidly become a gym climber and I have 7 lead belay cards. It’s now my favourite form of climbing.  

10c, let alone 11, seems a very high bar for a lead test--even with 'gym grades'. The eastern gyms that I am familiar with usually test on 9s and that seems appropriate. If gyms want folks to be able to learn to lead safely they shouldn't have such a high 'entry barrier'.

As for belaying, I hate PBUS!!!! ---probably because I have been safely belaying 'otherwise' for 60 years and that method is ingrained in me. Additionally though, it is harder to take in rope quickly in TR situations using the PBUS method---and some of my partners climb very fast!!!! So, same as Phylp, I only use PBUS when I'm under surveillance!!!! Fortunately at my home gym the regular staff just ignore my 'insubordination' (most of the time!!!). They are also sufficiently open-minded to permit us to use ATCs---I wonder for how long!!!!

When I travel and go to other gyms, I just don't bother to take the lead test. I'm able to TR belay with a Grigri but not for a lead--or at least not well enough for me to feel comfortable doing so.

Li Huwrote:

Most of the Touchstone are 5.10c. 5.11a would be pretty tough for most new leaders to pass. They may have realised that and relaxed it from 5.11a to 5.10c again to get more people to lead?

They’re pretty picky at most gyms regarding belay and knowing how to fall and feed rope their way or you’d typically not pass.

Sender One, Hangar 18, Stronghold are sort of picky, but the climbing is relatively easy.

Rockreation is really relaxed and 5.9 is enough to pass, but the climbs are pretty difficult so 5.9 there is like 5.10c at most other gyms.

I’ve solidly become a gym climber and I have 7 lead belay cards. It’s now my favourite form of climbing.  

A few years ago, I sat on a rock and watched a young girl climb double cross, a well-known crack route. I found it fascinating that she somehow managed to climb this route without ever putting a single foot or hand into that crack.   Her gym card was flapping in the wind From her harness.

I’d love to see newer gyms but Pipeworks had no crack or slab walls.  I miss it, but in no way did indoor Climbing prepare me for the routes here in Josh.  

We do have a local regular gym. I am really struggling with that daily choice to go outside and play for two or three hours or go to the gym and work out. I have all kinds of excuses for not going to the gym, mainly that it’s Dark and the machines are broken and I’m tired. But it’s gonna be a real shame if I get back on the rock in six weeks and can’t climb shit because I’m weak. I’m really dealing with this today.

PS I would pay a pretty penny to find a way to prevent my iPhone from randomly capitalizing words that I have never capitalized such as “Climbing“.  I’m just letting it have its way.

Alan Rubinwrote:

10c, let alone 11, seems a very high bar for a lead test--even with 'gym grades'. The eastern gyms that I am familiar with usually test on 9s and that seems appropriate. If gyms want folks to be able to learn to lead safely they shouldn't have such a high 'entry barrier'.

As for belaying, I hate PBUS!!!! ---probably because I have been safely belaying 'otherwise' for 60 years and that method is ingrained in me. Additionally though, it is harder to take in rope quickly in TR situations using the PBUS method---and some of my partners climb very fast!!!! So, same as Phylp, I only use PBUS when I'm under surveillance!!!! Fortunately at my home gym the regular staff just ignore my 'insubordination' (most of the time!!!). They are also sufficiently open-minded to permit us to use ATCs---I wonder for how long!!!!

When I travel and go to other gyms, I just don't bother to take the lead test. I'm able to TR belay with a Grigri but not for a lead--or at least not well enough for me to feel comfortable doing so.

The 9s at Rock Spot are about the same as Rockreation and 10c at many other commercial gyms.

In my experience, the grades seem to converge at about 5.12b/c. Maybe 5.12c? I can’t flash nor On-sight at that level, so, it’s just a feeling from working them?

Lori, there are TR cracks at The Post. Jamming techniques are difficult and most people end up using the holds surrounding the crack or some form of layback and sort of foot/toe jam.

I had to layback on one of those cracks cause my fat hands couldn’t fit it properly, and exploded off the crack after struggling for 21 feet and accidentally grabbed and spun a large hold on the 5.10c next to it. Probably turned it into a 5.10d… but that’s basically how face and gym climbers climb cracks.

Unless your hand fits a crack perfectly, face climbing techniques are much easier when you have the strength.

Alan Rubinwrote:

10c, let alone 11, seems a very high bar for a lead test--even with 'gym grades'. The eastern gyms that I am familiar with usually test on 9s and that seems appropriate. If gyms want folks to be able to learn to lead safely they shouldn't have such a high 'entry barrier'.

As for belaying, I hate PBUS!!!! ---probably because I have been safely belaying 'otherwise' for 60 years and that method is ingrained in me. 

A number of us have found in general the Bay Area gyms have higher assigned grades for the more moderate climbs compared to MA gyms.  
For instance, CRG Stoneham .9's are stiff and I think they give lead tests with the vertical/overhung .8's there which is probably close to a .10- at BA gyms.
When I was at Movement SF before the pandemic, I felt that the indoor grades started to converge around .11+/.12-. The lead test .10- was a bit of a joke but other low .10's felt more sustained.

I only belay by PBUS technique when forced and under surveillance.  LOL! 

S. Neohwrote:

A number of us have found in general the Bay Area gyms have higher assigned grades for the more moderate climbs compared to MA gyms.  
For instance, CRG Stoneham .9's are stiff and I think they give lead tests with the vertical/overhung .8's there which is probably close to a .10- at BA gyms.
When I was at Movement SF before the pandemic, I felt that the indoor grades started to converge around .11+/.12-. The lead test .10- was a bit of a joke but other low .10's felt more sustained.

Agree, up to 5.12 most gym climbing in CA is pretty soft.

Agree, up to 5.12 most gym climbing in CA is pretty soft.

CRG is a little bit softer than Rock Spot as I recall?

CRG is more stylish.  

Boulders seem to converge at V5/6? Again, I’ve not flashed any so it’s a feel from working them.

I’ve a family vacation planned for Tokyo in November, and am training to be ready to climb their gyms.

I only belay by PBUS technique when forced and under surveillance.  LOL!

Not 100% sure how a non-PBUS method works any better? Maybe taking the brake hand off to scratch your nose or something?

From 7 until 35 I belayed using at least a dozen methods with my hip and carabiners, figure 8s to ATC, borrowed Jul and now a GriGri in the gym. When something better comes along, will probably use that? 55 years is a long time and quite a few things have changed over the years.

PBUS seems like a reasonable method, especially in a gym where things can happen really quickly. Short roping causes falls in most cases on difficult climbs, and when/if a person is falling, pretty certain they’d feel more comfortable with a brake hand on the device 100% of the time.