New and experienced climbers over 50 #30

Hey Idaho... thoroughly enjoyed that performance.  I haven't seen a lot of Fergie, but she was great.  Speaking of age... Mick is ageless at 80.  Another good one to watch.

This has been a summer of music for me, going forward and back.  Reminders of so much, and shortly I'm sure I'll migrate back to U2.  I've been to a lot of concerts in my life, the U2 concert Zoo TV was likely the best of all.  Even today when I watch the concert on video it sends the same familiar chills.  

So, googling Zoo Station, turns out there is a climbing wall of that name.  and I'm off and running again in a fantasy world... Wyoming is looking better and better.  Only 360 miles from Kris' place.  We could all converge!?!    

Nick... what GREAT pictures you have been posting and the stories!  Thank you for posting all that you do!  

Mention of slipping out of your harness... that happened to me exactly once in the climbing gym.  I just didn't cinch it tight enough, I wiggled out on an upside down fall... and it was a near catastrophe.  You only need that lesson once.  

In fact, I would say that (for me, at least) all the important outdoor lessons happen on your feet. (not in theory, unfortunately).  I've gotten tired of waiting to learn all the intricacies of some aspects of climbing, and so last week I rigged my own anchor and rap off a boulder in Steve Canyon.  It worked out great, but maybe it was luck.  I can't think of another sport where you really have to get it right the first time, each and every time.  

Reminds me of Dallas opining about having to learn the difference between 'stick snakes' and 'real snakes' when hiking.  That's a real talent around here.  It's a good idea not to make a mistake.    

Seeing that 'eye' again, which I will not get to climb, has me thinking about dihedrals.  Do we have any around here?  (Aside from Coarse and Buggy below, pic by Johnny K)  I did climb a 5.5 on Sport Challenge, and my hips hurt for days.  Almost crippled me.    

Lori Milaswrote:

I had a routine visit with my primary physician yesterday, and I had a few questions regarding general health and fitness. He shrugged his shoulders and said “we honestly don’t know. You teach us.” so all the malarkey we’ve been persuaded to believe about aging is just guess work. When I wonder should I sleep more, sleep less , rest more, take a recovery shake, etc. I am always saying “let’s just try it and see“.  I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it ain’t dropped yet.  

"We don't know what we don't know."

Honestly, nobody really knows what we can or can't do. It's not a binary state of being able to do and being young and not when you are too old.

So keep on pushing it, Li Hu!  

You as well! Your escapades have been inspiring me to push my limits as well!
  

I’ve been watching this kid on Instagram under “Cadillac dirtbag“ who is been on the road climbing for at least a couple of years and is having the time of his life. This pic showed up yesterday and it must be the same formation that Rich and Bob posted recently. Oh my goodness.

Cool!

Lori Milaswrote:

I've gotten tired of waiting to learn all the intricacies of some aspects of climbing, and so last week I rigged my own anchor and rap off a boulder in Steve Canyon.  It worked out great, but maybe it was luck.

Lori - If you are the least bit unsure about your anchor building, you probably shouldn't be doing it. It's a classic example of where "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

I'll offer again, happy to go out with you any morning. Another pair of eyes checking your anchor never hurts. Was out today till 11:00 - very nice in the shade.

Brandt Allenwrote:

Lori - If you are the least bit unsure about your anchor building, you probably shouldn't be doing it. It's a classic example of where "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

I'll offer again, happy to go out with you any morning. Another pair of eyes checking your anchor never hurts. Was out today till 11:00 - very nice in the shade.

Thanks Brandt!  How about tomorrow?

Just to clear up my own comments… I have taken several anchoring courses, taken my rack out many times, practiced and done some rappelling.  But that happens so seldom and so the easy repetition is missing and working on real life (unusual) situations.

How about a do-over in Steve Canyon?  

Lori Milaswrote:

I had a routine visit with my primary physician yesterday, and I had a few questions regarding general health and fitness. He shrugged his shoulders and said “we honestly don’t know. You teach us.” so all the malarkey we’ve been persuaded to believe about aging is just guess work. When I wonder should I sleep more, sleep less , rest more, take a recovery shake, etc. I am always saying “let’s just try it and see“.  I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it ain’t dropped yet.  

I just had an appointment with my PCP as well. When he realized I was the rock climber (I don't see him often, knock wood) he remarked that rock climbing is the best thing for your health, "for your whole body" is how he put it.  He also said the climbing in his home country of Bulgaria is very good, and cheaper than climbing elsewhere in Europe. He did not climb himself, but he wants to learn. 

Nick, thanks for yet another outstanding trip report. 

Man, climbing inside is dangerous!  I was bouldering at the local climbing gym in Trenton, ME (Volta, great little gym!) and a foot slip at just the wrong moment sent me crashing face first into a bunch of blobby plastic rocks. I look like i got in a fight!

GO

GabeOwrote:

 I look like i got in a fight!

GO

Oh No!

GabeOwrote:

I just had an appointment with my PCP as well. When he realized I was the rock climber (I don't see him often, knock wood) he remarked that rock climbing is the best thing for your health, "for your whole body" is how he put it.  He also said the climbing in his home country of Bulgaria is very good, and cheaper than climbing elsewhere in Europe. He did not climb himself, but he wants to learn. 

Nick, thanks for yet another outstanding trip report. 

Man, climbing inside is dangerous!  I was bouldering at the local climbing gym in Trenton, ME (Volta, great little gym!) and a foot slip at just the wrong moment sent me crashing face first into a bunch of blobby plastic rocks. I look like i got in a fight!

GO

When my son, Zeb, made the US team and went to his first world championships (2023) they were in Bulgaria.  I tagged along and climbed some - one 2 pitch 1.10 i did was quite nice I recall.

More recently (last year) I climbed at Volta - liked that too.  I'm easily pleased.

Eric Engbergwrote:

When my son, Zeb, made the US team and went to his first world championships (2023) they were in Bulgaria. 

More like 2003?

Li Huwrote:

By the end of the session, I was falling off of 5.10. 

Everyone is different but I feel that end of session is the best time to hone one's technique, learn that tired arms have more to give, and improve overall power endurance.  
Get on a good number of new routes which are 1 and 1.5 number grades below one's onsight ability on lead, or problems two V grades below one's onsight ability (and lots of them).

I have become so much more aware of my sloppiness - that I do when fresh - which are only revealed when I am dead tired and the tank is almost empty.  For me, that means having to make precise foot/toe placement and deliberately getting weight transferred onto it even with my hands on jugs.

Gabe. hope you feel better . that bouldering shit is dangerous.  lorie. you need a lot of repetition for the rope work to be natural and instinctive. the only way to get that repetition is to do it a lot. Next time you go out with a partner get involved and be part of the decision making process instead of just deferring to the other persons knowledge. we had to wait for 4 people to rappel the other day and it took forever for the party to get their ropes pulled because the first people down acted like clients instead of climbers and no one did anything to contribute to the process . Someone could have untangled the ends of the ropes and had them separated and ready to pull but they all just sat there like goobers waiting for their leader to come down and do everything for them. as soon as the leader hit the deck someone should have told him to take a break and get out of your shoes we will take care of the ropes.  when the puller gets to the knott they should untie it before pulling the rest of the 2nd rope.  Another one of the goobers should then take the 1st rope and be coiling it while the other one is pulling the 2nd rope and coiling that. rock climbing is a team sport. be engaged and be part of the team. this will help you stay current and remember how to make and break down anchors etc. 

S. Neohwrote:

More like 2003?

Oopsie - yeah Bulgaria was 2003 and Volta was 2023

For those who do not know him, Zeb Engberg is a great "kid" and an all around climber.  
He has performed at trad, sport, bouldering, big wall, ice, mountaineering, and plastic. All to a very high level.

I hope Zeb considers GOLDEN PETALS: THE FIRST ASCENT OF XANADU'S WEST FACE as one of his massive achievements, if not the best of them all.
He gave a really good presentation of the trip about 6 years ago which I truly enjoyed.

Probably not as well known is his onsight lead of Bachar Yerian.

On the fun side, I always enjoy watching him hike multiple 5.13's in one session at CRG during his Xmas visits to the East Coast. The kid makes it look so easy.
And he is so witty and intelligent, befitting someone who earned a PhD in Mathematics from Dartmouth.

GabeOwrote:

I just had an appointment with my PCP as well. When he realized I was the rock climber (I don't see him often, knock wood) he remarked that rock climbing is the best thing for your health, "for your whole body" is how he put it.  He also said the climbing in his home country of Bulgaria is very good, and cheaper than climbing elsewhere in Europe. He did not climb himself, but he wants to learn. 

Nick, thanks for yet another outstanding trip report. 

Man, climbing inside is dangerous!  I was bouldering at the local climbing gym in Trenton, ME (Volta, great little gym!) and a foot slip at just the wrong moment sent me crashing face first into a bunch of blobby plastic rocks. I look like i got in a fight!

GO

The boulder setting there can be quite dangerous, they aren't well trained and often forgo safe setting for artistic setting. I pretty much stick to the ones that allow for clean falls.

S. Neohwrote:

For those who do not know him, Zeb Engberg is a great "kid" and an all around climber.  
He has performed at trad, sport, bouldering, big wall, ice, mountaineering, and plastic. All to a very high level.

I hope Zeb considers GOLDEN PETALS: THE FIRST ASCENT OF XANADU'S WEST FACE as one of his massive achievements, if not the best of them all.
He gave a really good presentation of the trip about 6 years ago which I truly enjoyed.

Probably not as well known is his onsight lead of Bachar Yerian.

On the fun side, I always enjoy watching him hike multiple 5.13's in one session at CRG during his Xmas visits to the East Coast. The kid makes it look so easy.
And he is so witty and intelligent, befitting someone who earned a PhD in Mathematics from Dartmouth.

Absolutely, a 'quiet crusher' in all climbing disciplines, as is his wife Emma ( Dad, Eric ain't so bad either--for a geezer). They now have their greatest achievement--and challenge---parenthood!!!!

Alan Rubinwrote:

Absolutely, a 'quiet crusher' in all climbing disciplines, as is his wife Emma ( Dad, Eric ain't so bad either--for a geezer). They now have their greatest achievement--and challenge---parenthood!!!!

We have some very accomplished young climber here too. They don’t want pictures. They don’t want accolades. They just want to climb, go home to their families, live the quiet life.   

——

DANG!  I REALLY thought today would be the day I finally got to the base of this formation. After some hard scrambling. I thought I was home free  but faced another several massive boulders and I just wasn’t feeling it.  I have to admit I’m kind of disappointed. It does seem like the prerequisite for Climbing a route would be the ability to get to it.  So I guess I’m not ready to climb that beautiful line just yet.

I have fresh respect for all you guys and gals who probably didn’t think twice about scampering through boulder fields like this. I’m just slowly learning.

From a distance, this looks like it should be no problem.

Looks are deceiving here. There was still a long way to go. And quite a few bees. Normally that would not bother me but a year ago David Evans was stung a dozen times on his face by very aggressive bees. I’m not sure what I would do if I were surrounded by more than a few bees.  I wonder if there’s something extra I should carry in my emergency kit.  

But I will say the closer I get to this long crack the more beautiful it is.    I think I should climb it.

So close but so far. Meanwhile, thinking about Guy and Jan and their beloved trout fishing, I remembered the book “Trout Fishing in America” by Richard Brautigan.  Seems like there should be a route by that name here in Joshua Tree and so it goes on my list.  

Nick, I’m not in front of my computer to refresh on the name you gave to helpless (useless) climbers, but it had me laughing. I still halfway fit in that category but I do try. I never want to sit on my hands. There’s a lot I can do to help out and do my part– – Bob has a special way of coiling his rope so I have resisted jumping in, but it can’t be that hard so maybe I can practice that this summer. I try to be useful and to never be deadweight.

I am honestly trying to gain competence without being foolish.

Lori Milaswrote:

Looks are deceiving here. There was still a long way to go. And quite a few bees. Normally that would not bother me but a year ago David Evans was stung a dozen times on his face by very aggressive bees. I’m not sure what I would do if I were surrounded by more than a few bees.  I wonder if there’s something extra I should carry in my emergency kit.  

For a while after the death of the Tucson climber and his dog, I was very paranoid about this.  I entertained the idea of carrying my bear spray, since it has such a long range. It's certainly smaller and lighter than a can of insect repellant.  Probably a stupid idea, I don't know.  At any rate I never started to do it.  During the seasons the bees are most active I tend to be in the higher mountain regions and it's not a problem there.  I have a lot of bees in my yard but they don't seem to be aggressive. It's definitely something to think about, what you could actually do if swarmed.

phylp phylpwrote:

For a while after the death of the Tucson climber and his dog, I was very paranoid about this.  I entertained the idea of carrying my bear spray, since it has such a long range. It's certainly smaller and lighter than a can of insect repellant.  Probably a stupid idea, I don't know.  At any rate I never started to do it.  During the seasons the bees are most active I tend to be in the higher mountain regions and it's not a problem there.  I have a lot of bees in my yard but they don't seem to be aggressive. It's definitely something to think about, what you could actually do if swarmed.

I recall seeing a story just a few days ago that a golfer was killed by bees in, I think, AZ. Definitely a problem. I am not aware of any spray that is known to be effective in such situations.

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/119624985/killer-bees-protective-gear

So much for my memory!  There was actually an excellent thread on this topic, where I asked the question about the bear spray and got a response from an expert.  Worth reading...

One of the expert's recs was face netting. I do have those netting things that you wear. a cap with a visor keeps the netting off your face..  I use it here when hiking during gnat season.  Those weigh nothing, probably useful to carry.

Gosh, if it’s not one thing it’s another. Prior to moving to Joshua Tree I had never been stung by a bee ever so I did not know what to expect.  I’ve been stung here about six times and they always seem like “courtesy stings”… painful but not awful.  Usually they’ve gotten stuck in my clothing and just freaked out.  

But reading through that thread is making me a little more circumspect. (Thanks Phylp). First of all, where I was today, there would be no running away from a swarm. I’d be stuck and possibly incapacitated.  Also, I carry an EpiPen, but I don’t know what my body would do with multiple stings.

For sure, the bees that I have been encountering are thirsty and probably drawn to me because I sweat in this heat so wouldn’t hurt to mop down often.  Also, any moisture or water from my water bottle sugar sources.

A local beekeeper friend instructed me that bees will swarm when they are moving their hive and it could be quite frightening, but they are just trying to get from one place to the next— so lay down, stay still, they will fly over peacefully.

I’m not sure what to think about this. I have learned all I can about snakes and have come to think of rattlesnakes as pretty friendly and docile – – they just don’t want to be stepped on. But if bees are truly threat I would have to just stop hiking because I truly don’t think I could out run them. 

Lori Milaswrote:

. But if bees are truly threat I would have to just stop hiking because I truly don’t think I could out run them. 

Everything in life is truly a threat.  It's just risk/benefit analysis.  I realized shortly after I started climbing that it was realistic, and not that small of a risk, that I could die climbing.  I've come close a few times. It's realistic, and not that small of a risk, that my husband could die while out on his road bike.  He came close with his accident last summer. It's realistic that we could die in a car accident.

And sure enough, we have both totalled cars in our lifetimes.  We didn't stop driving.