Where are all the older climbers going?

My gym does have a senior discount, so there's that.  But more than half a century ago, I used to go to a YMCA in Manhattan that had a "slack hours" discount.  I don't recall the actual hours---something like 10--3 maybe.  The point being that they were overcrowded in the evening and the before-work mornings and underutilized the rest of the time.  So drawing in people who couldn't afford the standard rate was still a win, it was revenue they weren't going to get otherwise, and it didn't impact their crowded times.  I think climbing gyms could do this as well, and it would support almost all seniors as well, because seniors have the freedom to go whenever they want.

Eric Craig wrote:

Hi Peter, I am one of those boomers. And you are right. People of my generation, and my parents, we had it fuckin easy. Especially if you just chose a regular life.

This is news to me. I’m a boomer, choose a regular life, and I worked my ass off for my entire professional career.  It was not only not easy, it was stressful with very long hours inc weekend time. I climbed as a weekend warrior.

But that's in the past. Now I am retired. Us retired people go to the gym midweek at 9 or 10 AM.  The only other few people there are old people. Usually 2-3 other parties at most.  

Peter Van wrote:

Boomers got to buy homes for cheap. They get to enjoy Social Security before it runs out of funds.  They’re the wealthiest generation, and they still want a climbing discount, while Gen Z has to  figure out how many people we can fit into a single bedroom apartment to survive. If you think your income is limited, see how much it costs to rent a place these days + college tuition + insurance + COL with current inflation!

Don't type so hard; you'll wake up your 8 roommates. 

Boomers got to buy homes for cheap. They get to enjoy Social Security before it runs out of funds.  They’re the wealthiest generation, and they still want a climbing discount, while Gen Z has to figure out how many people we can fit into a single bedroom apartment to survive. If you think your income is limited, see how much it costs to rent a place these days + college tuition + insurance + COL with current inflation!

And that wealth, the total amount, it is equally distributed? And you are correct, those people get to enjoy their $1700 monthly check; $20,400 a year! Hold me up, I feel faint at the very idea of it. Selfish bastards - especially the 14% or so living below the poverty line.  

WF WF51 wrote:

Boomers got to buy homes for cheap. They get to enjoy Social Security before it runs out of funds.  They’re the wealthiest generation, and they still want a climbing discount, while Gen Z has to figure out how many people we can fit into a single bedroom apartment to survive. If you think your income is limited, see how much it costs to rent a place these days + college tuition + insurance + COL with current inflation!

And that wealth, the total amount, it is equally distributed? And you are correct, those people get to enjoy their $1700 monthly check; $20,400 a year! Hold me up, I feel faint at the very idea of it. Selfish bastards - especially the 14% or so living below the poverty line.  

Don't type so hard; you might get a stroke. 

Boomers had it easier than anyone else. Cheap real estate, cheap education, cheaper medical care. Not even close. Yes you still had to work. But the boomers have controlled American politics and gotten everything they wanted for over 50 years. 

Soiled 800-fill Down Boxers wrote:

Boomers had it easier than anyone else. Cheap real estate, cheap education, cheaper medical care. Not even close. Yes you still had to work. But the boomers have controlled American politics and gotten everything they wanted for over 50 years. 

This is the typical response from the younger generation when facing difficulties.  It’s not original, it’s just false.  I said the same thing about my parents generation.
The only way to success is to bust your butt and work hard. Do things other people will not do.

When minimum wage was $3.00 an hour, we were not flush with cash.  COL increases are generally proportional across time.  Sure, it’s nuts right now with inflation but no different than inflation in the 80’s. 

Toughen up you whiny buttercups!

Chris L wrote:

This is the typical response from the younger generation when facing difficulties.  It’s not original, it’s just false.  I said the same thing about my parents generation.
The only way to success is to bust your butt and work hard. Do things other people will not do.

When minimum wage was $3.00 an hour, we were not flush with cash.  COL increases are generally proportional across time.  Sure, it’s nuts right now with inflation but no different than inflation in the 80’s. 

I'm 63 and this is nonsense. When I went to college (late 70s, early 80s) it was possible for a kid from a working class family to pay for their education at a flagship public university by working full time in the summer and part time during the school year. That just isn't possible now and a good part of the reason is that my generation drastically cut support for public colleges in order to reduce their taxes. But hey old people knocking the younger generation goes back to the ancient Greeks and the wording is almost verbatim the same.

The youngins have a point. My undergrad cost about $900 per semester. I went to law school fifteen years later and my tuition at the same school was almost $12k per semester. It is even more now. Our paid-off house doubled in price since we bought it in ‘06.

Anyway, lots of geezers pulling hard where we are from. We just don’t boulder much, because the joints ain’t what they used to be. Lots of knee and hip replacements. 

Chris L wrote:

This is the typical response from the younger generation when facing difficulties.  It’s not original, it’s just false.  I said the same thing about my parents generation.
The only way to success is to bust your butt and work hard. Do things other people will not do.

When minimum wage was $3.00 an hour, we were not flush with cash.  COL increases are generally proportional across time.  Sure, it’s nuts right now with inflation but no different than inflation in the 80’s. 

Wrong. And you’re not a boomer. 

It is our fault we let the rich and corporations do whatever they wanted and now we are paying for it.
But that is ok global warming will take care of everything. The great leveler

The great leveler is time. Comes around, goes around. When Gen B starts in on old millennials and gen z is where Xers are now, you all will see. You'll be getting no respect nor sympathy from youngsters, either.  
 

Peter Van wrote:

Boomers got to buy homes for cheap. They get to enjoy Social Security before it runs out of funds.  They’re the wealthiest generation, and they still want a climbing discount, while Gen Z has to  figure out how many people we can fit into a single bedroom apartment to survive. If you think your income is limited, see how much it costs to rent a place these days + college tuition + insurance + COL with current inflation!

Damn, I get you're not in the same age bracket as OP and myself, this take makes me embarrassed for you. It's not a competition, nor something to take sides on or need to 'other' an entire generation. You're tilting at the wrong windmills. 

Anyway in answer to OP's question - I'm out climbing outside. Summer in the PNW is not gym time. (Shit, reminder I forgot to pause my membership this month.) 

John Leonard wrote:

I think the original post is asking the wrong question. The question that I want answered is why don't the climbing gyms have a discount rate for seniors? I'm 65 and recently retired and like to climb at the gym regularly (but prefer the outdoors). Us retirees have a more limited income and aren't too excited/able to pay the exorbitant cost of a climbing gym membership. 

You're old enough for Medicare.  My gym membership is included via the Silver Sneakers program.  Going to my gym is unlimited and free.   I'd hope there's one where you live who honors SS too.

https://tools.silversneakers.com/LocationSearch

Soiled 800-fill Down Boxers wrote:

Boomers had it easier than anyone else. Cheap real estate, cheap education, cheaper medical care. Not even close. Yes you still had to work. But the boomers have controlled American politics and gotten everything they wanted for over 50 years. 

Sort of a nice try. 

Peter Van wrote:

Don't type so hard; you might get a stroke. 

 You don't have the facts or the knowledge to answer the questions that were posed. 

Emil Briggs wrote:

Hey I resemble that remark! (63 and still bouldering)

Yuk yuk yuk

Harry, Why are you gym climbing in August. I’m 68 and meeting up with some older climbing partners in the Dolomites next week. From there we go to Slovenia and Turkey. You are just looking for the old farts in the wrong places. 

I'm 62 and I generally climb four times a week; two indoors and two outdoors dependant on the weather. I'm often the oldest person in the gym but not always. There's often more older climbers in a roped gym than bouldering; falling off a bouldering wall even from a low height isn't fun when you have bodgy knees with snapped tendons and no cartilage. I downclimb almost every boulder if I can.