New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #31

Li Huwrote:

Hands and the tops of my feet are still a bit sore from cracks. My butt muscles were very sore from the foot jams on overhanging straight jam cracks.

Did face climbs and got more moves on my TR projects. Topped one of them grunting and probably got to roughly 80% grip effort. There were a few climbs where crack was okay to use, I used the crack making the problems significantly easier. The off width fist crack was really slippery, and even too slippery to lieback. Tape gloves and a hand fist stack should work? Will need to cam my feet to hold my body in place as I shist the stacked hands up.

Max hangs 25mm, half crimp, two handed (100% grip effort):
Plus 90 pounds 10 seconds
Plus 115 pounds 3 seconds

Plus 70 pounds Beastmaker 2000 smallest holds 7 seconds. Maybe 15mm? The BM1000 smallest holds are 20mm.

My goal of plus 135 pounds hang on 25mm two handed half crimp or open half crimp seem possible?  Will test next week?

135 pounds of plates hanging from a harness - uncomfortable, yes? No? Sounds tough.

Last night I went indoor bouldering yet again, it's almost all I've done in regard to climbing for the last few weeks. I really like this new gym, it's a cool vibe, interesting space (a converted cinema) and really good route setting, plus it's quite large. I was excited to try the green boulder (route) in the picture; they were setting it the other day I was there but it wasn't ready to climb. This 'prow' follows the original floor line down to where the cinema screen was, and the floor slopes as well, so even though you climb quite a long way you're often not far off the floor. I got this one after about five attempts.  There was a knee bar about half way along which took me a few goes to work out.  Eventually I realised I needed TWO knee bards, the second to allow me to 'unlock' the first.  I wish I had videoed the send. I was talking to someone on Messenger the other day about 'needing' to be competitive; competing with time, gravity, him, her, they, myself. At the end of this long boulder problem (almost a route) I was thinking to myself  'COMPETE! COMPETE!', which flicked me in to 'growl mode' and hence the send. 

Later I got congratulated by someone for doing two laps of a boulder without touching the ground, it was hard as it starts on a crimpy rail and it's overhung, so moving DOWN to the rail and then off it again was hard. The guy wating came up to me, gave me a fist bump and said 'that was excellent, why not do three laps?'.  

Then I did another new problem but wanted to try and do it without matching hands.  I like trying that sometimes, it takes planning and, for this particular problem, a lot of twisting (which worked the abs, as there was a lot of crossing over of hands.

8 days until I go to The Blue Mountains and I'm feeling reasonably strong for an old fellow.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

Geologic time is now. The Cleaver 5.10+ FA Isa and Nick.

That looks like a really fun line. Or it was. You seem smart and cautious and I'll bet you checked and rechecked that before bolting it and doing the FA. And still....

Sometimes there is just no way to know and no way to find out.

I still think you were in more danger overall driving to the crag on two lane, rural highways. We do the best we can there too. And yet if just one idiot flinches at closing speeds of over 100 miles per hour? 

WF WF51wrote:

135 pounds of plates hanging from a harness - uncomfortable, yes? No? Sounds tough.

At this point only 115, but yeah, I wouldn’t be able to walk for very long.  

My contact strength seems to be improved, but endurance is still an issue. Going to try this V5 roof problem tomorrow, after the crack training with my new “coach”.

Lori, I’ll be getting to Joshua Tree after November.

Carl, that problem on the prow is making me jealous! I’m going to show that picture to our setters. Looks like a great gym!

Brad Young wrote:

That looks like a really fun line. Or it was. You seem smart and cautious and I'll bet you checked and rechecked that before bolting it and doing the FA. And still....

Sometimes there is just no way to know and no way to find out.

And people wonder why I basically gym climb now. In my youth, definitely used up 8 of my nine lives.

Already dodged a heart attack or stroke, that was 8.

Cold Chukchi energy brewing just offshore, cold cold coldness from some deep cold place. You can feel it penetrating your core like the opposite of the sun. There are signs of civilization that make you think survival through the winter is possible. Listening to Stewart Copeland’s drumming on “Bring on the night” 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz1mEMiNPHQ

Colden, just looking at your pictures I feel the cold penetrating me to the core!!!! While once, though never loving it, I could tolerate the cold, not any more--I could never do what you are doing and choose to live 'up there'. Hats off to you---though doing so, would undoubtedly freeze the ears!!!!

Alan Rubinwrote:

Colden, just looking at your pictures I feel the cold penetrating me to the core!!!! While once, though never loving it, I could tolerate the cold, not any more--I could never do what you are doing and choose to live 'up there'. Hats off to you---though doing so, would undoubtedly freeze the ears!!!!

So its probably safe to say you don't follow Wim Hof? 

I appreciate the cold a bit more than I used to, it's fun to transition to new hobbies every year. Different work on the property and house, from hiking and climbing to skiing and skating. The odd thing is I don't appreciate ice climbing enough to ever desire the activity, people may get me to do it once in a blue moon but never on my list.

I don't take ice baths unless a sauna or hot tub is within a few meters.

M.M.---absolutely not!!!! Even had to Google him to understand your reference.
Way back in the day---way back, I tried to condition my hands to the cold by emulating Herman Buhl and walking to classes holding snow balls in my bare hands. It had the opposite effect than intended!!!!

Beating the heat somewhere uphill.

More cracks today. much improved in that my feet aren’t still in pain and the backs of my hands from the off width hand crack hand twist lock aren’t sore nor bruised.

Learnt to keep my weight over my feet in a toe jam, and did a 5.11b/5.10d crack linked combo. Got 5 moves up a 5.12c crack and liebacked 25 feet up an another thin finger crack. More work to do, but definitely seeing progress.

After 3 hours of climbing I tried a V5 roof problem. The crux was possible for me to reach, but didn’t commit to the grab for fear of injury.

https://youtube.com/shorts/LeqbP5YVPvY?si=B63aW_V8OPxVFZYl

A little sore overall. Easy leads today.

Planning to take off tomorrow. 6 days per week should be enough. Weight was 186.6 after yesterday’s 3 hour session.

I was listening to Alex Honnold‘s podcast this morning featuring Cory Richards.  Cory went from a messed up childhood to having multiple psychiatric breakdowns in his teenage years and being diagnosed with bipolar and PTSD. He has also become a renowned photographer and athlete with

 photographs on the covers of National Geographic.. I ordered his book “An Unquiet Mind”.  I really appreciated his candor discussing how much of his compulsion to adventure was the result of anxiety and bipolar disorder.  

Cory has had plenty of therapy and it shows. Maybe it’s just me but I watched family members and friends of mine stoically repeat the same mistakes over and over and over and never consider taking a minute, maybe with some guidance, to understand their lives.  But also thinking about the number of climbers we all know or have heard of who have lost their lives, not necessarily from a Climbing accident. Many died by suicide.  

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7uXVIZ2kSuDQ3xCERb1ZgT?si=8htTrWC_StmZFywLQcJ_Vw

I went to the grand opening of our new REI in Palm Desert this morning. I was just so grateful to see something familiar, and when you walk in it has that new store smell. I went with the intention of buying a new pair of TCPros. When I was climbing a few weeks ago, my shoes were incredibly painful and I had to quit because my feet couldn’t take it anymore.

I’m not sure what happened between May and now. Could my feet have grown? Those shoes fit OK before summer. Anyway, the REI guy from Black diamond also suggested Mythos.  Those felt comfortable like house slippers in comparison.  But the TC pros have that strong edge and incredible rubber and hightop support. I left with a new pair of half size larger TC pros but wondering what everyone else does for shoes these days.  

The REI guy reminded me that I can take my TC pros home and return them anytime within 12 months for money back no matter how used they are. Very hard to beat that deal!

There’s an REI in Palm Desert now? The Evil Empire continues to spread across the universe…

Edit: Ah, yes…it’s at The River shopping center. That building used to be a Forever 21. Wonder if it will survive…that shopping center has been slowly dying for the last several years, and the demographics of that area don’t seem to support an outdoor retailer…

I'll be checking out that REI after I get back from a trip to Bishop next week. That new store smell always has me reaching for my credit card!

Lori Milaswrote:

I went with the intention of buying a new pair of TCPros. When I was climbing a few weeks ago, my shoes were incredibly painful and I had to quit because my feet couldn’t take it anymore.

I’m not sure what happened between May and now. Could my feet have grown? Those shoes fit OK before summer. Anyway, the REI guy from Black diamond also suggested Mythos.  Those felt comfortable like house slippers in comparison.  But the TC pros have that strong edge and incredible rubber and hightop support. I left with a new pair of half size larger TC pros but wondering what everyone else does for shoes these days.  

TC pro are much better for cracks.

Your old shoes probably need a bit of “wearing”, they tend to “dry out” and need a session to get the stretch back.

The REI guy reminded me that I can take my TC pros home and return them anytime within 12 months for money back no matter how used they are. Very hard to beat that deal!

I have a pair after swapping several others. They’re my crack shoes. Bought 3 pairs of Evolv Sharma and TC pros.

Their policy is great, they’re going to make money so, no need to feel guilty about using the policy.

Li Hu… thanks for that bit of support regarding my increased shoe size. It’s a chic thing. I need that perfect Cinderella size 7.    So maybe it was the leather.

By the way, your video looked great. I can see you’ve been working hard and reporting in on all the training you’ve been doing. Congratulations and good job!

We’re watching Dog Day Afternoon with Al Pacino this evening. What triggered this was watching a clip of me trying to climb Dog Day Afternoon 10b (Dave Houser Charles Cole) here in Joshua Tree in 2021 and I was miserable. I worked and worked on that route – – I think Bob and I went back six or seven times. I never made it through the crux cleanly.

But the rest of that route was so fun.

There's a little surprise at the top. I don't know who took this picture, I think I did somehow but could be wrong.  Anyway, it's the dihedral that sits atop the main rock, with a great view of the desert.  

Maybe I take these things way too seriously.  It’s “only a route“.  But it’s still route I’d like to finish. (I made it to the top several times but needed a little tug from Bob to get over that crux.). 

Lori Milaswrote:

Maybe I take these things way too seriously.  It’s “only a route“.  But it’s still route I’d like to finish. (I made it to the top several times but needed a little tug from Bob to get over that crux.). 

Absolutely you're not taking it too seriously. I mean, getting to the top of a rock in the style you feel proud of is the entire point of our silly sport. As I understand it, the great John Gill treated his boulder problems like a gymnastic routine. I wasn't there, so maybe someone like RGold can set me straight, but I always read that to mean that just getting to the top was not enough; he wanted it to be fluid, efficient, precise, maybe even graceful.  And he would go back repeatedly to enjoy the movement. So never apologize for wanting to go back and do something "better", whatever that means to you. I mean, if it was just about getting to the top, half the time we could just walk up the descent trail and call it a send! 

Cheers

GO

Lori Milaswrote:

Li Hu… thanks for that bit of support regarding my increased shoe size. It’s a chic thing. I need that perfect Cinderella size 7.    So maybe it was the leather.

By the way, your video looked great. I can see you’ve been working hard and reporting in on all the training you’ve been doing. Congratulations and good job!

Yup, your feet are perfect!  

Thanks for the encouragement, just found out my new climbing partner doesn’t mind being on video. Will take some face/crack climbing attempts too.

Maybe I take these things way too seriously.  It’s “only a route“.  But it’s still route I’d like to finish. (I made it to the top several times but needed a little tug from Bob to get over that crux.). 

You can’t ever take this sport too seriously. It’s exhausting and very technical. Your mind has to be sharp even when your body’s built up all those inhibitors such as pain.   

This all brings back some sweet memories. I’m sure you studly guys already know this, but I didn’t. We went to some extraordinary lengths to get me over that crux, including using tape on my fingertips and oil of benzene to glue it down. I kept cutting open my fingers and then it would be over.

But also, unlike slab, you have three or maybe four big tries to get those moves and if you don’t you’re pumped and it’s over for the day.  Well, Bob was trying to get me to conserve energy and let go when I blew the move. I did not want to let go. I wanted to hang on and dangle there and keep trying until I used up every last ounce of remaining energy.

Bob meant “drop it like a hot potato“.  I just couldn’t make myself do it.    

GabeOwrote:

Absolutely you're not taking it too seriously. I mean, getting to the top of a rock in the style you feel proud of is the entire point of our silly sport. As I understand it, the great John Gill treated his boulder problems like a gymnastic routine. I wasn't there, so maybe someone like RGold can set me straight, but I always read that to mean that just getting to the top was not enough; he wanted it to be fluid, efficient, precise, maybe even graceful.  And he would go back repeatedly to enjoy the movement. So never apologize for wanting to go back and do something "better", whatever that means to you. I mean, if it was just about getting to the top, half the time we could just walk up the descent trail and call it a send! 

Cheers

GO

That’s how I understand Gill’s philosophy as well. (Would love to hear him chime in.) 
For me personally, it is indeed the movement that makes our silly sport so attractive. I would much rather climb an easier route in good style than thrash my way up a harder route. Sometimes, in the gym on the autobelays, I’ll just repeat the easiest routes on the wall just for the pure enjoyment of the movement—the flagging, smooth swapping of feet, maybe a rock over onto a distant hold, whatever… and I try to see if there is a more efficient way of climbing the route that I hadn’t thought of before.
BITD, with that young ego, I tended to want to tick the harder grade, even if I butchered the movement. Today, even if I’m successful, if it isn’t done smoothly it leaves me unsatisfied.