New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #31

Li Huwrote:

The original friends or the cable types?   

Any single axle Friends

M Mwrote:

I avoid gym cracks.  Phylp has a point about keeping certain muscles in shape  but really the technique is similar to riding a bike and I  don't want a staph infection. Gym cracks are filthy, nobody ever cleans them. 

It's a real concern.  I did get a MRSA (staph) infection from the gym once.  After the first antibiotics were obviously not working and the infection had spread thru my blood stream to my face (photo shows streaking under eyes), I went to the ER, Where the doc said "this is serious, it can spread to your brain".  They gave me IV clindamycin.  Which they then warned me was going to wipe out all the good biota in my GI tract and that if I developed diarrhea return to the hospital immediately because it could be a secondary Clostridium difficile infection. Fortunately that did not happen.

I wear those commercial crack gloves for the gym and put extra tape around my thumb and ring lock fingers.  Those can get rubbed raw.  I also use thick knit arm sleeves to protect my forearms.  But even so, I usually do cracks at the very end of my workout, use hand sanitizer on anything that looks raw, and then wash very thoroughly before leaving the gym. 

Daniel Joderwrote:

—Very strong honorable mention for phylp phylp’s collection of stuff to know to avoid accidents. 

Very kind of you to say!

I pay for Wordpress to host the site and they send me an email with stats once a month. In 5 months 689 unique users have viewed the site and more than that for page views because people return to read the rest at a later time.  I know that is a small number and I could get many more site visitors if I did SEO - search engine optimization - stuff but I haven't got around to it and I'm not sure I want to.  But I feel like with even that small number of site visitors, someone learned something that's going to keep them safer!  That was the goal.

I actually learn stuff from Mountain Project.  I don't watch climbing videos generally and no longer subscribe to the main climbing mags, so this is where I learn about "new" things. Like I learned about the Megajul, then Gigajul here, and read all the pros and cons.   I switched from an ATC to that device for rappels, which I like, and it has made things safer since I never have used a backup. I learned about slider lock carabiners after someone mentioned them on MP, and that's one of my favorite new things on my harness - I use it on a quickdraw in critical locations.The "Climbing Gear discussion"  section is often quite informative.  Iam a huge fan of guidebooks but I do use the MP database for a supplement, and the offline function has come in handy a few times.

I still miss Supertopo. You could find out anything you needed to know from that group.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

I am so backwards and it's been so long since I have been to the desert that I don't really know what the new bigger sizes are. Did they put a gray in-between blue and purple making the purple bigger?

Yeah, my 4 and 5 are purple. I probably could have held off on buying a #5 15 years ago, I've honestly never needed it that I can remember. My #4 at age 25 has seen very little use, still happy to own it and do bring it along occasionally. 

phylp phylpwrote:

Very kind of you to say!

I pay for Wordpress to host the site and they send me an email with stats once a month. In 5 months 689 unique users have viewed the site and more than that for page views because people return to read the rest at a later time.  I know that is a small number and I could get many more site visitors if I did SEO - search engine optimization - stuff but I haven't got around to it and I'm not sure I want to.  But I feel like with even that small number of site visitors, someone learned something that's going to keep them safer!  That was the goal.

I actually learn stuff from Mountain Project.  I don't watch climbing videos generally and no longer subscribe to the main climbing mags, so this is where I learn about "new" things. Like I learned about the Megajul, then Gigajul here, and read all the pros and cons.   I switched from an ATC to that device for rappels, which I like, and it has made things safer since I never have used a backup. I learned about slider lock carabiners after someone mentioned them on MP, and that's one of my favorite new things on my harness - I use it on a quickdraw in critical locations.The "Climbing Gear discussion"  section is often quite informative.  Iam a huge fan of guidebooks but I do use the MP database for a supplement, and the offline function has come in handy a few times.

I still miss Supertopo. You could find out anything you needed to know from that group.

I think your visitor count will grow as word spreads… as someone mentioned some time ago (if I remember right), it could make for a pretty good book… and potentially prevent a lot of accidents. 

Looks cool Todd!  You guys kill me with the low humidity and no lichen.

I’m going back out to Fight Club to belay my brother on his project Saturday.  Since I’m done with mine, I am dragging a crash pad up for the blocs down below.  One hour uphill hike but why not.  Looking to do a cool V5ish problem I have done in two pitches on toprope.  We finally have some killer weather.

the Taco was the best. 

Todd, we're going to have to get you to come up here to the Sonora Pass area. There are so, so many boulders like the one in your video that are just waiting for some smart boulderers to find fun routes. And neither Phil (who posts here) or I have any real interest in bouldering.

One canyon in particular comes to mind (but there are many others - we've got boulder-field after boulder-field up here). We've put up a bunch of routes in this canyon just this year - at around 8,000 feet. And we constantly walk by 10 to 20 foot high boulders of clean and gorgeous granite because... we just don't boulder.

If not what's left of this summer, maybe next season? Do you travel?

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

the Taco was the best. 

Supertopo was a great site and resource. Unique and not likely to be repeated.

But one of the things I like about this particular "old climbers" thread on this site is that it kind of replicates parts of the Supertopo forum. Some of the best parts.

Todd,

Yes, things start to close down up here after the first heavy snow. That's when those of us that lack brains go climbing at Pinnacles. But often we're climbing granite in our high county into December (and some granite areas are open up here after the pass closes too).

And don't worry about spraying or not spraying about stuff up here. There are several big advantages to being on the next pass north of Yosemite. One is that we can get to Yosemite to climb there by an easy drive. Another is that in spite of our many areas of fantastic rock, no-one gives a shit about climbing here. The vast majority of climbers coming to the central Sierra come from the west and they turn right at Highway 120 most of the time. It's unusual enough to see other climbers at most places here that it's actually a pleasure.

(And not all of our rock is fantastic - like anywhere we've got perfect stone in many places, but good and OK stone in others - the two areas with lots of boulders that I would show you are both of the perfect stone variety and I can give you GPS coordinates if you want to "research" them.)

It sure gets busy here and it’s nice to see. I have browsed SuperTopo but I think it went down right about the time I started climbing. What is it you all loved so much? I do enjoy going back and reading specific topical posts, but I believe the pictures are gone now? It seems like it was more of a home for everyone then MP could ever be.

One thing about this thread is the spectrum of Climbers and climbing experience—knowing that so many of you have climbed a lifetime and I still feel brand new.  But what is new to all of us is aging and I wouldn’t mind talking more about that.

I got out yesterday afternoon with Bob and it’s just a whole different show four months later.  After a couple of hours of climbing, my feet were in pain again even with a half size larger of TCPros.  Finally, Bob and I had “the talk“ about shoes. Mine were not made for my feet. So I don’t know what changed over the summer, but possibly TC pros were never the right fit. Before I get out again I’m going to have to look at a wider shoe and one with a more rounded last to accommodate a longer second toe.  

Bob climbs in Boreal Equinox and he has similar feet. At REI I tried on a pair of Mythos and they were comfortable like house slippers, but I worried that I wouldn’t be able to edge and smear.  so – – I hate to have to start this journey again but I’m going to have to find different shoes.

—-

Beside being hounded by bees all afternoon, it’s hard to overstate this climbing thing.  I had forgotten what a full body workout it is and what a total experience it is to be outside in full elements up against the vagaries of real rock. While discussing shoes, I finally heard Bob say what I have been thinking “you are so busy making 1000 decisions in climbing and requiring all your focus that you don’t want to add pain to the equation.” so it’s not a simple tie-in-and-hop-on-a-rock situation. It seems to always require full engagement in every way.

(Pic by Bob)  

So as regards aging… I get the feeling most here are healthy enough and strong enough that you will just wing it all the way. But not only have I had to take some extraordinary measures due to health concerns, but I am just plainly curious and interested about our bodies as we age.

So… Is anyone interested in or have any experience with peptides like CJC – 1295,  or BCP-157?  How about red light therapy?  NAD?  Hormones?  High or low protein diets. Recovery drinks?

This was totally visible to the naked eye last night, it was worth going to bed later than usual!

Lori - a couple of thoughts related to shoes:  1 - TC Pros stretch a fair bit.  If you like the performance, before you abandon them consider ways to stretch them without having to go through the time of wearing them in discomfort.  Like maybe getting them wet and wearing them around the house while they dry?  2 - A guy I know climbed exclusively in Mythos.  With socks!  And he was a solid 12- climber.  I would never be able to do it, but it worked for him.

Todd - That boulder looks sweet!  Glad you didn't have to try to downclimb from the lip because of the topout.  That would have been a bad scene.

MM - I've heard the sun is really active, and we're getting a show in New England.  Not sure I'd be able to see it this far south in the Boston area, but tempted to try.

RG and Alan - very much looking forward to seeing you on Sunday if the stars align!

Cheers,

GO

GabeOwrote:

Lori - a couple of thoughts related to shoes:  1 - TC Pros stretch a fair bit.  If you like the performance, before you abandon them consider ways to stretch them without having to go through the time of wearing them in discomfort.  Like maybe getting them wet and wearing them around the house while they dry?  2 - A guy I know climbed exclusively in Mythos.  With socks!  And he was a solid 12- climber.  I would never be able to do it, but it worked for him.

Todd - That boulder looks sweet!  Glad you didn't have to try to downclimb from the lip because of the topout.  That would have been a bad scene.

MM - I've heard the sun is really active, and we're getting a show in New England.  Not sure I'd be able to see it this far south in the Boston area, but tempted to try.

RG and Alan - very much looking forward to seeing you on Sunday if the stars align!

Cheers,

GO

The shoe advice is solid. I personally wet the inside of too tight leather shoes right before I climb in them, they are immediately more comfortable.  Low humidity almost always makes them shrink back up so it's a rinse and repeat ritual for my gym shoes that live in my car. 

I used to wear Mythos and found myself wearing socks after one year because of the stretch, they stretch more than any shoe ever!

Lots of folks i know down in CT and Mass saw the borealis last night through their cameras , it was a crazy show and the biggest one I've ever seen with my eyes.  I now know why it's referred to as a storm, it comes and goes like storm clouds, almost like a dancing sky. 

M Mwrote:

The shoe advice is solid. I personally wet the inside of too tight leather shoes right before I climb in them, they are immediately more comfortable.  Low humidity almost always makes them shrink back up so it's a rinse and repeat ritual for my gym shoes that live in my car. 

I used to wear Mythos and found myself wearing socks after one year because of the stretch, they stretch more than any shoe ever!

Lots of folks i know down in CT and Mass saw the borealis last night through their cameras , it was a crazy show and the biggest one I've ever seen with my eyes.  I now know why it's referred to as a storm, it comes and goes like storm clouds, almost like a dancing sky. 

Not any more. The new Ecos are 100 % synthetic. 

Well. I’m off on my great adventure to The Blue Mountains. About 1200 kilometres across the continent from Mount Torrens. I’ll stop at Hay overnight and then on to Blackheath the next day.

We had clouds here in Amherst last night so, sadly, no 'light show'. Seems that the best viewing was near the coast, as MM's pictures illustrate.

Lori, I am a very long term Mythos user. After a lifetime of climbing, and many of them early on in too tight (sometimes much too tight!!) shoes, my feet are a mess, and, while I have tried MANY different models of shoes, I keep coming back to the Mythos as the only shoe that I find comfortable but can still climb reasonably well in--I have small feet and use both the men's and women's versions, with the women's being a bit tighter for me. The shoes smear very well, no problem there, but, you are correct that they don't do as well on micro-edges or tiny crystals ( wish the Megas would be revived for such holds!!!). One thing that helps though, is to use women's dress ' half socks' on pitches with such holds, then take them off for more smeary sections. Sounds weird but it does work. I definitely agree with Bob, that overall it is best to climb in comfortable shoes for most purposes.

Carl, enjoy the Blue Mountains---beautiful area and some great climbing.

Carl Schneiderwrote:

Well. I’m off on my great adventure to The Blue Mountains. About 1200 kilometres across the continent from Mount Torrens. I’ll stop at Hay overnight and then on to Blackheath the next day.

Sounds great. Have a wonderful and safe trip.

Carl, is that a hang glider on top of your car??? Or some sort of comfy Bedouin tent, maybe? Sounds like a great trip.