New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #31

'Carrots' were the standard bolts in much of Australia until probably some time in the '90s, maybe later, so it is standard when doing older routes there to carry a few 'slip on' hangers in your rack. Using them is definitely an 'acquired taste', but I agree with Carl and strongly dislike them. Fortunately most of the more recent sport routes in OZ now use more typical bolts, though a good percentage are not of the highest quality!!!!

Few pics from today - rgold leading P2 of "Andrew":

Rapping down:

Nice sunset on the way out:

Thanks for the good times, Rich!

Just saw this video,

I got my son to climb for the first time just a few days ago…

Sort of the same situation. He’s a fitness type climbing for the first time. Flashed two V3 and sort of did a V4, then later a 5.10b after learning to rope up. Good efforts on two 5.11a as well.

 

Much screaming at the airport! Go Dodgers!

Todd Berlier wrote:

Always happy to see folks still bouldering!

I like the turn this thread is taking! Last year I clipped a lot of bolts, for example did like 130 routes on a trip to Europe with my wife, Gaby. But this year she has a lot of work (I retired in 2023) and since the spring weather has been cooperating, I've been mostly bouldering alone (with luck 3 or 4 times a week). The most since 2019. And I do love this. My solo bouldering sessions have a kind of meditative feel. No V6s so far (not even close) but I I'm happy top say my body still responds and I'm getting some power back. I made a short video that shows the character of some of the (easier) boulders in Balcarce. The last 5 are from Tuesday's sesh. I've even decided to record things on MP (which should put a fire under my butt to get busy with my work on the guide). Today the weather looks good and I'll be heading out  shortly. Cheers!

Lookin' good, Tim.  Nice video. A good workout!   

Your area has a certain resemblance to Priest Draw.

Have long considered a road trip to Arkansas, even bought the guidebooks, but 1) it's a long way and 2) the weather seems kind of fickle.

Please prove me wrong!

Heading out to Arizona on Tuesday do go try this from the low sit yet again. We are bringing a couple of the new inflatable crash pads, so that should help the highball factor.  Best shape that I’ve been in for a long time, but that doesn’t mean jack shit.  I’ll keep you posted.  I will turn 64 on the trip and I’m just grateful that I actually have a fighting chance of doing the FA of this thing.

Go get it Ward!!!! Have a great trip.

The little speck down by the side of the road is my car.  Had the cliff to ourselves.

Saw some great petroglyphs. 

Todd Berlier wrote:

Bragging about my freshman daughter who finished 12th overall in the regional championships and  4th on the team behind 3 juniors on Varsity Cross Country.

Time was 19:40.9 for a 5k. So 6:21 min/mile pace.

And the team as a whole came in first place.

Awesome Todd! Such a great sport. She’s hanging with the big girls!!

Todd Berlier wrote:

Bragging about my freshman daughter who finished 12th overall in the regional championships and  4th on the team behind 3 juniors on Varsity Cross Country.

Time was 19:40.9 for a 5k. So 6:21 min/mile pace.

And the team as a whole came in first place.

We live parallel lives, mine just placed top ten in the state JV race yesterday (with a bad cold). Team won the meet as well . 

Todd Berlier wrote:

YAAAAS!

Hey, do you know Todd V. I knew him from our shared SLC days. Great guy and great sense of humor!

Hmmm. I don't recall. I was in SLC 1987 to 1994, first in grad school and then a short stint on the adjunct faculty after finishing, but I can't think of a Todd V. 

phylp phylpwrote:

The little speck down by the side of the road is my car.  Had the cliff to ourselves.

Saw some great petroglyphs. 

Chocolate Rocks?  Any Big Horn sunning themselves?

budmanwrote:

Chocolate Rocks?  Any Big Horn sunning themselves?

No but we saw plenty of burro!

Went bouldering at the gym and outside this week and then went to Yosemite today and led a crack for the first time in a long time.  This is the one picture of me climbing i got for the week.

Ward Smithwrote:

Heading out to Arizona on Tuesday do go try this from the low sit yet again. We are bringing a couple of the new inflatable crash pads, so that should help the highball factor.  Best shape that I’ve been in for a long time, but that doesn’t mean jack shit.  I’ll keep you posted.  I will turn 64 on the trip and I’m just grateful that I actually have a fighting chance of doing the FA of this thing.

You got it!
What grade?
Inflatable pads! 

John Gillwrote:

Lookin' good, Tim.  Nice video. A good workout!   

Master of Rock! Years on the ST mind thread and, as expected, I never got it figured out. But it was fun doing the dance. Just shooting the bull. And I did learn stuff. It was funny how that thread made some people (like Marlow) a bit too tense. And other people thought it was pompous twaddle (which to some extent, I suppose it was). Anyways, every now and then I felt like I experienced a moment of clarity, fleeting as it might have been. Ever come across MH2, maybe somewhere in the cloud, since? 

Hey Ward, I’m pretty sure I missed something but I’ve been pondering your trip. You are driving from New Hampshire to Arizona to climb this rock?

And there are no rocks in between? I mean it’s a beautiful rock, not saying that it’s not. I see true commitment here.   I hope you set up your shoe cam to capture your send.  

I saw this meme this morning, which gave a different spin to the vampire situation in Barrow.  I believe this is about the time they come out.

I am a little disappointed in my new Scarpa Generator shoes.  Finally, there’s a pair of shoes wide enough for my feet and they have great sticky rubber soles.  But when I tried to navigate some dime thin edges on my last outing, I felt like my feet were caving.  My ankles were really stressed. And 3-4 hours in my toes were really painful, especially the second toe on each foot. Bob has been saying I need a squared toe shoe.  I thought these were it.  
I am going to compare the TC pros with the generator for ankle support. It may be I just need to lace them up tighter for edging. But I don’t know if there’s any shoe that will accommodate a longer toe. I wish I knew what changed from last year. Did I maybe just have a higher pain tolerance?

Didn’t Guy say to lace those shoes as tight as humanly possible?

Pic from yesterday: I'm following a friend on City Lights (5.8-). Very tricky. Thanks for the beta, Tim!