New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #32

Repost, as I messed up when I went to edit its previous incarnation- 

We have a few good ones down this way if you ever want to escape the great north Ward. (just give me a bit of heads up) You should check out the Lost Boulder and a few other spots we have found in Arcadia and Beach Pond. I'd offer to put you up, but it is not so pleasant with my step dad pooping all over the house these days. I have had to curtail my usual bounding up and down the stairs in bare or stocking feet after some unpleasant surprises. Rubber boots and gloves are my friends, lol.

continued - I will be moving as soon as I am able as I just found out, thanks to a new RI state law mandating every town  increase the housing 10% whether it is appropriate there or not, an 86 unit low income housing development is being shoe horned into the 27 acres half surrounding my house right up to the edge with no buffer zone. So much for my semi bucolic village and the gardens, orchard and library that 4 generations of my family have tended to. With the decrease in value I'm probably going to have to live in my car or hopefully afford a yurt somewhere in the middle of nowhere with the net proceeds.

Public venting a bit. I'm bumming.

Sorry, Nick, everybody. I allowed myself to get sucked into responding to the Russia/Ukraine war comments as it is a subject  that is important and I think the Russian talking points require strong pushback - not here though

Just for everyone else, Mark was a major part of our “Team Tough” group at Rumney who established many of the best routes there.  He was the kind of gifted guy who really pissed me off. I popped a tendon on “Better Eat Your Wheaties” (V9) in Hueco Tanks in the 90’s.   I went back the next year, and after projecting it, I finally sent it.  He just stood there, watching me struggling on it, and then flashed it!    

I have super strong opinions on all this stuff but why ruin it, Guy has been around here forever and I know he has strong opinions but he has kept under wraps. I have been trying. If the rest of us pony up we can keep this space. Otherwise its going to completely  go to shit.  heck the #1 dude that I trained with for 19 years just died of old people shit. we did every test together from purple belt through 4th degree black belt and you fuckers were so sucked into politics that you never even noticed...  nothing we can do to change this shit at this point. we already voted. is what it is. don't be so worked up about it that we miss life. We ain't got that much of it left.   

My post crossed with Nick’s.  I’ll happily go with Nick’s thoughts on this.

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Just my two cents, I’ve enjoyed the political dialogue. Maybe politics really does merit its own thread but everyone has behaved here lately and I enjoy the different perspectives.  Maybe avoiding World War III is worth a half a campfire.  

For those who have Instagram this little clip made my day. Chris Sharma talking about keeping his projects playful as long as possible before he goes for the send. I needed the reminder. Th route I am working on just might be too hard. I don’t know. But what I do know is if I climb playfully and with curiosity it’s a lot of fun.  

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCmr0awyioQ/?igsh=NjZiM2M3MzIxNA==

Also, I had such a peaceful time, sitting in the hills this morning and meditating on my totem

“The Cahuilla belief is that everyone has a telewel, a spirit or soul. This spirit is very elusive and may leave one almost anytime. When they dream, telewel has left them, and is really going through the experiences of which they are dreaming. The spirit is gone, they cannot wake up. But if someone comes and tries to waken a dreaming person, the telewel knows it and can return instantly. However, they are very careful not to awaken a medicine man when he is sleeping, for he may be dreaming. His spirit has gone so far away and is so very busy that he cannot return immediately. In case a person wakes before his spirit returns, as occasionally happens, death results sooner or later.”

Turns out the Cahuilla also all used Jimson weed ceremoniously and also for broken bones.  That’s powerful stuff! 

Ward Smithwrote:

Thanks Mark, I deleted my thread because I need to get back to the real world and was getting sucked in to the political stuff, which frankly is a waste of energy. 

I skip over all the political posts but this feature helps too. 

People are of course absolutely free to post whatever they want, but I enjoy not seeing some of the stuff that has no interest to me when I stop by here to make sure Lori is OK. 

Don't disappear Ward, I enjoy seeing the climbing content from you.

I should be out climbing with Brandt today but my shoulder is very fragile at the moment. From the way it feels, I'm afraid my bicep tendon is starting to tear out of the anchor attaching my bicep tendon to my shoulder.  To be continued.

Pivoted and did a good hike in the gorgeous Fall weather instead.

Todd Berlier wrote:

Dude, my tongue has been bleeding from biting so hard for the last month!

Just kidding, it's liberating to not be involved.

Ward,

I had 4 separate trips to do Stained Glass V10 at the buttermilk's. I could do all the moves, but could never make the lip on send goes. Same with The Force V9 at Yosemite and Wolfpack V11 in Tahoe. Tbh it's hard to accept I'll never do those three, but that's life.

Mark, this is my favorite FA of this year:

It might be my favorite of all time. It's one I think so good that I haven't found a fitting name for it. Probably over thinking it.

Great Todd!  The only route I ever went “all in” on and never sent was China Beach at Rumney.  I one hung it many times in the 90’s before giving it up to Dave Graham, first 14b in the area.  This Arizona project is approaching the second time I’ve been all in.  I feel like if I had another week I would be able to send, but that is why I like local projects, the pressure on a road trip is too much.  My wife is actually encouraging me to go back soon, I guess I married the right woman!  It helps that she is a strong climber and “gets it.”

Fun looking boulder, Todd! Maybe I will have to move out west like people are telling me. I do like water though and our lush forest, few fires and fauna that generally is not into eating me when exploring the back woods. New England, especially a little bit closer to the mountains then where I am always seemed like a good home base if you can then travel a bit. Not having to scrub so much and finding great clean boulders like that would be nice.

Ward, is that route you are on upthread Smitties new route? It looks cool.

Nick, I had to wait until I was old enough in Hollywood years to post in this thread, been keeping tabs and enjoying it though. Sorry about your Sensei/friend. I have never been very good about what to say to people who are feeling a loss like that  besides giving them a hug. He has become part of you, so he still lives.

 thanks,Mark. Jon was not my Sensei he was my training partner. We pushed each other pretty hard on the mat and in the bar ;) 

Our Sensei is the goomba sitting in the chair. 

Thanks, I realized it was not the correct technical term. For lack of a better one, I was using it in the sense that a person you train with that much is also a teacher.

Guy Keeseewrote:

Don’t camp at Fairview and definitely don’t camp at Horseman….. the meth folks love the camping at Horseman. I’ve seen them. Also anyplace you can drive to- they know about it.

Mark… Good camping, climbing at NJC and the 58 freeway gets you to Mojave fast with no shitty LA city snarled traffic. Mojave to SB offers a few scenic routes- some secret climbing climbing spots along the way- dm if interested.

The weather has been great this fall. If the forecasted rain happens later this week SB will be shut down.

Have a good trip 

Thanks Guy and Brandt!

Will plan on New Jack. Tbh, I prefer the rock type there (whatever it is) to patinated JT monzonite.

If I manage to send Device Ignitor here at Moe’s on Friday, we’ll probably head that way Sunday and get in a couple of days there.
If not, I’ll be in negotiations… 

As for SB climbing, the earliest chance for that would be the Sunday after thanksgiving, so hopefully dry by then. If not, a hike or an early return to St George.

@phyl- love the ignore function :-)

absolutly,  but we were equals.. sensei is a rank / hierarchy thing also.. 

 watched the moon set the other morning

but didn't murder any Bambie's

helped Isa install her Watcher

then we went for a hike

this the top of the mountain that the Willoughby Ice cliffs are located on.

Yurywrote:

A bunch of total drivel removed….

I prefer being alive rather than dead.
YMMV.

Hate to say it, but you forced me…

Ok, comrade….

The Ukraine gave up their nukes with a treaty that promised protection by both the West and Russia…

Russian backed insurgents moved into western Ukraine to “protect the ethnic Russian people living there.”

The Ukrainian people kicked out a Russian speaking president in a popular uprising.

Putin got “ butt hurt…”

The Ukraine wasn’t going to be a client state like Belarus.

Putin got more ” butt hurt…”

The Russian western insurgency became more active.

The Ukrainian people elected Zelensky  who was committed to UkrainIan sovereignty and independence.

Russia, under Putin, invaded.   Their initial “shock and awe” plan failed miserably.

Trump may want to keep everyone out of a nuclear war, (but more likely he owes Putin and his oligarchs tons and tons of money…) and is willing to crush any Ukrainian independence to keep Putin happy.

Ed “ those who don’t know history , are going to make the rest of us repeat it…” E

ps:  Maybe think:

James Brown: “We'd rather die on our feet Than be livin' on our knees…”

Jimmy Cliff: “I'd rather be a free man in my grave, than to live life as a puppet or a slave”

Recent first ascents. Generally probably pretty much beyond me these days, and with 'modern' route preparation, it is very hard to identify the actual first ascent. But, I have helped in the final 'development' of a group of routes on a small outcrop at our local crag of Farley Ledge. Most of the 'prep work' on the crag was done by an emigre couple from the UK, Tony Gardner and Alice Stuart Gardner---really great folks.They have both done quite extensive route development--as well as trail and route maintenance--at Farley--especially ( but not exclusively) routes at more moderate grades ( and developing routes there requires considerable effort). About 3 years ago they had opened an adjacent buttress that is already very popular. Unfortunately, about a year ago, when close to finishing the initial work on the new outcrop, Tony suffered a relapse of a chronic condition and, very sadly, never recovered, passing away at age 81 a few weeks ago. Alice organized a few of us to work on the finishing touches, had another friend put in the glue ins--that had always been Tony's specialty, and now there are 5 new, short and moderate, but fun routes for everyone to enjoy at Farley in honor and memory of a great guy--Tony Gardner--great enthusiasm and energy with a 'let's get it done' approach---though maybe not always in a 'by the book' manner!!!!

A couple years ago I found this new route at Joshua Tree and bolted it up with my good friend Tony Sartin. Tony was close to redpointing it, but we got sidetracked and moved on to other new routes, and put it on our to do list.

Sadly, Tony passed away suddenly a couple months ago of an emergency medical situation at age 57.

Today I brought one of Tony's best friends and climbing partners, Aaron (who recently onsighted a 12d) to do the first lead, and he flashed it. Named it the Tony Sartin Memorial Route (11c). 

Now whenever we think of the route it'll bring back memories of all those great climbing days that Aaron and I spent with Tony.

Recently, the closet I'm coming to a first ascent is making an effort to climb some stuff I haven't done for some years. I'm having to work at it, too. 

Bob, nice tribute to Tony. +1

My condolences to friends and family, Tad

One great thing about this time of life is that we can take the time to explore and investigate whatever we want. My brother belongs to a group similar to the Socrates Society which is a group of seniors who regularly get together to make presentations to each other. If you have a curious mind, just pick a topic and go after it for three months and bring back your findings to the group in a two hour presentation. My brother likes obscure wars. One person traveled to Peru to find a butterfly.  Someone investigated lesser known female spies from World War II.

So I’m feeling a real sense of liberation at long last. I am eating up this information on the Cahuilla Indians and thinking that today while I visit Tony, I will swing by Agua Caliente to see what they have in their museum.

What really caught my attention is the sandpit. It seems everyone had one up here in the high desert. If you were sick or if you were a laboring woman, your family would heat up stones and throw them in the pit to warm it up and then the sick person would get down into the pit and be covered with warm sand. Maybe kind of sauna?

I’m reading about the traditional annual mourning ceremony which was quite elaborate.  Everyone in the community was expected to attend. They had a feast of rabbit stew, coffee, and bread. The young men would have been out hunting rabbits for several weeks. The younger women were making the stews while older women were forming the pelts into wearables. And this went on for a week.

Part of the ceremony was led by the Shaman, who would sing and chant for three days and then during a fire ceremony in which he swallowed owl feathers would pluck a black object from his throat, which was some actual darkness in his heart. Once he cast that out the darkness would be gone from the entire community.

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I know rgold, and I think John Gill, have continued to enjoy mathematics?  I resigned from Wordle in 2024, but I have a growing stack of books to read. Out of the blue I ordered Magister Ludi by Herman Hesse. Does anyone remember his books?  I’m curious how they settle on a reread.

Anyway, most of this was inspired by the cave chimney route that I have as a project and the feeling that it was a special place for people before me.  

Lori Milaswrote:

 I have a growing stack of books to read. Out of the blue I ordered Magister Ludi by Herman Hesse. Does anyone remember his books?  I’m curious how they settle on a reread.

Lori, An interesting book is Nights of Plague by Orhan Pamuk (winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, but not for this book).  It's a historical epic set in the Ottoman Empire.  Hope that RFK Jr. reads it given his pending assignment!

Lori Milaswrote:

Magister Ludi by Herman Hesse. Does anyone remember his books?  I’m curious how they settle on a reread.

I reread all of them at some point in my 30s but at this point, I can't remember how I felt!  Magister Ludi was always my favorite.

So you've never been to the visitor center at the Cahuilla lands?  It's excellent - and there are so many good hikes out from there.  Well developed trail system. We do a 6 mile circuit that is not on the map that takes you through the Palm Canyons, up some fun rock scrambling, then circles back on a fire road to the stone pools, then back on the trail.