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New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #32
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Jean told me to watch this video called 8 habits of the top 1% healthiest people over 50. She then told me that we do most of them. They are common sense habits that I believe most of us do on this forum. We have been going to Planet Fitness 2-3 a week for the past couple of months. We do a circuit training with a group of older people for 30 minutes and then some easy stretching for 20 minutes. I believe that the youngest is over 50 and the oldest is 82. Jean and I are both 71. We also try to climb once a week at a very nice climbing gym called Reach (about 50 minutes away). We also signed up for the next 3 months at a local climbing gym. Reach has TR and a lot of lead walls. Some of the walls are 60 feet tall. You can climb any of the climbs with a 40 m rope. We climb at the local climbing gym once the weather does not allow us to climb outside. It has only 2 lead walls, the rest is TR and bouldering. Here is the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vzMMuAwtks After I watched the video, I thought of this old song. I pulled up the video of the song below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo John |
Lori Milaswrote: Lori, I can only offer my own experiences since February 2024 when I broke my right femur and had a titanium one replace it, then finding I had cancer elsewhere. After a week or so in the hospital I went into a rehab facility that was nearby and was treated very well there for a couple of weeks. Then Nancy brought me home, where I have been since. This has been a toll on Nancy and she has been a real angel; but she needs to get out and around every day or so with her friends and a sister who lives nearby. I have made an effort to be as independent as possible so she can do the equivalent of your climbing as she shops and has lunches out. This is a necessity for her, for being a caretaker is demanding and tiring. The name of the game is adjustment, for both of us. I would hope your Tony could reach this stage of recovery. We have settled into a routine that involves me sleeping in during the morning hours (that's my biological clock) and Nancy rising early and having the morning hours for herself (that's her biological clock, fortunately). I go in and out of surgeries and we have an excellent home health care that I will have until I am no longer around (no cancer at present). If you can get Tony home and have HHC come in you have a chance of setting up a schedule that will be beneficial to you both. His spirits may rise as mine have done when he is in familiar settings. I have great sympathy for you as Tony's angel. Hang in there. |
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Lori - I agree with Mark. This does sound dire. My experience has been that unless you stay with your person as much as possible, they are unlikely to get good care (this goes for hospital and SNF). So many people do not realize nursing home is not the same as rehab. To be considered a rehab facility patients must be doing (and be able to tolerate) 3 hrs of rehab a day (between the 3 services of PT/OT/Speech), 6 days a week. When my dad had his TBI they tried to move him into a nursing facility post hospitalization. I had to strongly advocate against that - and getting PT on my side was difficult. All they saw was a decrepit old man with no potential, when he’d been skiing double black diamond runs the day of his injury. I finally asked the PT point blank if he would send his parent to a nursing facility in this case and he said no. I fought with everyone - and he ended up going to a great rehab hospital and had a good outcome - even returned to skiing. He would have withered away in a nursing home. With every hospitalization for both of my parents, I’ve moved in to their room during their stay. It helps the staff out because I can do the routine things (I’m also medical which helps), and I know they get better care with a family member watching. Of course not everyone can do this, but presence does help. Call rehab centers and see if they have open beds - you can do this yourself. They will help you navigate getting him there with the other providers. Get his surgeon and primary care docs on board. This is unacceptable, and from what you’ve said (not getting up and poor nutrition), I’m not surprised he has wounds. I would be very cautious about taking him home unless he is independent or stand by assist for transfers though - too risky for both of you and things could end up worse. I feel for you guys. Keep us posted. |
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Lori, please temper what I have said with the post from Erika. |
John Gillwrote: John - I think everything you wrote is also perfect for when Tony gets a bit stronger. Honestly, the real work comes once the person returns home. Home health care will be super important, and caregiver burnout is also very real. It sounds like you and your partner have achieved a very successful system for both of you. |
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Lori, Erika and John G’s advice is right on. From my experience dealing with both my mom and father in law ( both elderly but with different “old people” issues ) you have to be the driving force behind them getting them what they need to thrive. Work to get Tony into a dedicated rehab facility. The current nursing home will most likely try to keep him and talk you out of moving him. (They make their money by filling beds…) Hard for me to believe close to JTree (which is not that far from Palm Springs) doesn’t have some really good rehab places. That said, I don’t know your insurance, finance, etc situation. ed “ a wise man once told me ‘growing old ain’t for sissies…’” e Since there seem to be a few seemingly random "egg" pictures, here are two egg-selent, egg-samples, that egg-sactly fit:  My first attempt at tamagoyaki, (Japanese style folded omelet with seaweed and miso filling, and a garlicky, pickled Dalkon relish.)  Two eggs, over hard with a "not so flannel" hash... |
Ward Smithwrote: This is very true. What I had found is that my strength was lacking for my weight, especially on the boards. That’s pretty much what got me into fingerboard. Once I was able to climb harder climbs on the boards, my shoulders gave out and I wasn’t able to turn my body in, and did more weighted hangs for rotator and back strength. When I used an application, it told me I could start campus board two weeks ago. Tried it and ended up doing campus 3 days in a row. Initial excitement. Rested one day then did 7 sets of power. Planning only two power sessions per week from now on. Will climb 3 days per week as you suggest is better to learn to climb. Only just now feeling I can push past my mini-plateau. Thanks! ed esmondwrote: Hahaha, yeah, the egg thing. That looks really delicious! Going to make that this morning! My wife and daughter make tamagoyaki. Really good. I ate it every morning in Kyoto last month! I agree with everyone regarding Tony. Hoping for the best… |
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@ Ward and Todd- those are both great problems. Not sure what I want to focus on on North, maybe Dean's Trip and Sign of the Cross. Might try Mopboys. Would love to spend some time on Moonshine Right and Star Power in the backcountry, but this time of year is tough, as there are a lot of tours, so it can be hard to get to the area you would like to visit. |
Mark E Dixonwrote: Sign of the Cross, although supposed to be the standard for V3, seemed really hard to me. I flashed it, but I was climbing very well at the time (90's). I think it is easier for tall people like John Sherman. Mop Boys is OK but there are better things unless you really like traverses. |
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Sue likes traverses so it’s something we can work on together. Hueco V6 is kind of aspirational for me, but I’m developing the habit of not topping boulders anyway so maybe it’s perfect :-) |
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Thank you so much, John, Erika, everyone. I have to chuckle because that campfire I was longing for, the one a bunch of 18 year olds would gather around after days of climbing – – that conversation looks pretty limited. When I think of what all we have brought to this thread as adults, it’s incredible. I can’t say that word gratitude enough. I marched into the nursing home yesterday and said I wanted Tony discharged. I could get their cooperation if I would extend it till Saturday and you are right – – they said they ARE Rehab and no point taking him somewhere else, but I wasn’t relenting. So it was set up. This afternoon someone from the Eisenhower acute inpatient facility dropped by to tell Tony they have accepted him and they will pick him up tomorrow. I don’t want to embarrass him, but he called me crying saying he didn’t think he could do another day anywhere and he doesn’t even know who he is anymore. I talked with the director of the Rehab and called Tony and he said “tell them to come get me. I’ll do it.” I am to bring sweats and real clothes and a hoodie and decent shoes and I will bring him Christmas cookies and Chinese food and whatever else he wants. I am so happy at this opportunity. John, I’m sorry to hear that you had such a rough year, but how wonderful that you have a wife who loves you so much and the two of you have come up with a workable routine. I learned during a long and difficult time with my two youngest kids that I had to insist upon time for myself. I’m pretty good at finding me time but changing course if there’s an urgency at home. Tony feels like you do… He wants me to hike and climb. I know we will have Home Health Care at least a few hours a week or more often. He would never just lay back and let me take care of him. So in the spirit of “me time” I am full on concentrated on healing my knees – – I don’t know how he does it, but Bob remembered it was a torn meniscus I had a year ago. I didn’t remember that ! So now I have had x-ray of my right and left knee and MRI of my left knee and appointment with an orthopedic guy coming up and all I really want is physical therapy. I am all in. My mantra lately has been “just say yes“ to any good and helpful thing. Nancy Reagan should’ve tried it! We have been having a little debate over just how much heart strain is too much. After watching Randy Leavitt climb The Book of Hate I was greatly relieved because I Huff and puff about that hard. That Amy gal was doing likewise. But apparently not everyone agrees that old people should work that hard. It seems a lot of people younger than us are dropping dead for no good reason. And I just got the fifth phone call and second email from Kaiser asking me WHEN I was going to pick up my prescription for Lipitor. NEVER! My primary prescribed it “just because”. Unless there is some reason besides my age, I don’t want to take a drug for life. So I have walked over and admired this climb many times but I do not know who this fellow is who did the second ascent. It’s one of the few 14a’s in Joshua Tree, The New Deal, and it looks like most at that grade were done by Scott Cosgrove. https://youtu.be/P2Xwu9XDbPY?si=ETSe-NsloCYIERx3  Who is this fellow? (Below)  |
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Hey Phil, nice photos. I think I recognize that second route, in Real Hidden Valley, just right of Run for Your Life? I can't recall the name and am too comfortable in my recliner to go look it up. And Lori. Damn good for you for all the things you're doing for Tony. Patience (to see how things develop while avoiding panic). Concern (for when things don't seem to be going in the right direction). Insistent advocacy (for the same). And, apparently too for love (self explanatory). He's a very lucky man. I'm pretty sure that my wife Vicki would do all of these things for me too if I had health issues like Tony's (knock on wood). |
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Alan Moore repeated the New Deal in 2010. It has not yet seen a third ascent. |
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I went snowshoeing yesterday. And today, after overnight rain, it was warm and dry enough to climb!  |
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Scott Cosgrove was a very close friend of mine who died way too young. Here's his obituary that I wrote for Outside Magazine: The climb that I mention belaying him on in 1988 on Super Bowl Sunday was the New Deal.  Coz in 1996 on Tribal Warfare (13b), Joshua Tree |
Jan Mcwrote: Wow. Even though I will likely not even see routes like this? I really like knowing they are out there. Around here, I've stared at old Tony Yaniro things that look highly improbable, and I think those were just 12 or 13s. There's some hard boulders here. Those are super fun, because they may well be just a foot away from easy peasy stuff! Lori, thinking good thoughts for you guys! Hope it gets, well, hopeful, really soon. Rehab, to me, means they are actually making people do something, like Erika said. Not in bed so much they get bed sores. Sheesh. That's warehousing people, imo. Best wishes for your knees, too! When I'm feeling old lately, I still have 2016 to look back at. And even if I'm not where I would like to be (pretty much because I'm not doing diddly nor squat, lol), still, I'm way better then back then. I think "functional mobility" is a different standard for us, here, in this forum. Once you discover that bodies can do this climbing shit? Just being able to do normal old people stuff like the docs expect, and getting kudos from the system, is way way way sub par for our expectations of our own "normal". But see, I'm not at all a great, or even good, climber, so the realization then sets in that NORMAL old, is likely pretty pitifully bad. And should be unacceptable too. Even if people are just doing normal people things. Anyway. I did a thing in 2024. And now have a certificate of occupancy for the new building in the backyard. So I'm starting the process of deciding what stays, what goes, buying new....or moving old. Basically I'll be living in 2 houses, for however long I take to now get my old house rehabbed. Got my house numbers up a few days ago, the kast thing needed to pass thr inspection!  Zoom in! The zero is my very first gear, when I first learned to climb. Went with my ATC, which will be hung on a wall somewhere eventually. Best, Helen Edit to add, still have a bunch of fence to get built. Hoping the weather is at least vaguely doable. I'll get out there anyway, but it's hard to work outside for very long when it's cold/rainy/snowy/windy/foggy. |
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That’s so cool Helen!! Love the house number!! Lori - sent you a FB message, but good for you for being such a strong advocate. Things should start to turn around for Tony with improved care. Sounds like it’s going to be a long road for both of you - keep getting out and taking care of yourself. I’m so sorry this turned into such a nightmare - I guess maybe there really is no such thing as a ‘routine surgery’. Not in too much of a celebratory mood, but here’s our tree. Stick clip was used to hang lights (no energy to do more than that right now) so there’s my climbing content for today.  |
Mark E Dixonwrote: Li Hu, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not really training for anything in particular, but just to gain climbing-related fitness, right? I did do campus board training once, maybe fifteen years ago. I find it is useful for one thing: gaining the power to do a few really big moves on a route or problem off poor holds. Sometimes that's the difference between sending or failing. For anything else you are lacking in your climbing i think there are likely better training methods. That said, if you think this is a weak point for you, then a dedicated campus board training may benefit your climbing. As for which campus board method to choose, I am no expert. Good luck, And Lori, good luck to you too. I hope things turn around for the better for Tony. GO |
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A few days ago, I used the word swag, but I meant it in the most positive affirmative sense. Watching these videos like the New Deal, and the book of hate makes me feel like a starstruck groupie. The more I see of Joshua Tree routes the more I think everyone deserves some swag. More importantly, I wish this for every kid – – that they have those moments of achievement and even transcendence. Whether it’s hitting a home run or making a touchdown or climbing Father Figure here in the park, kids just naturally want to reachfor that. Heck, I strut like a peacock when I climb a 5.9. |
