New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #32

I've been meaning to post this but never got around to it until now.  I went down to Ricky's recent book signing in JT, it was good to see old friends and reminisce about the BITD Stonemaster adventures. On Saturday a funny thing happened when a group of us got together to climb.  This happened simultaneously/independently to JW and myself so we got a good laugh at the uncanny similarity when discussing it later in the day.  As we were climbing we both noticed someone that we didn't recognize doing a route, which was odd because we were the only group at the crag.  We both thought the exact same thing, "who is that, I don't remember a fit youngster in our group, did I miss someone showing up?".  Only after taking a second look did we both identify the person. 

How is it that some people don't age?  I don't get it - but I wish I did.  Randy, care to fill us in on the trick?  Funny because Randy is actually a couple of months older than me.

Yeah, I'm jealous.

Michael Catlettwrote:

Old timers like me, have you had any success with compression sleeves relieving Knee pain? If so which sleeve did.you use?

I use a simple compression sleeve on my knee now and then. Both knees have arthritis, right seems to complain more.

I just use the ones you buy almost anywhere, only pull on. The doc warmed me to stay away from the stiffer ones with straps. Overkill.

From back when I went to pt, I also have some long compression ones, mid thigh to down my calf, that I could wear at night, if I wanted. The idea was mostly to just keep the knees warm, that can help. I didn't use those much, knees got better ish soon after. 

@Todd, dontcha just hate it when your problem runs off elsewhere?? Sheesh! 

 

 Starting to dream COR dreams.... it's way early, but, those reservations open up in early January!!

Happy New Year all!

H

Does anyone plan to see a movie this week? As in going to a real theater with real popcorn and maybe even a hotdog?  This could be a good year for movies! I’d like to see A Complete Unknown, about Dylan’s early musical career with Timothée Chalame inhabiting the role. Also, The Conclave looks really good.

Also, I’m back-and-forth on whether to try a garden again this year and I’m pretty envious of Jan and Guy and of course Helen. I have always had a huge garden every year of my adult life. But here it’s a battle which I have mostly lost.  My neighbor has it all going on – – deep raised beds completely fenced in under two large shade trees. That’s not gonna happen in my yard. I don’t know how many chickens he has in his henhouse, but he manages to keep them quiet. Their eggs are wonderful.

I’m still working on my 2025 New Year’s resolutions, so far they are to send a new route and catch a ringtail cat (“catch” as in capture a picture).. It has been suggested that ringtails are nocturnal and prefer warmer weather and here they tend to hang out in the Hemingway area so I’m wondering about maybe night climbing in April or May and bringing a good camera.

Tony is scheduled for release on January 2. The man has had a total shift in attitude. I thought I was there for most of it but I realize I have no idea what he’s been through. The doctor told him yesterday just how close he had come to losing his leg and his life.  But he’s become pretty humble, all in for the three times daily physical therapy and occupational therapy, it’s a yes to whatever they offer. He’s happy that he can take a shower now mostly on his own. He’s happy that he can sit in a wheelchair and not set off alarms. I’m afraid that he may feel overwhelmed coming home. From a distance it probably all seems doable, Home Health Care has been arranged for, but when he walks in the door, it may all come crashing in. I hope he can keep his sense of humor and patience with himself for a little while longer. I hope I can give him the right amount of space. 

Lori, you have done a fantastic job for Tony---and I'm sure that he knows it. You are correct that returning home, even with home health care support, will be a further challenge but it is one that you both can meet and get through!!!

We saw Complete Unknown Friday night after our family headed back to their home. We both enjoyed the movie very much. For me in particular it brought back a sense of time and place---as I was in high school outside of NYC during much of the time covered in the film when Dylan was based in The Village. Even though, I wasn't a great music aficionado then--or now, his music ( and that of Baez, Seeger, and Guthrie) was very much part of 'the soundtrack' of those years for me.

Another movie I want to see, though now only in limited release, is September 5---another one that will bring forth ( though with much sadness) memories of a very impactful time in my life for many reasons.

Old lady Hwrote:

Starting to dream COR dreams.... 

Me too! We plan to be there in early to mid June. I'll let you know exact dates after reservations are made.

Lori - We saw Mufasa yesterday. Super feel-good movie with nice music.

If all you are doing is bouncing around @ Waimea then have at it but out in the real world of multi pitch climbing and  many varied and different styles of crags and different rock qualities if you have an attitude of not flying not trying you are in fact playing a game of fuck around and find out that eventually will help you find out all kinds of things...   

I have been following Tony’s recovery (I have a dear friend who is recovering from 6 weeks in ICU) and am happy to hear that things seem to be going much better. Wishing both of you the best for this new year. 

Bob Gaineswrote:

Very fond memories putting up Silver Spur with Tony Sartin (RIP). 

The crux 3rd pitch was so thin and so exposed that the main problem was just controlling my jitters and adrenaline and maintaining my composure so as not to shake off the micro holds I had to stand on for such a long way with so much air beneath my feet.

Tony Sartin on the crux 3rd pitch. It goes on like that for a hundred feet.

It can't be too hard, he's only using one foot!

Skibowrote:

It can't be too hard, he's only using one foot!

Only one foot, can’t be too hard  

We had an entire face fall off our local stuff, about the same time I started climbing. Pretty much where my son took me out; for about the second time in a harness. A bigass free hanging rappel. I think he wanted to see if mom had any fear of hanging from a rope, lol! 

She didn't. 

But she does look at stuff out there, and ponder the fact that that thing fell down there at some point. Or, that thing up there could decide to be down here. Any time. Or, uh, she has actually been through 2 earthquakes in Idaho, lol!

Still don't worry about it, but these things we climb aren't necessarily static...

Planning on going to Complete Unknown today. Just the tix, for a matinee, 1 old lady 1 adult plus "fees" will be around $25. Popcorn would double that. No idea how overcharged a hot dog would be, or if they even have hot dogs. Ah well. Gotta squander the child's inheritance somehow. 

In the past, my climbing buddy and I would pop for renting the bunkhouse at the state park part of COR. It makes shoulder seasons much more pleasant, when you can cook and eat and sleep inside, when the weather sucks and/or it is simply dark lots of hours.

But that's way more money than just camping.

So? 

We now have a unit of currency against which all other purchases can be assessed. The bunkhouse. "Do you realize this is half a bunkhouse, just for movie and f'ing popcorn???!?!"

Sure puts it in perspective!

 

Todd Berlier wrote:

This style of climbing, slab, is amazing to me. Tbh, I never had the patience and humility to get better at it. Definitely a shortcoming of mine.

I remember going up to Arm and Hammer as a 5.13 sport climber and not being able to do the slab moves on it. Back when I lived in SLC the old guide had the grade at 12a and it's been downgraded to 11c. 

The world crushing my ego everyday!

@helen: yeah the the second boulder that's fallen or been knocked over! The other one a 4 foot diameter pine tree fell in it!

Slab and humility.   I’ve been thinking about this this morning. I was climbing a route a couple of days ago that I have mostly avoided lately. I think I lost my confidence. But this time something in me just came alive. Smack up face-to-face on a steep wall that has only the skinniest moves and I wrestle with myself. “this is impossible. This can’t be done! I’m not strong enough.” And that’s when it’s time to switch to some alternate magical thinking and move under a different power.  Suddenly, you just go despite no clear path upwards. 

I irritated the hell out of Chris, my partner, when I asked him to belay me while I explored Jan’s route on Watergate. I knew I couldn’t climb it but I just wanted to see and feel it up close. It was shock and awe.  And I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.  Can I do this some day? Can I come close? 

with every route I successfully climb my next thought is what if it were a little steeper? What if a few of those holds were not there? Can I learn to do more?

Lori…. Tony will be ok just as soon as he can get his hands on a big plate of spaghetti n Meatballs  all washed down with some quality red. Protein is best you know for healthy healing.

It was really fun seeing everyone at the stonemasters deal. I do think we have all found our fountain of youth. It’s just laying around the desert somewhere.

Todd…. Funny thing to see geological time in action!
I bounce around Stony Point and remember whole BP’s that have disappeared, changed, increased in difficulty.
The most notable change I have ever seen is when “we” lost a whole area! “The swimming hole” one of the best sun baked sandstone spots, perched way up high on a ledge, with a small creek running through it. The creek filled big holes with water, thus the name given. We had a fire that burned all summer long, first one way then another way. I can see up into that wilderness area from my home and you could spot the flames at night. They didn’t go out till the rains came- and they lasted for about 6 weeks straight. I still remember when I got the call…. “Dude it’s all gone..” Oh well, nothing lasts forever.

I want to wish everyone who adds to this thread topic, whatever it’s called a most Happy New Year! 2025 will surely be fun and filled with adventures.

Later all 

The reverse of a boulder problem disappearing happened at Joshua Tree in 2003.

Tony Sartin put up a 5-bolt 12a sport route up a slightly overhanging block between two cracks, near the famous Gunsmoke Traverse. Then it rained for almost two weeks straight (very rare for Joshua Tree). A friend called to tell me that "Tony's route fell down." "Bullshit!," I said. I didn't believe it until I walked out there to see the whole block had toppled over. Getting down on my hands and knees I could see a couple bolts almost in the dirt.

In 2006, Chris Sharma showed up and climbed Iron Resolution (V12), a classic problem on the overhanging patina of the newly exposed face of the block.

Todd Berlier wrote:

This style of climbing, slab, is amazing to me. Tbh, I never had the patience and humility to get better at it. Definitely a shortcoming of mine.

I remember going up to Arm and Hammer as a 5.13 sport climber and not being able to do the slab moves on it. Back when I lived in SLC the old guide had the grade at 12a and it's been downgraded to 11c. 

The world crushing my ego everyday!

@helen: yeah the the second boulder that's fallen or been knocked over! The other one a 4 foot diameter pine tree fell in it!

That route is 5.9 in the book I thought 

M Mwrote:

That route is 5.9 in the book I thought 

Ooh, thus the trash talk begins…   

Old lady Hwrote:

But she does look at stuff out there, and ponder the fact that that thing fell down there at some point. 

You see these formations with clear evidence of "stuff falls down" a lot.  Probably one of the most striking ones to me are the blocks on the approach field to Drug Dome in Tuolumne.  You can see so clearly as you go up there how they fell from the dome and created a long striking roof. One of the most popular routes on the wall is a beautiful one called OZ.  The "regular" OZ finishes in a left and up 5.9 4th pitch from where the roof begins, but a lot of people finish to the right via The Gram Traverse, a 10d variation that travels directly under the roof.  This traverse variation mentally creeps me out, I preferred the leftward "escape" pitch.

Happy New Year to all...

Alan Rubinwrote:

Lori, you have done a fantastic job for Tony---and I'm sure that he knows it. You are correct that returning home, even with home health care support, will be a further challenge but it is one that you both can meet and get through!!!

We saw Complete Unknown Friday night after our family headed back to their home. We both enjoyed the movie very much. For me in particular it brought back a sense of time and place---as I was in high school outside of NYC during much of the time covered in the film when Dylan was based in The Village. Even though, I wasn't a great music aficionado then--or now, his music ( and that of Baez, Seeger, and Guthrie) was very much part of 'the soundtrack' of those years for me.

Another movie I want to see, though now only in limited release, is September 5---another one that will bring forth ( though with much sadness) memories of a very impactful time in my life for many reasons.

If you want to see a good movie - or at least acceptable - see Conclave.  A complete unknown - well I suppose if that is your thing.   I can’t stand Chalamet.  In anything.  Read the boston globe review. I’ve never seen Ollie Henderson give a worse one.  An excerpt:

A Complete Unknown” is nothing more than cynical Oscar bait serving as a nostalgia trip for folks who want to relive their misspent youth by listening to a bunch of tunes from back in the day. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a classic-rock station, except instead of getting the genuine articles to serenade you, you’re stuck with a bunch of actors cosplaying famous folk singers. Why would a true fan pay 22 bucks for that, when they can stay home and rock out to their record collection for free?

but I suspect a lot of people here want to “relive a misspent youth”…

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

If all you are doing is bouncing around @ Waimea then have at it but out in the real world of multi pitch climbing and  many varied and different styles of crags and different rock qualities if you have an attitude of not flying not trying you are in fact playing a game of fuck around and find out that eventually will help you find out all kinds of things...   

I agree if you fall enough eventually you will get hurt.  Just like if you drive enough you will get in an accident.  But those kids that are bouncing around on Waimea today are the ones that are going to advance the standards tomorrow. On multiple pitch.  On trad.  On alpine.  On ice.  To bring together a few overlapping threads here - listen to the lyrics of “The times they are a changing”  applies to most here. 

No opinion on the movie.  But my friend went to the “super concert” with The Who, Paul McCartney, Rolling Stones, David Gilmore, Neil Young.  He said that everyone was great except Bob Dylan,  who did not engage the crowd at all, played songs that nobody knew, and turned his back to the crowd.