Has anyone started climbing in their 20's and been able to climb 9a?

It's a little disheartening to think of starting climbing in your 20s as "late in life"

lots of us started in our 20s and climbed 9+ ;)

Yeah, and I wonder how many of those who climb 9a, have ever climbed a 'genuine' 9+?

Ira OMC wrote:

It's a little disheartening to think of starting climbing in your 20s as "late in life"

Why? Climbing is a sport. Imagine picking up any sport in your 20's. It's a small miracle to be an elite athlete at any sport if you start in your 20's, climbing is no different. 

I guess it is "late in life" if you think of it as a "sport", rather than a lifestyle or a passion... And I suppose if attaining an elite level is your goal, then you have a hard uphill battle the later you start- so I see your point. Although,  It's a small miracle to reach elite levels of any sport if you start at any age, really. In my 20s, when I started climbing, I certainly didn't feel like it was late in life, I still had 60 years ahead! 

Also, I was partially joking in order to combat my growing fears of aging and obsolescence with humor.

Didnt one of the anderson brothers send 9a? Or at least 8c+?

Taylor Owens wrote:

Didnt one of the anderson brothers send 9a? Or at least 8c+?

Started climbing in high school

Not Not MP Admin wrote:

Why? Climbing is a sport. Imagine picking up any sport in your 20's. It's a small miracle to be an elite athlete at any sport if you start in your 20's, climbing is no different. 

Some types of climbing are just a simple physical  sport - not all   But even limiting the discussion to that you need to recognize that the emphasis on that type of climbing is relatively recent and very few truly gifted athletes have taken part.  Training methods/ techniques are still very rudimentary.  Once that type of climbing gets more established and there is some incentive ($$$) for gifted athletes to participate then it will be a lot harder to reach elite levels and trying to do that after age 20 will be quite difficult.  But today I think there are a large number of athletes in more traditional sports that if they wanted to could make a big splash in the climbing world.  Some of them even over age 30.

Eric Engberg wrote:

Some types of climbing are just a simple physical  sport - not all   But even limiting the discussion to that you need to recognize that the emphasis on that type of climbing is relatively recent and very few truly gifted athletes have taken part.  Training methods/ techniques are still very rudimentary.  Once that type of climbing gets more established and there is some incentive ($$$) for gifted athletes to participate then it will be a lot harder to reach elite levels and trying to do that after age 20 will be quite difficult.  But today I think there are a large number of athletes in more traditional sports that if they wanted to could make a big splash in the climbing world.  Some of them even over age 30.

I have no idea what you’re trying to say here but, it’s no coincidence that more and more climbers are climbing 9a with the increase in board systems and more youth programs. In regards to athletes in athletes in other sports making a splash in the climbing world if they transitioned to climbing “some of them even over age 30”….not a chance. 

Not quite 9a, but Lee Sheftel started climbing at age 36 and hit 5.14a (8b+) at age 59. I heard he sent 5.14b (8c) after that but I can't find a source

Peter Y wrote:

Not quite 9a, but Lee Sheftel started climbing at age 36 and hit 5.14a (8b+) at age 59. I heard he sent 5.14b (8c) after that but I can't find a source

That's amazing.  I started mid 30's and would love to climb 14a someday.

Peter Y wrote:

Not quite 9a, but Lee Sheftel started climbing at age 36 and hit 5.14a (8b+) at age 59. I heard he sent 5.14b (8c) after that but I can't find a source

Lee is a beast, I believe he's in his mid 70's and still sending 13's consistently in Rifle last I was there. Chuck Odette is another one who comes to mind as starting later in life, relatively, and crushing still late n life. Unfortunately, the difference between 5.14a and 5.15a is pretty immense though. I'm pretty confident the number of climbers who started in their 20's and have climbed at least one 5.14 is near 100+ worldwide. 

Not Not MP Admin wrote:

I'm pretty confident the number of climbers who started in their 20's and have climbed at least one 5.14 is near 100+ worldwide. 

This is probably at least an order of magnitude off.  I know of at least three of us in Lander who have climbed 14a after starting in our twenties.  Lander has a population of around 8k.

Tom Rangitsch wrote:

This is probably at least an order of magnitude off.  I know of at least three of us in Lander who have climbed 14a after starting in our twenties.  Lander has a population of around 8k.

I agree and emphasis on “+” for sure, the point remains the same if it’s 100+ or 1000+….it should also be noted that Lander’s is an anomaly. 

how many towns have easy access to 5.14 climbs and a core of people climbing them? You probably don't have much of a chance of getting to that level without like minded people around to encourage, support and push you. 

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

how many towns have easy access to 5.14 climbs and a core of people climbing them? You probably don't have much of a chance of getting to that level without like minded people around to encourage, support and push you. 

It’s less the first part (easy access to 5.14 climbs) and more the second part (a group of motivated, likeminded people). Nearly every major city has the later. In my experience the vast majority of people motivated enough, and devoted enough, to climb 5.14 dont see access as an issue. Look at Michaela Kiersch traveling 8+ hours for a weekend trip to the RRG. Being able to climb 5.14 is significantly harder than having access to a 5.14 

And you are more likly to come into contact with those motivated people if you live in Boulder, Lander, Bishop, Smith, anyplace near Rumny etc. 

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

And you are more likly to come into contact with those motivated people if you live in Boulder, Lander, Bishop, Smith, anyplace near Rumny etc. 

Yes, even if that wasn’t at all my point. 

I don't think motivated people around you matter as much as easy access to rock for non-professional people with normal life obligations. Climbing is very specific, so having access to actual rock routes to train, siege and memorize sequences matters. Having other motivated people around is a nice bonus, but you still have to put in the work training - and most of the time you do that alone, so motivation must come from within you first. Unfortunately I think that all else equal (motivation, intuition, technique), genetics is also a big factor and interacts with the ability to maintain motivation. If you start climbing late in life, even if you climb full time and are highly motivated, you'd have to be a complete genetic outlier to climb 9a and it will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

I have the utmost respect for people who manage to climb hard into their 40s and older. I started climbing at 30, have climbed for about ten years. Maintaining motivation is hard. The work I have to put in to just maintain the ability to send 5.13 feels like a grind now, especially with kids and work. You're constantly fatigued, and any mobility exercises you do just seem to slow your inevitable decline. All the people I know that have or have the potential to send 8c or higher started climbing in their teens. Most of them are content climbing lower grades in a session or two rather than dedicating all of their life for a year or more towards sending higher grades.

having people around you that climb at a harder grade is everything. If your crew climbs 5.10 thats what you will climb untill you surpass them. then they will only get as good as you push yourself so perhaps you will all end up in the 11s.  if  the crew climbs 12 and they have a stand out player that pushes into 13s thats where they will stay unless they get new hungrier blood  etc...