New and experienced climbers over 50 #37

Alan Rubinwrote:

Raining yet again here this morning--wasn't even in the forecast yesterday, but the heat is still coming.

Pouring right now in New Hampshire.  We actually had a great day climbing yesterday, the first nice Saturday in forever. 

BDA (Bomb Damage Assessment)—real, accurate BDA might be a while in coming as it is hard to see what happened underground. Intel will likely be looking to human intelligence and perhaps signals intelligence to try to glean what damage has actually been done.

By the way, are there dates in October when folks are thinking of getting together at the Gunks? It’s a very, very long shot, but I’ll try to see if I can get permission. Richard Aiken will be there in October, I believe, but maybe folks are looking at different dates?

Daniel Joderwrote:

BDA (Bomb Damage Assessment)—real, accurate BDA might be a while in coming as it is hard to see what happened underground. Intel will likely be looking to human intelligence and perhaps signals intelligence to try to glean what damage has actually been done.

By the way, are there dates in October when folks are thinking of getting together at the Gunks? It’s a very, very long shot, but I’ll try to see if I can get permission. Richard Aiken will be there in October, I believe, but maybe folks are looking at different dates?

Getting a group together at the Gunks has to date proven elusive, especially one graced with good weather, has proven elusive, but always worth trying again!!!

For me, I could be available the last couple of weeks of Sept., through the first week of October, then for the final week of October, but will be away for the middle of the month.

I plan to be at Gunks and the RRG for Sept and Oct

for timing, mid-Oct at Gunks usually has good weather and the fall foliage peaks around then

https://gripped.com/profiles/72-year-old-rock-climber-still-going-strong/.

Good  video at the bottom of the article. This guy has the right perspective on aging. 

I’ve been talking with a younger climber who is right now at Smith, making his best attempt on a 5.13 route. It’s always a thrill for me to get to be a fly on the wall with you adventurous climbers. If I wanted to understand men, or a certain kind of man, all I have to do is wander around this place and look for bolts and stories.

My friend says people have not always been welcoming and friendly, but I told him I’ve never met an unkind person here. But I’m sure that’s because I’m no threat and no competition.

“This is a man’s world“ in the very finest sense. I can say that with only admiration and no sense of deprivation.

So all the routes that I have been looking at in mountain project are in the wonderland and some appear to be up to a two or three hour hike.  Bob has never refused, but he has strongly advised to make sure that I am up for such a hike plus climbing plus a return, and to be physically solid, especially the diabetes. And there’s also the practical consideration of why go so far when there are seriously good routes in the thousands right here.

so I just keep putting it off in favor of great hard climbing within an easy hike.  But here is murf’s comment:

And here’s a route I should climb.  One of Randy’s routes.  

I’ve been wondering if a camp over (with Jan’s 14.5 lb backpack) would help.  

Ship Twrote:

This question was not directed to me, but I just listened to this podcast with Bob G. (The Climbing Majority Podcast). In one part (at about 1:18:00) he talks about the state of bolting in jtree and America, and he describes his process a little bit.  The current state of bolting seems in a sad place.

https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.buzzsprout.com/1902269/episodes/17097955-92-an-untold-life-w-bob-gaines.mp3

I listened to this podcast yesterday- as always, Bob is quite gracious in his dialogue. Though he's been incredibly persistent in pursuing his interests in climbing and has generated a tremendous amount of resources and efforts that have benefitted countless climbers, he's always been pretty low key about it- a quality I greatly admire. The breadth of his climbing experience personally and professionally is pretty amazing- and he's just a good guy to talk with about climbing.

I wasn't so impressed with the host, however. While I appreciate the overall intent of his podcast, I was struck by how little he seemed to know about climbing history in So Cal (he's apparently a resident), or climbing in general. The discussion about the recent developments regarding bolting, and the status in Joshua Tree seemed to be mostly unfamiliar to the host. My impression was that this is just another podcast created by a millennial who started climbing a few years ago, and that important climbing history that should be guiding how it evolves into the future is being lost.

apogeewrote:

I listened to this podcast yesterday- as always, Bob is quite gracious in his dialogue. Though he's been incredibly persistent in pursuing his interests in climbing and has generated a tremendous amount of resources and efforts that have benefitted countless climbers, he's always been pretty low key about it- a quality I greatly admire. The breadth of his climbing experience personally and professionally is pretty amazing- and he's just a good guy to talk with about climbing.

I wasn't so impressed with the host, however. While I appreciate the overall intent of his podcast, I was struck by how little he seemed to know about climbing history in So Cal (he's apparently a resident), or climbing in general. The discussion about the recent developments regarding bolting, and the status in Joshua Tree seemed to be mostly unfamiliar to the host. My impression was that this is just another podcast created by a millennial who started climbing a few years ago, and that important climbing history that should be guiding how it evolves into the future is being lost.

Whatever you think of the host, I think he is doing a service to the climbing community by sharing stories of people you might not otherwise hear from.  I just listened to a two-parter with Petch from Lover's Leap. I never would have known his story without the podcast.

I drive a lot for work and also in order to go climbing in New Hampshire, so I listen to a lot of climbing podcasts.  I do find myself yelling at the audio often at stuff the host has no clue about but anyone who climbed in the 70’s would have thought was common knowledge. 

For bouldering, I think the Careless Talk podcast is hard to beat. Hosted by Aiden Roberts and Sam Prior, when they talk with the best climbers in the world, they are talking with their peers. And more reflective than most climbers as well. Gets pretty inside baseball sometimes though. Not sure I really need to know the details of every hold on any particular V17.  If you’ve never listened to Bad Beta, it’s worth a try. I found most of theirs hilarious. Sadly they stopped publishing. Jam Crack is hit or miss, but can be truly great at times. You’ll probably either love it or hate it.

This was my first exposure to The Climbing Majority podcast, and skimming it brought appreciation for what the host is trying to accomplish- provide some focus on the climbing experience of the 'climbing majority', instead of the numerous podcasts and media sources that focus on the pros and high end achievers. (For the record, to my eye someone like Bob Gaines rises well above the 'climbing majority' in terms of his accomplishments and contributions to the climbing community, and I'm surprised he hasn't been profiled to date.) It does seem reasonable to expect, though, that before doing a long podcast of a person with deep history and issues that continue to be fundamental problems in climbing, some deeper preparation would be appropriate.

We got out this morning! Started around 6:30 AM to avoid the heat.

Lori Milaswrote:

So I think if he can possibly support bombing Iran (not antagonizing Congress too much), he’ll use that Bunker Buster.  It’ll be a Big Beautiful Bomb. 

Lori, are you in on a Signal chat with Pete Hegseth? That was a pretty good call.

Daniel, Bill and I could not be described as "old-timers" here in the Gunks, but we're usually around, and it would be nice to meet you and climb w you. Shoot me a dm if you wind up in the area. The climbing here is wonderful!

Lori Milaswrote:

so I just keep putting it off in favor of great hard climbing within an easy hike.  But here is murf’s comment:

And here’s a route I should climb.  One of Randy’s routes.  

God I used to love the sound of my own typing.....  

Murfwrote:

God I used to love the sound of my own typing.....  

well, you type darn good Murf!  And now I’m singing “this bird cannot be caged“ and Bob is trying to talk some sense in to me.  

It seems to be built into this journey that I am constantly having to establish limits that I don’t want and find ‘something else’ that will do. So I may not break free and camp alone in North Wonderland, yet, but maybe a trip to The Astro Domes is in order.

I have a (slightly younger) climbing friend who feels a real sense of urgency to get it all done now. I have to guard against that urgency because it’s easy to trip and fall—in every way—and setbacks are hard.

So maybe write an inspiration piece on the joy of a roadside crag.    

Very exciting news! The new route I was posting about is official.  Soul Sacrifice 9+ it was a real journey of heart and a lot of fun.

dragons, it’s hard not to poke at this president but it seemed like this bomb would be too hard to resist for him. But after listening hard all weekend it’s also possible that it was a sober-minded call on his part.  It did just seem inevitable.  

I got out for a late afternoon with Bob yesterday. I wasn’t feeling well all week, but thought I could handle some easy climbing. I really couldn’t. It’s hard sometimes not to take a difficult day as sign.  But I will say the end made up for all the bad climbing… Watching a sunset and listening to Luther Vandross in a warm breeze.  Heaven.  

To the right of this line is another route of Bob’s called Black Ice.  I worked on it a little bit a few months ago, just one final hold that I didn’t quite get. But you could see from this picture how pretty it is.  

Every time I've listened to a climbing podcast I was ready to take up another sport! Books or music for me, even real journalists work. I definitely am someone who appreciates how much work trained journalists have been through to get where they are, they aren't any different than doctors,  lawyers, engineers, scientists etc etc.  Definitely very much a dying profession,  much like k-12 teaching in how they barely make a living wage.

We chose yard work this weekend over fun,  I hang my head in a bit of shame because it was pretty dang nice. At least the property is looking really good, I hate coming home to "the list of undone and what could be".

Putting the kid to work this summer at 14, she just received her first paycheck and is psyched! I guess we won't have to dish out money for her fun anymore and I gotta say man o man isn't life great!

M Mwrote:

Putting the kid to work this summer at 14, she just received her first paycheck and is psyched! I guess we won't have to dish out money for her fun anymore and I gotta say man o man isn't life great!

This has to be the funniest thing I have read all week. Sorry to say, dishing out money has only begun.

Lori Milaswrote:

well, you type darn good Murf!  And now I’m singing “this bird cannot be caged“ and Bob is trying to talk some sense in to me.  

It seems to be built into this journey that I am constantly having to establish limits that I don’t want and find ‘something else’ that will do. So I may not break free and camp alone in North Wonderland, yet, but maybe a trip to The Astro Domes is in order.

I have a (slightly younger) climbing friend who feels a real sense of urgency to get it all done now. I have to guard against that urgency because it’s easy to trip and fall—in every way—and setbacks are hard.

So maybe write an inspiration piece on the joy of a roadside crag.    

Very exciting news! The new route I was posting about is official.  Soul Sacrifice 9+ it was a real journey of heart and a lot of fun.

Congratulations! Love the name! Any relation to the amazing Santana song and their awesome performance of said song at Woodstock?

Quick follow up on the 1980s fieldware chalk bag report. Thanks for that history. Currently using as my bear spray handlebar bag. Lined with fleece with a cordura pocket for half a toothbrush…I think it’s called a feed bag these days? Stay on top.