New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #43

Back from the Valley, we did not send. When I arrived on the 13th it was 88 at noon in the meadow and it just kept getting hotter for most of the week. We tried the late start tactics with some runs to Sickle, but were just not fast enough climbing in the dark.We saw no other parties on El Cap until Thursday, it was spooky.  

 I did get to have some excellent adventures with Brayden, my 15 yr old son.  He has just taken up an interest in climbing in the last 6 months.  A highlight was climbing Central Pillar of Frenzy in an evening session with Dave and I. 

Ward Smith wrote:

Ha!  I got a mini hang one arm today on the 20mm, it doesn’t count, but it was not a non hang.  I was in the same place one year ago on the30mm, now I can one hand hang it for maybe five seconds with a bent arm.  Then I did a board session at 45 degrees.  Paula went climbing outside but if I am not on my boulder project it is all boards all the time!

Cool! I’m also doing bent arm kickoffs first then working my way down to a full hand. Close to lifting off left handed then a bit behind with right. The idea is to balance them out once I can hang.

Lock off is a bit easier on the bones but harder on the forearms.

Sounds like you’re also making great progress!

For me, 5.12d holds aren’t an issue. My body is super weak comparatively.

Carl Schneider wrote:

I generally downgrade everything myself. Every time I flash a problem or route that's near my limit, I immediately say 'Nope, that's not a 20, I don't flash grade 20s, must be a grade 19'.  

Hahaha! Yeah. I suspect the gym watches me and the setters discuss it amongst themselves. “Did he do it cleanly? Where was he having trouble? Unacceptable that he cruised through that section!”  

Pic of me on the 5.12c. Only slightly overhanging…

The crack to the left, I’ve led using the holds for me feet only. Hands/fingers in the crack. It’s my warmup. The more difficult ones are the thin hands/fingers. I typically bail onto the adjacent 5.12a and 5.12b respectively.

The hardest crack in my gym has no clips. It’s 10mm wide and I can only barely get my fingertips in near the top. Maybe like a 12mm edge? I have to lieback that one. I’m going to ask if I can bring in QuickDraws to protect it?

Top roped the super thin crack last night. Lieback is possible, but my body strength isn’t there yet.the very top narrows to a point where it’s like and 8-9mm edge for my fingers. Still using holds from the climbs adjacent for my feet. The crack itself feels 5.12+ or harder? I think I’d possibly be the first TR ascent. Leading, can likely get to the second to last clip where it is something harder than 5.12 or 12+?

The setter told me to bring quick draws to lead it any Thursday, Friday or Saturday cause he’s off those days.   

By October, I’m hoping to be able to climb them with minimal hold use for my feet. Crack only is really tough.

What kind of dog works in a Dublin gym?

philip bone wrote:

What kind of dog works in a Dublin gym?

Irish Setter. Lol

It’s really pretty up in the mountains right now. 

Daniel Shively wrote:

It’s really pretty up in the mountains right now. 

And surprisingly the temps have been ok these last couple days. Still not sure I'd find myself on the crux of The Flakes in the early afternoon of late June. That's a tough move in sticky weather. Zoom in if interested.

This our almost 6 feet high tomato plant!

Instantly recognizable to anyone with a history of buildering in urban areas - glue-ups on a concrete underpass. We saw this one in a small city park in Orange. Looks like they have been there for ages - all painted over.

Edited to show the version I have in my yard that I put up during the dark days of Covid. 

Went down to central VT last night to play music with old friends.. My van camping  spot by the river was taken by a guy sleeping in a rusty roofing truck...  seems like lots of folks not doing this by choice these days..  Anyways I went a few miles up the road and crashed at a bluegrass festival. Funny that all 5 of us preferred to play music with each other rather than be a spectator at the big show just up the street..   Waking up to a wet foggy morning I was reminded why I am so over sleeping in the dirt... 

morning swim

Whenever you see me humping two packs I am up to no good ;)

 

tried not to disturb this cute little snake. I was thinking of calling the route Senior Cruise but now leaning towards Pretty Little Snake

its VT so lots more cleaning to be done before I even start seriously thinking about where the bolts go. 

I did all the moves and it should be pretty easy to link them once its cleaned..  It was damp , dirty and humid so pretty beat up from over gripping, scrubbing and humping all the gear by myself. 

Interesting how much harder the 18v compact Makita works with 1/2inch bit instead of 3/8" not even close to the 36v Bosch but light years easier to hump. The Makita works really well for ground up with 3/8ths mechanical bolts but this is a spurt venue so when in Rome....  And I really like the epoxy bolts.  So Clean :)

I did a much better job packing on the way out and I wore some shit so was able to get everything in one pack. Still really fucking heavy... 

nice simultaneous moonrise and sunset 

Helen, Hope you are doing good. Some really spectacular video coming out of the Boise area from the storms.

Go skiing! hopefully this will help the water table and the fire season. 

Nick the snake was nearby this morning. Route looks like it will be fun. Thought about top roping it but decided on doing something else. Have fun with it and let me know when it’s done. 

I almost went back today but needed to work on the van. Hoping folks will stay off it until I am finished.. 

thats what the little red thingies are for..... 

phylp phylp wrote:

Instantly recognizable to anyone with a history of buildering in urban areas - glue-ups on a concrete underpass. We saw this one in a small city park in Orange. Looks like they have been there for ages - all painted over.

Edited to show the version I have in my yard that I put up during the dark days of Covid. 

Dennis Gray took me to one of the first climbing gyms in Manchester England in 1985. It was only a tad more attractive than your photos. I showed how chalk helped, and did a dynamic move, which surprised him. 

Weather has officially crapped out into Summer.  Cleaned off and worked another boulder at the remote crag and went for a swim.  Looks like the best conditions will be indoors this week.

Nick Goldsmith wrote:

I almost went back today but needed to work on the van. Hoping folks will stay off it until I am finished.. 

thats what the little red thingies are for..... 

I hereby pledge that I will stay off of Nick's project until he is finished with it.

Ward is obviously on the wrong thread   

I had an arguably 'silly' climbing day on Saturday that some of you would not understand.  I needed what I call 'lappage', a lot of volume on a rope to work endurance. My aim was 16 laps of a grade 16 (in the past I've done 21 and 22 laps of a grade 22). All on TR of course. In the end I did 20 laps and my partner did 16. Some of it was in 'sets', back to back laps up to four in a set. When I do this I ensure I don't rest on the route at all and have no rest between laps.

Then Sunday it was indoor bouldering again, challenging each other with eliminating holds, no matching etc.  

Carl Schneider wrote:

Ward is obviously on the wrong thread   

I had an arguably 'silly' climbing day on Saturday that some of you would not understand.  I needed what I call 'lappage', a lot of volume on a rope to work endurance. My aim was 16 laps of a grade 16 (in the past I've done 21 and 22 laps of a grade 22). All on TR of course. In the end I did 20 laps and my partner did 16. Some of it was in 'sets', back to back laps up to four in a set. When I do this I ensure I don't rest on the route at all and have no rest between laps.

Then Sunday it was indoor bouldering again, challenging each other with eliminating holds, no matching etc.  

I really like the back and forth of endurance sessions and try hard sessions mixed with some fun cruiser sessions.  That's my workout plan I plan to publish soon.