New and experienced climbers over 50 #4

Getting out of a bat hang is easy. Worst case scenario, just fall. 

Señor Arroz wrote: Getting out of a bat hang is easy. Worst case scenario, just fall on your head. 

Fixed it...... ;)

I’m really confused but heartened by my gym climbing lately. Perhaps you all have experienced this: I never know how a day of indoor climbing will go until I get on the wall. I’ve come here sick (like today) or dead tired and killed it once I got started. Other times for no good reason it all goes to hell. So I’m always willing to hop on and try.

For the last few weeks Ryan has stepped back a few grades and gone for volume, holding off moving ahead to higher grades until after the holidays. I know he has his plans. But these easier routes are giving me time to really be present and watch each step...to think, rebalance and contemplate the best choice for the next move. I’m really learning the technique of climbing. For the first time these routes are feeling like one long even flow from bottom to top—kind of a really cool groove.   

I slipped off a tiny foot nubby on my last climb and just held on until I could reposition and  stick it better—not a question of dropping.  We talked about that when I came down, the wisdom of letting go if the slip is too great a shock to the body. (A new lesson!) But honestly I am feeling so strong I didn’t even consider it.  Lots of fun, really enjoying this again.

Lori Milas wrote: I slipped off a tiny foot nubby on my last climb 

Haha, talk to Barb about that.  

My view point, sometimes you are feeling froggy and you do amazing stuff, sometimes you are puny and you do puny stuff.  The only important thing is that you DO. Good, bad, better, worst, doesn't matter.  Just move.

Lori Milas wrote: 
...The other thing I've noticed lately... is how quickly the slightest negative thought can derail a climb immediately.  I'm really observing how emotions and my brain work.  (everyone agrees, right?)...

Yeah I agree. The new bouldering gym I'm going to lately has higher walls than the old gym, and even though it's well padded, I get nervous heading to the top of some of the problems.  Last night I was hanging on to a crimp by one hand looking at the next hold for AGES, I KNOW I could have done the move if it was above a swimming pool, but I just didn't have the guts to go for it.  I've had multiple injuries falling etc and it's hard to put negative thoughts to one side.  That's exactly why I can't climb hard on sports or trad climbs. A simple fear of falling.  A mate the other day said I climb like I'm free soloing, like a fall means death.  

They always crack up laughing as I scream "Take! TAAAAAKE, TAAAAK FUUUUUCK" and then fall, like, one foot :-)

Greg Opland wrote:
Is 1998 "very old"?

Edit: No offense meant, it's just that I don't know that I'd call photos I took in 1998 as "old" let alone "very old." Maybe I'm kidding myself...  :-)

Greg   

No offense taken.

 I am now 65 with 3 kids and 3 grandkids. Our oldest son turned 40 back in October. I have had multiple back problems, with one operation taking out 2.1 cm out of my back. Fingers have gotten fatter, same with stomach and more arthritic each year.  I now have Dunlap disease which is my stomach has Dunlap over my belt. It is now harder to climb with more friction of my stomach going up the climbs. Over the years added 30 pounds to my weight. I am happy waking up in the morning and getting out of bed. I tell my wife that I am not losing hair, my face is just getting bigger.

My wife and I just joined the climbing gym to get back into better climbing shape. We usually climb about 3 months in the gym in the winter time. My wife retired a couple of months ago and I will retire the end of this month. We want to go onto a road trip for about 2-3 months at the end of January or early February and head south and then west. We currently live in Southeastern PA.

I hope to lose about 10 pounds by the end of January. I know that I will never get back into the shape that I was in about 32 years ago, however, if I can still climb easy multi-pitch trad climbs i will be a happy camper.

I have an old scanned picture of me, I believe, in Seneca WV when I was in pretty good shape below.

Take care.

John

Go for it OTG.  Think slow and steady in the gym, watch out for finger-pockets, and don't go too hard on the bouldering.  Don't forget about aerobic conditioning, and do a little weight-lifting for legs and upper body muscles opposing the climbing pullers.

Yesterday climbed all day then climbed all night got 25 pitches done good times!

Mostly a matter of luck, an aversion to boredom, and a longstanding addiction to novelty...

1975:

2018:

Wow.  Just wow... to all.  What an impressive crew here.  Way to go, everyone who is out there, (or in there), going for it!!!  Keep posting pictures.  Go ahead and gripe about a few extra pounds or some aches and pains... but keep on keeping on!  There is no one out there like you guys!   

I find if I sit around I have more aches and pains, got to keep moving just keep moving that’s all there is to it!

Movin’ and groovin’...

8 here this morning. Hibernation is looking rather attractive.

21 here. The gym will be freezing. I'm planning on wearing layers.

51 here and I'm freaking out. It seemed like it was time to find out whether I could handle the cold of the desert... since I plan to spend so much time there.  So, I booked two weeks through Christmas, half of it climbing. (Some possibly in Red Rocks).  This week it's raining and lows in the 30's in the desert, may even be snow.  I don't know if I'm man enough for this.  All I can do is take it as a challenge, and try to be strong.  

Lori Milas wrote: 51 here and I'm freaking out. It seemed like it was time to find out whether I could handle the cold of the desert... since I plan to spend so much time there.  So, I booked two weeks through Christmas, half of it climbing. (Some possibly in Red Rocks).  This week it's raining and lows in the 30's in the desert, may even be snow.  I don't know if I'm man enough for this.  All I can do is take it as a challenge, and try to be strong.  

I've been snowed on in the morning at J-tree and climbing in a t-shirt a couple hours later. So anything can happen. 

Lori Milas wrote: Wow.  Just wow... to all.  What an impressive crew here.  Way to go, everyone who is out there, (or in there), going for it!!!  Keep posting pictures.  Go ahead and gripe about a few extra pounds or some aches and pains... but keep on keeping on!  There is no one out there like you guys!   

x2,  I've been following the thread(s) and love the inspiration from all the seasoned climbers here... especially since I officially "joined the club" last week.  Thanks all!

Señor Arroz wrote:

I've been snowed on in the morning at J-tree and climbing in a t-shirt a couple hours later. So anything can happen. 

Does this mean I can bring my shorts and tank top?  (she says hopefully).  

So far I'm not doing very well with December.    

Lori Milas wrote:

Does this mean I can bring my shorts and tank top?  (she says hopefully).  

So far I'm not doing very well with December.    

You should. Plus a parka and long johns.

Eric L, happy birthday! Remember not to read those 51 etc threads until you've matured enough...ha.

Guess who's agreed to go bouldering tomorrow? I told him I'll be in my ice climbing rig. He thought I was joking. Wait'll he sees my ice tools, eh? Ice bouldering's a thing, right??

Best, Old Lady Popsicle