I Started Climbing at 41 | Progression Questions for "Intermediate" and "Advanced" Climbers

Alan Rubin wrote:

In addition to building strength and, more importantly, being fun, climbing 'easy' ( a grade. or 2, at least, below your limits) routes or problems is the best way to work on and improve your technique ( footwork, in particular, as mentioned above). This is basic for enabling you to improve your max grades while greatly reducing the likelihood that you will hurt yourself. This is true for any age, but especially so when starting in your 'mature' years. I do disagree with M.M. when he/she says to stay out of the gym. I find that climbing in that controlled environment is a great way to focus on certain aspects of technique. I realize that you live in Las Vegas so you have decent weather most of the year and plenty of easily accessible rock, but still it is easier to fit regular gym sessions into your daily 'other' life.  Enjoy your journey.

If I lived in Vegas I might have a punch pass but certainly no membership, after I spent 20 years living in a climbing town with big winters(SLC) I can count my gym visits on one hand. Of course damaging wet rock wasn't a problem there so maybe you have a point, plus it's getting harder and harder to get from one side of Vegas to the other and expect to get on the loop road.

M M wrote:

If I lived in Vegas I might have a punch pass but certainly no membership, after I spent 20 years living in a climbing town with big winters(SLC) I can count my gym visits on one hand. Of course damaging wet rock wasn't a problem there so maybe you have a point, plus it's getting harder and harder to get from one side of Vegas to the other and expect to get on the loop road.

It's a 3 mile hike from my house to Kraft Boulders and the crags at Gateway Canyon and Red Spring, haha.  So I'm definitely outside as much as possible.

Bobby Wheat wrote:

It's a 3 mile hike from my house to Kraft Boulders and the crags at Gateway Canyon and Red Spring, haha.  So I'm definitely outside as much as possible.

Well, you are definitely on the right side of town!!!!

M M wrote:

Stay out of the gyms and climb climb climb, you have the ability to train on 10 pitch classics, great sport climbs and awesome boulders.  Go with the flow, don't force training over climbing.  Sometimes it may seem like climbing easy trad routes won't build strength like "training" but it will and its fun.

The gym is a two-edged sword. It definitely offers convenience, to maintain consistency when weather or other responsibilities limit access outdoors. It’s also a good place to build strength, and fine tune some techniques, like clipping when pumped.

On the other hand, it’s much easier to get injured. I find this especially true with more athletic, “comp-style” bouldering. And plastic can be rougher on your skin.

For me, the gym has been a net benefit. But I‘d stay away from bouldering and anything too dynamic as a newer, older climber.

Great feedback and love this discussion!  I have been moping around today as I turned 51 today and was thinking of my past climbing experiences.  I found climbing at 30 and was 100% dedicated for nearly 10 years.  Made it to mid 12 sport and 5.10/easy 5.11 trad but ended up taking a 12 year hiatus due to career and family obligations.  I just started back this fall and have gotten smitten with it again and have been surprised how quickly things are coming back.  My endurance is pathetic but I'm making it up climbs that surprise me as I now rely on technique vs brute power.

I think the biggest lesson for me and one I see in all these comments is to be smart about how you train and take care of your body.  If I overdo it, I feel it in my elbows and shoulders now and that was never a remote thought when I was younger.  I have learned to enjoy the act of climbing more and appreciate the time with my friends in the outdoors MUCH more than I ever did when I was chasing grades.  

A buddy and I were leaving a crag a few months ago and saw these scraggly old timers walking in with their rack and old gear and I promised myself that I would be one of those guys one day.  They were smiling, laughing and enjoying the day and going to go send a fun route.  Thats my goal now vs sending hard 5.11 trad- make to my seventies and get outside.

Bobby Wheat wrote:

It's a 3 mile hike from my house to Kraft Boulders and the crags at Gateway Canyon and Red Spring, haha.  So I'm definitely outside as much as possible.

Okay, forget the gyms…   

Permabeta wrote:

The gym is a two-edged sword. It definitely offers convenience, to maintain consistency when weather or other responsibilities limit access outdoors. It’s also a good place to build strength, and fine tune some techniques, like clipping when pumped.

On the other hand, it’s much easier to get injured. I find this especially true with more athletic, “comp-style” bouldering. And plastic can be rougher on your skin.

For me, the gym has been a net benefit. But I‘d stay away from bouldering and anything too dynamic as a newer, older climber.

I agree on the gym being a double edged sword and your advice about bouldering makes sense but I haven't been following it. I've actually been bouldering more in my 50s and 60s than I did when I was younger. A couple of reasons for this but a big one is that I had climbed everything on a rope that I could climb that was a reasonable distance from my home. There are a lot of boulders that are new to me though and that helps keep my motivation high. I'm pretty careful about which problems I choose though. In the gym I won't do an awkward move near the top of the wall and yes I avoid comp style boulders. Outside I try to stick to shorter problems with good landings. I'm also have a long training history which a newer older cliimber would not have.

Started climbing in my 30s (came from a high-level background in powerlifting, which probably both helped and hurt...strong but also had 20+ pounds of leg muscle to lose). Still getting stronger at 41, climbed my first 13a trad route this year and have flashed up to V8 on a board (I don't boulder outside much). I probably spend half my time on rock and half my time in the gym. A typical week varies depending on season but something like: 2 gym bouldering days (one more volume, one limit level), 2 outdoors (both focusing on short to long term projects), mobility 7 days/week, 1-2 days of weight training after climbing (if I didn't come from a lifting background I'd probably do more, since by all accounts building/preserving strength is very important as folks age). I can't tolerate the volume I was able to when younger and in other sports, but otherwise don't feel like age holds me back. 

Biggest piece of injury prevention advice I'd have is making sure to keep your shoulders healthy with good positioning, mechanics, and off-the-wall work as needed. It's so easy to hurt them and as an older athlete injury recovery is harder/slower.

Biggest piece of climbing advice: focus on movement and mobility.

Random other advice: get a coach if you can. Working with someone on your programming means you can focus on climbing and not programming, and getting an outside perspective on your areas for improvement is super useful. In most ways being older is a detriment, but the one plus is that you probably have a bit more spending money then you did when you were 22...coaching is one way to take advantage of that!

Bobby Wheat wrote:

Last year at the young age of 41 I began a climbing journey on a whim and it has since become a very big part of my life.  Confidence / strength, joy, and community are just a few of the perks I've experienced in my short 15 month journey so far.

I'm wondering how late some of you Sage Crushers started climbing, what is your highest sport and / or V grade (Outside), and what does your weekly training look like.

It'll help provide some inspiration and realistic expectations on how I and anyone else in my boat can go about training in a safer (injury free) manner and also hopefully provide some near and long term goals to work towards by seeing how quickly others have progressed and even more importantly, how late in life you've climbed healthily and strong.

Thanks in advance!

A 42-Year-Old Gumby

I'm 53. Like you, I got into this late. Although I had soloed Class 5 terrain in the mountains before learning about the YDS, I wanted to learn the ropes, so to speak.

When I was your age (41), I signed up for an outdoor climbing class. They taught us to tie in and how to belay, and then we climbed stuff up to 5.6-7. 

Next, I took an anchors course, and I also learned TR solo.

That all started in 2011. In 2014, I finally found a solid climbing partner. We worked our way up the grades. For example, we climbed every 5.7 at the local crags before we moved to 5.8.

In 2016, I redpointed some 12a and 11d lines. I even got up a 13b, though it was ugly and nowhere close to a redpoint.

Right now, I'm an 11 climber on a great day and much under that almost anytime else, and I'm okay with that. Being safe and having fun matters a whole lot more than what grade you can climb. 

Bobby Wheat wrote:

It's a 3 mile hike from my house to Kraft Boulders and the crags at Gateway Canyon and Red Spring, haha.  So I'm definitely outside as much as possible.

I've always wanted to explore all the different canyons there, the scrambling around from canyon to canyon looks phenomenal and perfect for rest days. 

M M wrote:

I've always wanted to explore all the different canyons there, the scrambling around from canyon to canyon looks phenomenal and perfect for rest days. 

Definitely.  I'm out there almost every day be it climbing or trail running.  Truly a remarkable corner of the world.

I climbed for two seasons when I was 11 and got back into it at 28 with kids, a demanding job, ect. It's taken five seasons to get relatively comfortable and competent at an intermediate level in all types of climbing. 

For a given week, I aim for one limit bouldering session, one session circuiting about 20 to 40 easy boulders, and one session doing numerous three to five minute circuits. Each session is about an hour including warm up. 

I'm also able to get one outdoor day per week and really focus on getting a lot of mileage rather than projecting. I think you'd progress in grades faster projecting but long term I feel like being a good flash / onsight / single session send climber will help a lot as you work into more advanced grades. 

Great thread and here's my couple of cents worth!  Started at 36 and am now getting close to 49.  Currently climbing/projecting V6,7,8ish and 12s on sport.  Grade 4 and 5 ice also during the off season.  My wife and I both started climbing at the same time and she is now 46 and can climb easy 10s and 11s off the couch.  She came from a gymnastic, cheering background so climbing came pretty easily for her.  I'm the more dedicated one but having partner who shares some of the same sports is really helpful I believe in keeping the psyche up.  

I put a decent amount of time into this sport that is for sure.  At least 2 days bouldering during the week and one rope day most weekends.  Also try to weight train at least once a week but if I get out in the field(arboriculture) I count that as a weight day.  We do a good amount of developing so a day out scrubbing/cleaning/bolting I would consider a rest day.  I do believe in active rest where a day on the couch is often detrimental to my body and my mind.  I built a climbing wall(20 and 35 degrees) in my basement so during the winter if I'm not chasing ice or powder I'm usually in the dungeon.  I work as arborist and find that some of my most productive days are after 8 hours of tree work.  Most nonproductive days are when I'm at a computer all day or out driving around meeting clients on sales calls.  Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion...

A game changer for me was when I found yoga in my early thirties.  I dealt with pretty bad back issues in my late twenties and early thirties and yoga/stretching turned that around for me completely.  I am actively practicing at least once a day(@30min) and sometimes even twice a day.  This has been life saving for me and you really can never over do it.  Also a major player in this game is protein intake and rest.  Listening to your body as you get older is super important and you can learn a lot from it! 

It's never too late to take up anything I believe.  You can cater to your wants and needs and still be productive and make gains.  The main thing is to stay motivated and keep that stoke high!!!  There are numerous older climbers in my area(northeast) who are still pounding hard even into their 50's and 60's.  These people are super motivational and if you can find and older partner out there it really helps with projecting your mindset as you get older later down the road.  I will say that the most noticeable thing for me is not being able to climb hard everyday.  I can climb ice one day and rock the next but two hard days of bouldering/sport just doesn't work anymore.  Finding a good balance and staying injury free are two of the most important factors for me and all my outdoor/indoor pursuits.  Most importantly however is to never lose sight of just having fun no matter how old and crusty you get!!!

Harry K wrote:

It all depends on your natural strength and natural body build. If you have a slight body type and you are unnaturally strong then you can climb V9 in like 3-5 years. otherwise expect to plateau around 5.11/5.12 and V5/6 for pretty much forever like 95% of us. either way you will have fun. 

It’s kinda crazy how true this is. If you naturally can crimp like hell relative to your body weight, you skyrocket up to about V9; at V10-11 you tend to need a bit more body power, so those grades can take a while. But if you’re not naturally 21BMI with strong fingers and good leverage it’s a helluva slog. 

Bb Cc wrote:

Started climbing indoors and out at age 55. 62 this year and goals include learning aid and bigwall. Primary goals include fitness and fun. Certainly did other sports prior to climbing: skiing, snowboarding, bicycling, hiking, whitewater rafting, skydiving, raising kids, traveling… 

Climb trad at about 5.8-5.9 lead, 10.b-10.c follow trad. Indoors climb up to 11.c and occasionally try a 12.a (mileage at your gym may vary). Indoor bouldering flash most v4 and some v5 (can count on 6 fingers successful v6s). Outdoor bouldering is mostly transcendental touching the rock and chatting with those who own pads but need a ride to the crag.

Fitness plan: Pay attention to todays body feedback. Climb harder on days with great stoked partners and low gravity. Other days work flow/technique/conversation (rest days are incidental,) stretching and motion for warm-ups. Hiking and walking for basic cardio and relaxation.

Best wishes

Incredible that you're climbing that hard and delving into Big Wall climbing at 62.  Indeed a goal to aspire to.  And as far as your occasional 12a, until recently I felt that I had no business even trying 12a just because of the stigma of the number, but after a buddy at the gym explained that it's essentially a bunch of sustained V2/3s stacked on top of one another, it really put it into perspective as an achievable goal with the right approach to training for that kind of power endurance.  It's kinda crazy how the mental approach to climbing harder is just as essential as gaining physical strength.  I'm learning the value and enjoyment of being willing to work on a single move or section of a route at a time.

Bobby Wheat wrote:

Incredible that you're climbing that hard and delving into Big Wall climbing at 62.  Indeed a goal to aspire to.  And as far as your occasional 12a, until recently I felt that I had no business even trying 12a just because of the stigma of the number, but after a buddy at the gym explained that it's essentially a bunch of sustained V2/3s stacked on top of one another, it really put it into perspective as an achievable goal with the right approach to training for that kind of power endurance.  It's kinda crazy how the mental approach to climbing harder is just as essential as gaining physical strength.  I'm learning the value and enjoyment of being willing to work on a single move or section of a route at a time.

Pretty much. I had only recently flashed my first 5.12a at my gym***, but still struggle on some 12a and can work up to 12c. 5.12 is a difficult grade.

One thing that’s been helping me is to up and down climb V3 and some V4.

***My gym grades pretty easy, but the relative difficulty of V2/3 to 5.12 is generally the same. I climbed at Rockreation Costa Mesa and had my butt kicked on a few 5.10+. Of course, I had to hang off two 15mm edges trying to convince my belayer to move the rope out of my way so I could climb up flash pumping myself. So, I had to come down and proceed on the 10- next to it. Then just 5.8-5.9 cruisers just to warm down…   

Late to the thread but here is my long-story-short: Turning 50 in about 6 weeks.  Started (mostly gym) climbing about 8 years ago.  Main transition point for me was shifting focus from pushing grades on climbs that fit my natural strengths (balancey vert bolted routes) and expanding my horizons.  On-sight trad multi-pitch emerged as my favorite type of climbing (by far), but really can find joy in pretty much any aspect of the sport.  A few years ago I took the SPI course, but not assessment, which helped a lot with skill competence/confidence (especially anchor building).  As far as grades are concerned, in the gym I look for 11s that inspire me and climb them until I get them clean, usually ~5 times over a few sessions.  Outside I have been leading 5.9 trad routes, and have on-sighted mid-5.10 sport routes, and occasionally gotten to the top of things a bit harder, maybe with one or two falls/hangs, but I have never tried a route outside more than once or twice, except things that I have on-sighted or flashed and really enjoyed.