I raced bikes with a guy who had type 1 diabetes. He was 40 and rocking his age class. In fact, he later went to cat 3 and still did well.

There were occassional times in the hotel room at different races where he'd practically have a siezure in his sleep and I'd stick a gu pack in his mouth and squeeze. It's amazing how well that worked.

And for fucks sake, get your diabetes under control. It's type II dude, you can handle it.

I did debate posting this into the Newbie forum, but opted here instead.

So here's the deal. I've just recently started climbing at my local rock gym (seriously... I've been going about a month) and am really getting into it. Living in Portland (OR), I'm also noticing that I'm getting a serious jones to learn about mountaineering, but I'm stuck.

My problem is, I'm not sure how feasible this is for me. My situation is that I'm 33 years old, type 2 diabetic (not terribly well-managed, but I get by), and -as stated before- I've just started climbing. Now, I know that a sincere desire will always help, but it's not going to be enough. I think my biggest hangup is my age. I've read lots of info at this site about climbing and diabetes (some of the info was incredible and really made me rethink how I see my diabetes), been reading about various gear pieces, and have also begun looking at the issue of technique.

I know I'll need to get my diabetes under control and will need to climb more, especially outside of the gym (unless Mt Hood is now climate-controlled with music pumped in and if it is.. bonus!). Again, however, my age is what makes me stop to wonder. I mention this because -god help me- the idea of someday being able to take on Everest is pretty damned inspiring. However, I'm pretty sure that dream's gonna have to just die gracefully, but maybe trying to summit Hood, Rainier, etc might be more doable.

Thoughts? Opinions? Advice from someone who's been in my place? Mostly I'm looking for real-world observation here moreso than advice like "what kind of screws should I get?" since the forum's pretty well covering that.

Thanks in advance and if I need to move this, let me know and it'll be done toot-sweet.

don't be concerned about your age. you'll see WAY more older climbers in the mountains than in the gym/ crag.

Once you're healthy-er, check out Alpine Ascents International. They have lots of intro to alpine courses you can take.

33? What's wrong with being 33? I'm 49, and am climbing the better than I ever have, and a lot better than most of the kids on this site.

Additionally, Type 2 diabetes is often reversible with diet and lifestyle changes. How's your weight and physical acitivity levels? If you're serious about climbing then the former will probably have to come down and the latter come up, and not so coincidentally, those same changes should improve your blood sugar control.

This is good to hear. When did you get started? I think that's why I have the hangup. I'm sure that climbing at 49 after starting at 33 is way different than climbing at 49 after starting at, say, 20? Although the more I climb, the more I realize that maybe this really isn't the case, unless it's something huge (Everest, etc).

Rock climbing really won't help much concerning your general fitness compared to the old standards (running, diet, etc.) Alpine climbing is maybe a different scenario, but isn't all that related to gym climbing. What rock climbing CAN do really well is motivate you to reach certain goals. Higher grades are generally more possible the more fit you are, so you can set goals like "I want to climb consistently at 5.whatever in the gym. Here's what I need to do to accomplish this goal. . ."

I started climbing in my 20s, but didn't get serious about pushing myself into higher grades until my 30s. Starting in your 30s is fine, especially if your goals are more oriented toward mountaineering than technical rock climbing. Mountaineering mainly requires endurance fitness, and that peaks in your 40s. Having not started climbing in childhood, you may never climb 5.14, but mountaineering doesn't entail that.

This is good to hear. When did you get started? I think that's why I have the hangup. I'm sure that climbing at 49 after starting at 33 is way different than climbing at 49 after starting at, say, 20? Although the more I climb, the more I realize that maybe this really isn't the case, unless it's something huge (Everest, etc).

I'm 49

Zing!

I just turned 34, have had Type 1 for more than half my life, climbing harder now than when I was 22.

Your diabetes and your age are at worst an excuse for you to limit yourself, at best just a little bit of a hassle.

Focus on controlling your diet, improve your cardio, and you'll feel better. Feeling better is incredibly enabling. I rarely focus on alpine/mountaineering goals (not that it's impossible) simply because it's a hassle to test blood sugar when it's cold (more a risk for me than type2). It's personal preference to me though, I have more fun at Lumpy Ridge than I would on the Diamond.

That said, there are many diabetics that do do it.........

http://www.mountain-mad.org

Like all things, there is a workaround for most every complication. Basically, use your "handicaps" as either an excuse to limit yourself or use it an additional source of motivation. I choose the second option more often than not. In the grand scheme of things, it's a pretty damn manageable disease so DO NOT let it become an excuse to not live your life.

I've always liked the idea of Everest. But be prepared to pay about 60,000 dollars if you're actully seroius about everest.

Howver shows like Everest: Beyond on the limit taint what Everest is IMo.