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thequeen
Aug 6, 2009, 7:53 PM
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I'm doing a book on climbing and aging. Anyone interested in commenting or contributing, chapter outline is here:
http://agingclimber.blogspot.com/2009/07/aging-climber-project.html
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binrat
Aug 6, 2009, 8:42 PM
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And what you call aging?
binrat
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jnm1
Aug 6, 2009, 8:47 PM
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Interesting. I was just looking for this subject in a book/blog the past few weeks. I just turned 40 and started climbing last year. Although I don't consider myself 'middle-age', I'm certainly staring at it in face.
I would be interested to hear what others have to say as I can't comment as someone with years of experience. But I can speak to what it's like to pick up the sport at my age.
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bill413
Aug 6, 2009, 11:47 PM
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jnm1 wrote: Interesting. I was just looking for this subject in a book/blog the past few weeks. I just turned 40 and started climbing last year. Although I don't consider myself 'middle-age', I'm certainly staring at it in face. I would be interested to hear what others have to say as I can't comment as someone with years of experience. But I can speak to what it's like to pick up the sport at my age.
I have a friend who is well past 70. He still climbs. I believe he started around 40.
He no longer climbs as hard as he used to do, but he still loves it. I suppose we would consider him aging.
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healyje
Aug 7, 2009, 12:01 AM
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thequeen wrote: I'm doing a book on climbing and aging. Anyone interested in commenting or contributing, chapter outline is here: http://agingclimber.blogspot.com/2009/07/aging-climber-project.html
Post up on Supertopo.com if you want hard climbing geezers.
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thequeen
Aug 7, 2009, 1:42 AM
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binrat wrote: And what you call aging? binrat
Several friends asked me the very same thing... So I figured I have to address it in chapter 1. Here's what the Pew Research Center found in a 2009 survey:
68.
That's the average of all answers from the 2,969 survey respondents. This average masks a wide, age-driven variance in responses. More than half of adults under age 30 say the average person becomes old even before turning 60. Just 6% of adults who are age 65 or older agree. Women, on average, say a person becomes old at age 70. Men, on average, put the number at 66.
Personally, I qualified for AARP membership a few months back and promptly got one of those pesky finger pulley injuries, so that's where it's at for me.
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GSPER
Aug 7, 2009, 1:42 AM
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Check out the recent thread on MP:
http://www.mountainproject.com/v/general_climbing/aging_climbers/106495282
(This post was edited by GSPER on Aug 7, 2009, 1:43 AM)
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coolcat83
Aug 7, 2009, 2:13 AM
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Fred is the man
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curt
Aug 7, 2009, 3:56 AM
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thequeen wrote: I'm doing a book on climbing and aging. Anyone interested in commenting or contributing, chapter outline is here: http://agingclimber.blogspot.com/2009/07/aging-climber-project.html
I've been climbing for 30 years now and repeated this boulder problem in South Dakota just last week, at the age of 53.
We used to call this solid B1, but the meaning of that has largely been lost, so I feel safe calling it V5/6 or 5.12c/d.
This is probably about as hard as I can climb right now, but age is really not the issue--I'm simply not in very good shape due to time commitments from work, family, etc.
Curt
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dan2see
Aug 7, 2009, 5:28 AM
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As I don't know anybody who is "older" I can't comment.
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verticon
Aug 7, 2009, 6:21 AM
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Age is one of those "mind over matter" issues: if you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
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Alpine07
Aug 7, 2009, 6:27 AM
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coolcat83 wrote: Fred is the man
He is the man. I saw him giving a slide show in State College a year or so ago, awesome.
Did anyone else notice that link says f-the-mountains, haha.
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jaablink
Aug 7, 2009, 12:16 PM
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Joe Cody is about 70. I see him leading 10ish here at Cathedral.He and his wife are some of the most encouraging climbers I have ever met. Many of the guides and seasoned local climbers in their 50’s + are still pulling in the 11+ range, at 40+ most pull 11 & 12+ and some still pull 13. With all the experience, their mechanics are well honed.
Many of them have been climbing most of their lives and were climbing 12 and 13 in their hay day.Today they still climb harder than most of the younger climbers out there.Its very impressive.
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dingus
Aug 7, 2009, 12:43 PM
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curt wrote: so I feel safe calling it V5/6 or 5.12c/d. This is probably about as hard as I can climb right now, but age is really not the issue--I'm simply not in very good shape due to time commitments from work, family, etc. Curt
Slacker.
Its hardly surprising btw, that many of the OTHER subjects of Pat Ament's Wizards of Rock are also climbing hard well into the afternoon and evening of trheir careers,
Age. At 40 a man can still kid himself. "I'm not middle age!" Never mind 40 is half of 80... hehe.
But by the late 40s I assure you only the thickest head, lightest spirit or most ardant denier... can maintain the charade.
Bby the tail end of the 40s you can look down the slope and see the oine box at the bottom of the ramp.
All that said? There's a little girl in the heart of every old woman, yes? I simply don't think of myself as old. I'm not wired into maturity anyway.
Have a good time, all the time, that's my philosophy. I leared it from Spinal Tap.
DMT
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charley
Aug 7, 2009, 1:20 PM
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I didn't start climbing until I was 45. I have been climbing for 17 years. I was never very good. The hardest climb I ever did on tr was a 5.9 and there are lots of 5.7's I have not been able to do. I have lead bolted 5.7's and 5.5 trad. I may have been better if I had started younger. There are climbs I used to have wired and now have trouble on. Until last year at 61, I was still doing something I could not the year before. I am still hoping for some improvements when I get some time to climb much more. I also climb with a partner who is 73.
(This post was edited by charley on Aug 10, 2009, 11:37 PM)
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stan
Aug 8, 2009, 9:39 PM
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I am75. Started climbing at the Gunks back in 1953.
Have used about every shoe and contraption that came along. Best climbing was when I was 55 to 60,
probably because the pro got a lot better. Climbed
at solid 5.7, with quite a few 5.8 and 5.9's also, but
the only 5.11 was at J tree. Since I became 70 my
climbing has gradully descended to 5.3's, mainly due to shoulder and knee arthritus. Still try to get out every week. Watch that running. It's hard on the knees
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