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greyghost
Trad climber
Las Vegas, NV
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I'll be 70 on new years eve. Climbing at Mt.Charleston, NV and opening new lines in the 9+ category. I don't climb as bold or as hard as I did 20 years ago but I still relish it. Long as the health holds I am climbing. Now I take the time to rest, enjoy the surroundings and even meditate at times.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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I turned 70 a few weeks ago, and a few days ago, I managed to climb 4 pitches of 5.10 trad.-mostly crack climbing. I'm hoping to hike up the Grand Teton, car to car in a day, next week, depending on weather.
I have many issues with arthritis which cut down on the "fun" aspect, but still don't want to turn into a coach potato.
Here is a picture of Jim Donini, taken by TWP, a few years ago, after we did
a 12 pitch route in the Wind Rivers. Jim led the crux pitch, which he felt was 5.10D. I would not disagree!
Jim led it in fine style, and I was impressed.
Rgold has also done this route, which was re-named by Jim and I, "No Picnic for Old Men". I did the 1st ascent with John Bouchard back in 1972, and we never named it.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Looking over to "No Picnic for Old Men."
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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sik looking line
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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^^^Ha! When you think of the average American over 70 it would be better named "No Picnic for Most Men", good work!
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Jul 31, 2017 - 10:05am PT
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Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of plays, screenplays, stories and memoirs, whose rugged good looks and laconic style made for a memorable screen presence as an actor, has died. He was 73.
I'm > 70. Keep forgetting how to find this thread. This post will hel[p.
What's compelling to me is how many folks just over 70 are dying already.
BTW,
congrats on getting back into action jgill
nice photo of Yeti upstream
and Yeti nice photo of McKinney you put up on the story page
By my calculation Steve would be about 64 now. Just think how much was lost.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Jul 31, 2017 - 10:31am PT
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Turn 65 next month and still climbing reasonably hard and doing FAs.
I'm with jogill - damned if I'm going to be humored and "jollied along" by a bunch of whippersnappers (any more than I already am)...
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Alan Babcock
Sport climber
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
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May 12, 2019 - 08:58am PT
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I just found 70 years old plus. I turned 70 last November, and I celebrated, with my 30 something climbing partners, by doing a multi pitch climb at Seneca Rocks. At the beginning of the second pitch, the lead climber fell on me because his protection didn't hold. I was using a Grigri so we didn't fall to the ground, but, as I learned when I returned home, I suffered a separated shoulder. I chose an easy route (Old Man's Route, 5.2/5.3), and I made it to the summit climbing with one arm. I love climbing inside and out, and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. I started climbing 4 years ago, so my climbing is still improving. Last Friday, I climbed my first two 5.9- climbs in the gym. I struggle with 5.8 climbs outside because I have trouble finding the holds, and I tire. My partners help me by giving me special belays. I built a mini gym (hangboard, pull up bar, stepper, and weights) in my basement.
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throwpie
Trad climber
Berkeley
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May 12, 2019 - 10:08am PT
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68 here, so...close to 70
Still windsurfing on the SF bay...30mph puffs yesterday...no problem. Sore but still functioning quite well. Got dragged to the Iron Works gym by an old friend, joined and found that after not climbing for many years, I can still crank it pretty good. Getting stronger by the session and can do a few 5.11 routes. Not sure what a 5.11 gym route is in the real world. I certainly wasn't climbing 5.11 Yosemite routes in my youth. (maybe it was the EBs and swami belt...yeah right) Anyway...I'm gonna run it out as long as I can. Steep hikes in the Berkeley hills three days a week help a lot I'm sure. All the things I've loved doing my whole life...climbing, hiking, surfing and windsurfing have involved physical.effort. I'm sure that makes a difference now.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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May 12, 2019 - 10:16am PT
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Pete Bishop,formerly a SoCal guy, lives in Austin, Texas. He's over 70, is sporting a knee and a shoulder replacement, and is a fixture in the local climbing community there. He cranks out 5.12 sport climbs on the steep limestone walls there.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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May 12, 2019 - 10:43am PT
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I was 81 when this thread was introduced. Don't know how I missed it back in 2015.
In was still leading up to 5.8 then and following 5.9 with a pacemaker installed. In 2016 had single bypass surgery. That really slowed me down.
Now I'm 86. I know I can still lead 5.7 but my problem is getting to the base. My heart doesn't allow for much aerobic activity and hiking any distance requires too many rest stops.
So now I ride an indoor bike for about 20 minutes a day, do about 3 sets of bicep curls and call it a day.
Maybe Kelsey will come by and ferry me to the rocks in the Alabama Hills. We can test my test my 5.7 contention.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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May 12, 2019 - 12:12pm PT
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I was 82 in February and doing fine until I overdid the exercises and damaged my left shoulder in March. I still do a few pull-ups, but pain takes the enjoyment out of it. I'm in the not for sissies crowd now! We pay the price for our younger exuberances, But that's life.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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May 12, 2019 - 03:15pm PT
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I hope I’m not kidding myself...I put together a climber’s camp on the Biafo Glacier in the Karakoram for this summer. Eight of us will try to do some damage to the virginity of an amazing array of peaks and granite towers.
The youngest participant is 25...the oldest, gulp, is your’s truly. I’ll celebrate my 76th birthday at 15,000 ft. or higher, if I’m not in basecamp.
I swore to my wife and I’m thinking of having the following words sculpted into solid marble...”after this, no more Himalayan climbing!”.
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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May 12, 2019 - 05:06pm PT
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76 is good to go, Jim. Have fun!
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Sport climber
moving thru
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May 12, 2019 - 05:09pm PT
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And Jim, the second sentence will read, "Yeah Right." :)
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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May 12, 2019 - 06:14pm PT
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^^^ Ha, ha!
I'm now in the club and I got to climb today.
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zBrown
Ice climber
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May 12, 2019 - 06:49pm PT
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I agree with Throwpie
It's that fiscal effort alright that keeps us all going!
Both 72. The propeller hat? Ageless.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 12, 2019 - 07:19pm PT
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Yeah, I'm in the club, too. But instead of talking about me, here are a couple of stories about another old guy who once did a bit of climbing.
About 25 years ago, Allen Steck came up for his first visit to Squamish. He was 70. We'd worked together some, but this was our fist time climbing together. So over the four or five days he stayed with us, I took him on a tour of a few of the local classics. This included, on one day, a long, steep approach followed by a four-pitch climb that featured an off-width shallow half-drainpipe on the last pitch. Full-on nasty physical 10b. Okay, he didn't lead it, but neither did he flail or grovel, and there was a lot less blood dripping out of his hands at the top than out of mine. Changed my opinion about climbing and age. Or at least made me realize that there are some people who are a long way off the far end of the bell curve.
Fast forward a few years to a return visit, with us staying at his place in Berkeley. I'd never climbed at Indian Rock, so he took us on a tour. I don't remember everything about the place, but at one point we set up a toprope on one of Allen's favorites. Up he goes, floating the thing until suddenly he's flying.
Much cursing, then back on the rock and then flying again. Followed by "What the f*#k? I've climbed this a hundred times. What is going on?"
Then, after flying off on his third try, dangling on the end of the rope, he looked up at the hold he'd been trying for, then down at us and said, "Ah. I used to be taller."
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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May 13, 2019 - 12:21am PT
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hey there say, zbrown... wow, this is fun!
It's that fiscal effort alright that keeps us us all going!
Both 72. The propeller hat? Ageless.
good for you, both!!!
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TomKimbrough
Social climber
Salt Lake City
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May 13, 2019 - 06:58am PT
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I'm 80 and a half now. I led a 11a sport climb on my birthday last October. I'm still 15 pounds over my best weight and couldn't on-sight a 10c at the Alabama Hills last month. I hope get that extra weight off and give it another go in a few months.
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