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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 30, 2016 - 08:29am PT
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Can anyone add to this list? Only North American climbers will be included. (If an item is in parenthesis, it is approximate - maybe someone can give me the proper info) I won't use full names unless they have be previously disclosed or I have permission.
John From Bishop 5.12 age 72
Hermann Gollner 5.13a age 72
John Fantini (5.12) age 70
John Gill 5.12 age 70+
Eugene Larson (a farmer from the Midwest) 5.12 age 70+
Lee Sheftel 5.13a age 70
Pete Cleveland 5.12 age 75
Herb Laeger 5.12 age 73
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overwatch
climber
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Jan 30, 2016 - 08:37am PT
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My first guess would be Mr. Donini.
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Spiny Norman
Social climber
Boring, Oregon
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Jan 30, 2016 - 08:53am PT
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Stevie Haston will probably join that club. He's around 60 now and still climbing hard. At age 55 he was climbing 9a.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jan 30, 2016 - 08:56am PT
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In a climbing mag long ago, I remember reading about a farmer who picked up climbing when he turned 70, and was working on 12+.
Shake my memory, who was that guy?
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Jan 30, 2016 - 10:48am PT
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Love hearing about that farmer! What could train your hand strength better than being a rancher, farmer, plumber, or blacksmith.
Had a patient once - a 74 year old rancher/cowboy who had grown up in Montana. He was 5'6" and around 165. He could peg a hand dynamometer at 200lbs (top of the scale so he was actually squeezing harder) on both sides and looked half bored while he was doing it!
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LOWERme
Trad climber
NM
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Jan 30, 2016 - 11:14am PT
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In a climbing mag long ago, I remember reading about a farmer who picked up climbing when he turned 70, and was working on 12+.
Shake my memory, who was that guy?Quote Here
Pretty sure the man's name was Gene, and he was putting up 12s in the Needles (South Dakota).
I think Lee Sheftel turns 70 in June.
http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/lee-sheftel-climbs-5-13b-at-68-years-old
ETA: I believe my partner from BITD, Pete Bishop, may still be crushing the occasional 12. Pete is creeping up on 71.
I haven't spoken with Pete in quite a spell, so I'm not sure how his recent shoulder replacement may have affected his skill set.
Here's that story.....
http://kxan.com/2014/07/27/shoulder-replacements-becoming-more-popular/
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sween345
climber
back east
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Jan 30, 2016 - 02:32pm PT
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What could train your hand strength better than being a rancher, farmer, plumber, or blacksmith.
Mark Force
Maybe if you were a long time master baiter?
I can't quote the numbers but Stimson Bullitt may meet this threads criteria.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jan 30, 2016 - 05:09pm PT
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Oh yeah, the melon farmer....
Stevie is just a kid, even younger than me. But he'll be there when he gets there.
Dingus McGee on the other hand, is in the upper half of his sixties, and climbs as many five twelves a year as any one you know. not sure how high his numbers go, not sure if he knows.
And I'm not sure that that is the important point in this. There are a lot of climbers in their sixties and higher, especially in Europe, putting up new routes in the higher ratings, more than ever.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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You mean there's hope I can get better? I suppose I need to do something about the denominator in my power-to-weight ratio.
John
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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I remember reading about a farmer who picked up climbing when he turned 70, and was working on 12+
You might be thinking of Dave Slinger, a Devils Lake legend, who started climbing at about the age 47 and continued into his 70s. I climbed with him in 1958 when I think he may have been about 50. I don't think he did anything at the 12 grade but he was soloing his test pieces at about 5.10 when I knew him.
I seem to recall Stimson Bullitt was leading 5.10+ at age 80. He was a lawyer and a member of an illustrious Seattle family.
I was doing a few 12 or 12+ moves at age 70+,but quit climbing after that.
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Tom Turrentine
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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I'm interested in this topic - turning 62 , but I'm not a star from the past and never do sport stuff except at gyms. I've always climbed mid 10s in the Valley and Sierra, but because of work and family have only had a few days a year to climb - but I will retire next year and finally have some time to climb more. I still climb about the same, but I'm wondering what is possible and what has been accomplished. I hear about older guys doing 5.12 but guessing those are sport leads. I seldom hear many older guys talking about routes like Astroman or Rostrum.. (those would be dream climbs for me) I'd like to try a wall again.. and with all the great gear it seems like we could do more free than we did back in the 60s and 70s (not interested in speed climbing walls - but more interested in doing 5.10 plus leads on a wall). But I don't see or hear much about older climbers doing that kind of stuff. I hear that older climbers are not able to get more powerful but can develop more endurance.. so it would make sense that there are more older climbers able to do long hard trad leads than short hard sport stuff. But haven't heard much (other than Donini.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Time for a comeback JGill. Got to show these whipper snappers how it's really done.
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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I don't know about the 5.12 bit but here is a photo of Jim Donini and myself
taken a few years ago, when Jim was 70, just after doing a 12 pitch alpine
route in the Wind Rivers, which goes at 5.10D. Jim led all the hard stuff without any problems. Impressive in my book, up at 12000+ ft.
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Rolfr
Trad climber
La Quinta and Penticton BC
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A bit more on Fantini. On his 70 birthday he led 6 routes 5.12 to 5.12 b/c, the next day he raced in a 160 KM bike race and won his age category. His competitor in that category was a previous Tour De France cyclist.
I can't wait to turn 70!
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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I seldom hear many older guys talking about routes like Astroman or Rostrum.. (those would be dream climbs for me) I'd like to try a wall again
Tom, after you retire take the year and work toward Astroman or the Rostrum (easier by a fair margin). Map out a progression of Valley crack climbs to work your way through. I'm sure many folks here on Supertopo can help out with suggestions.
Marty
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Dave. slinger, that's it, I couldn't remember his name.
Tom. If you're going to have the time, you can train, to avoid injury, and follow whatever sort of climbing your moved to do. Those are generalizations, not absolutes. Young people like us ( I'll be 60 in July) probably have a better shot at endurance than power, but that's not to say we can't get more powerful, as well. I could never do over forty pull-ups ( power/ endurance?) in a set till my mid fifties, though I haven't worked signifigantly weighted pull-ups (power?) in some time.maybe I'll work on that.
As far as climbing, I'm definitely drawn more toward endurance "trad" climbs. One in particular I've been on is the hardest thing I've ever worked on, and I'd be psyched to get it by my 70th, but working on getting it before that and having new projects by that time :)
Frank Sanders is in his sixties, hundreds of ascents of hard Devils tower routes since the big 6-0!
Merril Bitter climbs hard, last I heard, sport and trad and is like mid early sixties.
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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I hear that older climbers are not able to get more powerful but can develop more endurance.. so
Curious to hear if those over 70 actually increase endurance. Didn't seem that way to me, but we are all different.
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Tom Turrentine
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Thanks Marty and Jay
Just put a fingerboard above my chair, so the in the next few months while I finish some projects before retiring, I can stand up, do a few minutes of hangs every hour ..
tt
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Don't have any names to add to the list. Not to burst anyone's bubble but the list would likely be in the hundreds anyway at least; wouldn't it? I would think any climbers who climbed at that level, then took good care of their body and mind (like Donini) they should be able to retain those levels. Pretty much the way it's been in most sports these days.
Arne
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Sixty-three and glad to still be leading reasonable trad lines. Have climbed .12/.13 in the past, but difficulty never entered into the equation when I did. Difficulty for difficulties sake has always bored me pissless. Instead it's always been about getting obsessed with some line or another and some just happened to turn out to be harder or more challenging in other ways. Bottom line for me is I wasn't chasing numbers then and sure as hell aren't going to start now - something either catches my eye or it doesn't.
That said, more frigging power to anyone still climbing past 50 let alone 70...
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Gunkie
climber
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If I can confidently climb Royal Arches or Snake Dike or NE Butt of Middle Cath or Whitney-Gilman Ridge or Moby Grape or High Exposure when I'm 70, I'll be more than excited.
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Spiny Norman
Social climber
Boring, Oregon
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Ditto, Gunkie. That is a worthy goal.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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I think John Fantini was leading 5.12 gear routes and did his first 5.13 at age 63
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
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These kind of posts are inspirational to me. I'm only 53, staying in good shape and climbing, but it's nice to see people staying in great shape, staying strong, and doing what they love into old age. It's what I want to do. Never stop ... just keep going.
I would love to see a thorough list indicating the oldest people still doing really well in all the following outdoor sports I love: climbing, BC skiing, paragliding, skydiving, surfing, free diving, and scuba diving to name a few. Extreme Adventure into old age ... Who's still doing it and pulling it down? The list of sports could be expanded easily.
Well this OP and thread could answer the climbing question. Very cool.
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 9, 2016 - 09:01pm PT
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Overwatch: Jim Donini is a great Alpine climber but I don't think he is climbing 5.12a+
k-man and LOWERme: Lee Sheftel did Climb 5.13b at 68 Years Old. Does anyone know if Lee is 70 and climbing 5.12a+?
LOWERme: Can you give more info on "Gene" also more specifics on Pete Bishop. Would love to add them to the list if they qualify.
Jaybro: (and others) Give me the names of those European Climbers that are 70+. Can you give me more info on Dave Slinger
jgill: Can you give me more specifics on Dave Slinger. I am going to add your name to the list
k-man: Can you confirm that Pete Cleveland meets the criteria?
TradHog: Give me the names and specifics of the "Two guys from Austin"
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Just a little leg pulling.
<07 and 5.12a+
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Overwatch: Jim Donini is a great Alpine climber but I don't think he is climbing 5.12a+
I don't know for sure, haven't met him. I thought he was still doing 11's at least, just from what I read on the forum.
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LOWERme
Trad climber
NM
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Feb 10, 2016 - 09:07am PT
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TradHog: Give me the names and specifics of the "Two guys from Austin"
Pete Bishop resides in Austin, but he's only "one guy," and for all I know, Austin may be a magnet for gray bearded hardmen. The water? The whiskey? The women?
Climbers in the Carbondale CO. area may know whatz up with Lee Sheftel. I haven't seen him in probably 20 years, when he lived here in NM.
I tried to locate info on the climbing farmer, who I remember as "Gene," but to no avail. The original info appeared as a small blurb in one of the climbing rags in the mid/late 80's.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Feb 10, 2016 - 09:13am PT
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Give me the names of those European Climbers that are 70+. Can you give me more info on Dave Slinger
Suggest you read thru 8a.nu and ukclimbing.com news stories. Try using 7a+ as that is 12a
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Feb 10, 2016 - 09:52am PT
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Does 8a.nu track by age?
Seems the op question is not obvious, else we would have more 70 or greater red/pink points of 12a or harder at the ready.
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Oplopanax
Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
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Feb 10, 2016 - 12:31pm PT
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Seems more like not remembering the guy's exact name when you see a 8a.nu news story saying that some oddly named Euro like Jernezjh Dvoiglujvhcj from Lower Slobbovia has just crushed his 100th 8a route at the age of 75
If the OP is interested in knowing exact names he can spend the time trolling through the back archive of the listed sites. I know the reports are there but I'm not bored or unemployed enough to put the time in.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Feb 10, 2016 - 03:59pm PT
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I'm about the same age as Donini (72), been climbing longer I think---going on 58 years---and nowhere near 5.12 any more, which was the hardest I could only occasionally manage at my best in a very distant past.
But there is a whole bunch of us bumbling about, having a good time within the parameters we have to deal with, still out there for whatever time is granted to us. Here's some of that tribe from the other side of the pond:
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Feb 10, 2016 - 04:04pm PT
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(...[Click to View YouTube Video] ok , I'm back I apologize for the drive by post, K-Man shared It - a fantastic snap-shot of Pete Cleavland..... Tied into the rope with what looks like a double fisher mans wait a bit again ,.. I'll try to post it.,,,,,, I don't think Pete climbed that hard@60+
Jaybro mentioned Merril B. Earl Wiggins, ,Dr Steve Hong, ,H Suzuki,
now, setting different parameters on top rope with the moves dialed-in, and only every third try...
Hard .11
(that they have wired), yes
12=?,.12+ not likely
In am not sure of anyones age, or actual hardest #send but .....
Years ago I climbed at Watchung, Nj .
there were two candidates for the list;
Vic Benesch
Was 50+ so 30yrs later?
(bad actor, coincidently sharing the same sir name) Neil Sloan only just leaving his 60's now
and I have no idea, what number he climbs
but he is the co-author of the Falcon guide Nj
why I feel the need to mention :Notorious chopper of holds and bolts, ? Ken Nichols, 10,000 assents of one .11+,
No one has mentioned,Gunks Guide book author Dick Williams, the octogenarian, rGld might know?
also in the gunk's; in their 60s?
Jim Damon, Bwana will pull down !
Russ clune - most likely
Russ Raffa- maybe
Mike Siaca (sp)if ya know him,- it is almost a certainty
-Less likely -
Mike Demitri - ?
Peter Darmi - ?
Elaine Mathews - ?
Bruce ..?. I can't remember his last name the co founder of the Inner wall climbing gym.
Im neither in touch with nor, know if any of them fit the profile
Im over fifty now and until I tried to do a selfie for y'all and jammed a finger all to hell I could top rope a .12 or two that I had Wired, ..........since then, I gained a few pounds and am not finding the right motivation to lose them.
More of a concern the hand is very unhappy in the cold, something new and a pain that exists in the right index finger probably BIG BAD NEWS.
I will still throw at the same six or so climbs that are .11b or harder, I've got the moves of each Locked into the hard drive.
Recently at the gunk's I tried to top rope 'No solution' a 12(now) b/c (missing key foot holds for the short,me) on top rope, and had to hang looking for the foothold that was no longer there.
I did get on and one hang open cockpit, but it may have a 'new'?or bigger hold at the top of the seam?
It is short sustained for 20 feet and then over,
Not so lucky on Foops.
Foops has a 'chicken wing' lock off, after the reach to past the lip, for the left and from that ya have to shoot up,a campus move, cranking hard on that left and hit a slot with the right hand, the crux, for me, and still a hard pull and heel hook to a stance.
oh , Jaybro, the lipator must be effecting you too rgold is the source for that quote...
there is a whole bunch of us bumbling about, having a good time within the parameters we have to deal with, still out there for whatever time is granted to us
THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 10, 2016 - 04:56pm PT
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I decided to limit the list to North American climbers. I looked thru the 8.nu list and I found about 4 climbers that may qualify and I sent them messages. Hopefully they will respond. By the way, Lee Sheftel won't turn 70 till June.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Feb 10, 2016 - 05:26pm PT
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Rolf said it best!
there is a whole bunch of us bumbling about, having a good time within the parameters we have to deal with, still out there for whatever time is granted to us That's what it's all about!
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SKA
Boulder climber
Colorado
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Feb 10, 2016 - 06:13pm PT
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Very Cool! I just came across this thread looking for motivation for my future climbing years . . . Awesome!!
I am 45 currently and started climbing in '89 and climbed until my mid-thirties. I had children and stopped climbing 7 years ago - No Regrets! Last May my 7 year old daughter asked if we could go climbing and I could not turn that down. How cool, climbing again with my family after a 7 year break; I am back for good.
Since then my daughter made the choice to quit gymnastics and join a climbing team. Now she is asking me to take her climbing every week.
The other day after researching training for older climbers and only found articles about climbing less as you get older, I decided to create a Facebook group resource for older climbers. The goal is mainly for peer support, inspiration, and training wisdom. It is open to anyone who has a passion to climb, wants to share their wisdom, or just wants retire on the rocks.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClimbingMasters/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ColoradoClimbingMasters/
May We Always Be Crazy!
~SKA
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LOWERme
Trad climber
NM
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Feb 10, 2016 - 07:09pm PT
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By the way, Lee Sheftel won't turn 70 till June.
That's why I said this back on page 1.
I think Lee Sheftel turns 70 in June.
Be interesting to know if one of TradHog's "Two guys from Austin", includes Pete Bishop.
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2016 - 07:26am PT
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LOWERme: Sorry I missed your comment on Lee Sheftel turning 70 in June. I follow, as best I can, the leads you all post herein, but, until you provide something concrete, I won't add a name to the list.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Feb 11, 2016 - 08:26am PT
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Thanks for those links SKA!
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Feb 24, 2016 - 01:28pm PT
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That picture of Pete Cleveland is classic. What a contrast to the tat and beanie crowd.
I don't know if anyone else has followed up on farmer Gene, but I remember that being his name as well.
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Harry Mammil
Trad climber
Llanrwst
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Feb 24, 2016 - 02:51pm PT
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Just turning 66 and very interested to see where climbing takes me having started in 1963. These posts are very encouraging indeed - inspirational stuff! Retired now so loads of time to try to improve.
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Bobert
Trad climber
boulder, Colorado
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Feb 24, 2016 - 03:01pm PT
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Guy's name was Eugene Larson. He was a friend of Paul Muehl's and I was told he was in his seventies. He was putting up little 5.12 routes in the Needles in SD with his cheerful little wife belaying him. I met him after he was jogging back to his campsite after running in the Needles half marathon? Paul stopped and talked to him. As we drove away I asked Paul "So he won his age group?" Paul looked at me with a raised eyebrow and replied with a snort "Age group? He won the whole damn race." The last time I saw him he was hanging out at Sylvan Lake. I asked him if he was climbing and he said he was getting back in shape. Had been taking time off to recover. When I asked from what he said "Oh well, the brain tumor you know." I don't know if he is still climbing or alive for that matter.
Now that I think about it I'm not absolutely sure Gene's last name was Larson. I seem to remember it was. He was a farmer from the midwest. Paul had encountered him and his brother climbing up and down routes in the Needles in their work boots. Paul took them under his wing before they managed to kill themselves and showed them how to use a rope and told them about climbing shoes. The brother never climbed again, but Gene trained on a wall he had built in the barn during the winters and came for a month or so to the Needles every year. He climbed with his wives who only belayed. I don't think he considered himself to be a "real" climber even though he was getting up things harder than I could climb. I have to laugh - if the guy ever realized he was an actual climber God knows what he might have done.
The other fellow mentioned was a legendary climber from Devil's Lake who was known to me only as Mr. Slinger. I met him bouldering on Flagstaff once. Don't know his age but he seemed quite old. I also don't know if he climbed 5.12 but it is easily imagined since he was knocking off boulder routes right and left first try.
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Werner
Sport climber
Ridgecrest
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Feb 24, 2016 - 03:45pm PT
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What about 80+?
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Feb 24, 2016 - 04:02pm PT
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I've run into Rob the last two summers in Vedauwoo, I think he's 85 (?) both times he was working on new routes. I don't know about 512+, but that guy is clearly still after it!
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 24, 2016 - 08:50pm PT
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Bobert: I will add Eugene Larson's name (a farmer from the Midwest) based on your information.
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melski
Trad climber
bytheriver
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Feb 26, 2016 - 02:33pm PT
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speaking of folks,Merril Bitter and i did the second asscent of coens crack in cottonwood and down graded it to hard eleven,,of course that was some years ago,,glad to hear Merrils still busy,,,
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 4, 2016 - 08:12am PT
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Werner: If you want, you can start your own list for "What about 80+?" or maybe even 90+, but it's my list and I chose 70+ because I'm 71. How old are you?
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2016 - 06:14pm PT
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Bump for: Does anyone have any other names to add?
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chill
climber
The fat part of the bell-curve
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May 21, 2016 - 09:08pm PT
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Gnome said:
Jaybro mentioned .... Earl Wiggins
Don't know how he got in this discussion,
Earl moved on well before he hit old age.
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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May 25, 2016 - 03:43pm PT
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Like a fine cognac: Climbers may not get stronger as they age, but they get smoother. Many older climbers have become very efficient with age and rely more on technique than power.
In Europe there are hundreds of old dads who climb hard. Its common to see entire families out climbing, with grandparents leading into the 5.13 range.
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 28, 2016 - 12:57pm PT
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I was talking with Hermann Gollner the other day at Donner and he was talking about a fellow that climbs at Rifle that is 70+ and climbs 5.12a+ but I can't remember his name. Does anyone know it?
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Jul 29, 2016 - 02:43pm PT
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70+ ???
Oh good, I've got 17 years to get in shape . . .
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 30, 2016 - 10:02am PT
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I don't think I, mentioned Earl Wiggins, did I? I Knew that he had unfortunately ended earlier...
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 19, 2016 - 07:18am PT
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I was able to add one more to the list last June. Can anyone help me out with more?
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TanTheMan
Trad climber
Sheridan, WY
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Aug 21, 2016 - 03:21pm PT
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I love this It reminds me that how many more years i have to climb and climb hard!!
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johnr9q
Sport climber
Sacramento, Ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 27, 2017 - 07:22pm PT
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Bump to see who else I can add
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| Messages 1 - 61 of total 61 in this topic |
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