70+ and 5.12a+

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johnr9q

Sport climber

Sacramento, Ca

Topic Author's Reply - Feb 11, 2016 - 07:26am PT

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.

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Feb 11, 2016 - 08:26am PT

Thanks for those links SKA!

Fat Dad

Trad climber

Los Angeles, CA

Feb 24, 2016 - 01:28pm PT

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.

Harry Mammil

Trad climber

Llanrwst

Feb 24, 2016 - 02:51pm PT

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.

Bobert

Trad climber

boulder, Colorado

Feb 24, 2016 - 03:01pm PT

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.

Werner

Sport climber

Ridgecrest

Feb 24, 2016 - 03:45pm PT

What about 80+?

wideninggyre

Trad climber

Bay Area, CA

Feb 24, 2016 - 03:57pm PT

I climbed with Rob Kelman, the author of the Vedawoo guidebook, in both Vedawoo and Indian Creek many times when he was over 70. He took lead on a lot of routes that proved too stout for the rest our party of 20-something wannabe desert rats. Last I heard he was still pulling hard in his mid 80s: http://www.reporterherald.com/lifestyles/recreation/ci_24178327/83-year-old-loveland-man-has-been-climbing

Jaybro

Social climber

Wolf City, Wyoming

Feb 24, 2016 - 04:02pm PT

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!

johnr9q

Sport climber

Sacramento, Ca

Topic Author's Reply - Feb 24, 2016 - 08:50pm PT

Bobert: I will add Eugene Larson's name (a farmer from the Midwest) based on your information.

melski

Trad climber

bytheriver

Feb 26, 2016 - 02:33pm PT

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,,,

johnr9q

Sport climber

Sacramento, Ca

Topic Author's Reply - Mar 4, 2016 - 08:12am PT

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?

johnr9q

Sport climber

Sacramento, Ca

Topic Author's Reply - May 21, 2016 - 06:14pm PT

Bump for: Does anyone have any other names to add?

chill

climber

The fat part of the bell-curve

May 21, 2016 - 09:08pm PT

Gnome said:

Jaybro mentioned .... Earl Wiggins

Don't know how he got in this discussion,
Earl moved on well before he hit old age.

nathanael

climber

May 21, 2016 - 10:55pm PT

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Scole

Trad climber

Zapopan

May 25, 2016 - 03:43pm PT

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.

johnr9q

Sport climber

Sacramento, Ca

Topic Author's Reply - Jul 28, 2016 - 12:57pm PT

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?