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guyman
Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
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Nov 14, 2017 - 02:17pm PT
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Alan, Marlow .... thanks for the info.
A whole bunch of us are just starting to age... body wise that is.
I refuse to grow up.
EDIT: Fab Video....just watched it. The man kicked ass... I hope to be able to do that.
90 is the new 60
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 14, 2017 - 04:05pm PT
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I wouldn't even think of bouldering but I am 60 with bad knees. Talking to the doc in a few weeks about a knee replacement.
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Nov 14, 2017 - 06:26pm PT
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Safest way to move into old-age climbing: on a rope.
Over 70 it's senseless to jump off things. Mats or no mats.
But if you think you can beat the odds, go for it.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 15, 2017 - 06:35am PT
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You’re absolutely right John. There is also diminished memory to consider but, fortunately, there is only one climbing command you need to remember......”up rope, I’m not moving!”
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Nov 15, 2017 - 06:50am PT
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When easy is all you climb still a tight rope close to the ground, please,
If only i could grow up: I just can not resist, The urge to grasp the un-climb'd - the force is strong
ha!
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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Nov 15, 2017 - 07:33am PT
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Beware the cumulative effects. They rarely affect you until they've accumulated.
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PinkTaco
Mountain climber
Utah
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Nov 15, 2017 - 09:26am PT
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I'm in my better years now, and find that bouldering is ABSOLUTELY key to staying strong and keeping up with the younger and prettier youth. It translates directly to maintaining or pushing my standards on the sharp end.
I look forward to weekends away with just the pad and pipe. The key is to include either a van full of pads, or a posse of friends with pads. Nothing is better than having a scary exit and seeing a sea of pads below with a few young bucks in catch mode!
Bouldering with a pad is definitely an evolution and not the same beast as relying on the Dollar Store welcome mat below. It is analogous to the difference between climbing with a rope and soloing. Its an apples to oranges comparison. Sure sometimes people get hurt hitting pads, but how many get hurt hitting the old shag?
I don't see any comparison between bouldering 40 years ago and today except in its benefits. They are simply different sports. Having a sea of pads is way safer.
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Nov 15, 2017 - 11:14am PT
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I would like the opinion of the older climbers.
I'm 68 years and 6 months.
Do not boulder if you worry about injury.
After 50 years of climbing my only real injuries happened while bouldering: a sprained ankle, a broken heel bone, and elbow tendonitis, on 3 different occasions. All outdoors, I would like to add.
Here is what I would like to know: has anyone done a bouldering traverse of the Trapps at the Gunks? Should be about 2 and a half miles total. I made it from Pink Cabbage to Maria.
still at it 14 years later
and still happily bouldering where a fall would mean major mayhem
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PinkTaco
Mountain climber
Utah
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Nov 15, 2017 - 12:13pm PT
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Yo Brunosafari,
You are about the strongest boulderer I have ever seen.
Post some pics of that secret area you train at (sans pad).
Just to lubricate us!
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PinkTaco
Mountain climber
Utah
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Nov 15, 2017 - 01:10pm PT
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Andy,
A bunch of us tried the Trapps traverse one time on a fall trip there in the early 80's. But I think we ran out of beer after a mile or so!
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rbolton
Social climber
The home
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Nov 15, 2017 - 01:43pm PT
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This guy still boulders like a fiend and he's WAY old!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Nov 15, 2017 - 02:06pm PT
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This guy still boulders like a fiend and he's WAY old!
Yeah but mutants don't count...
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7SacredPools
Trad climber
Ontario, Canada
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Nov 15, 2017 - 02:16pm PT
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7SacredPools
Trad climber
Ontario, Canada
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Nov 15, 2017 - 02:24pm PT
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jgill
Boulder climber
The high prairie of southern Colorado
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Nov 15, 2017 - 03:15pm PT
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I don't see any comparison between bouldering 40 years ago and today except in its benefits. They are simply different sports. Having a sea of pads is way safer
In the same way that modern NFL is different from the old leatherhead leagues of the 1920s, perhaps. But the essence of bouldering hasn't changed much in my opinion. The focus on extreme difficulty on small rocks.
On this forum you won't find more than three or four participants who bouldered in the 1950s: Brokedown Climber, Lauria, and myself are the ones coming to mind. Are there others on ST? I don't know. Maybe Ken Weeks if he's still around.
If you are curious about a history of the sport over a longer time frame, go here:
http://www128.pair.com/r3d4k7/Bouldering_History1.0.html
I rarely if ever jumped off from more than two or three feet, and I never used a pad or mat of any kind. This made anything a bit higher more like soloing, so I was more cautious than I might be today. But even so, with the mat pile, the long term effects on the spine could be more serious than sprained or broken ankles. Some of you in your 60s and still bouldering might consider having a spinal column MRI after you're into your 70s.
I question whether mats mitigate those long term injuries. Gymnasts use lots of mats but still damage the spine.
But I remember what it was like in the childhood of old age, the 60-70 period, and feeling pretty, pretty good and confident! So do your thing.
EDIT: (below) Nothing serious after the age of 50 (1987) and a bad arm injury from . . . bouldering. Very light stuff, no jumping, up to the age of 70. Seriously bad spine now.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Nov 15, 2017 - 03:47pm PT
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When did you stop bouldering JGill?
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eeyonkee
Trad climber
Golden, CO
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Nov 15, 2017 - 03:50pm PT
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Hey PinkTaco, I taught Brunosafari everything he knows; oh wait, it was the other way around. And, come to think of it, he didn't do a very good job...not with bouldering...not with me.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Nov 15, 2017 - 03:57pm PT
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But even so, with the mat pile, the long term effects on the spine could be more serious than sprained or broken ankles
And, I've seen two nasty broken ankles which happened when the climber caught the edge of the pad with their foot. I also twisted an ankle landing on a pad on flat ground. I attribute it to landing 6" before my horizon told me I would. It was a short fall.
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Nov 15, 2017 - 05:04pm PT
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Many thanks, PinkTaco.
A mile is a long way to climb on rock.
And I should correct myself: I think it was Red Cabbage, not Pink, where I started.
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