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Nick Danger
Ice climber
Arvada, CO
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Jul 25, 2018 - 09:56am PT
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The finger, Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, 1966.
Goldline rope, steel biners, tied into the end of the rope with a bowline on a bite.
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Jul 25, 2018 - 02:20pm PT
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If you don't count the clothesline rope we used in 1941 while climbing the decomposed granite 40-foot cliff below the Cahuenga Pass "cross on the hill", I guess my first venture into "real" rock climbing was in September 1961, 3 months from my 28th birthday, at Stoney Point.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jul 25, 2018 - 03:02pm PT
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Man you folks are old. I've only got a meager 44 years under my belt. My first time out was at the Gunks in 1974.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 25, 2018 - 04:08pm PT
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Given the consistent, substantial and ongoing yearly increases in the number of climbers over the last half century the roster will grow at an accelerated rate into the foreseeable future.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jul 25, 2018 - 04:23pm PT
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No it won't Jim, most of them are gumbies and won't survive.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 25, 2018 - 05:09pm PT
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There are some gumbies out there Ron...of that there is no doubt.
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JOEY.F
Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
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Jul 25, 2018 - 05:52pm PT
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1974 a co-worker at Curry drug me up in hiking boots w/Vibram soles and a hip belay on Munginella. Next one was in 2004 @ 50 years old. Does that count?
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MikeL
Social climber
Southern Arizona
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Jul 26, 2018 - 09:01am PT
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1963.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Jul 26, 2018 - 11:36am PT
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One thing's for sure. There are a lot of young at heart posters here. Time and again I'll be reading one post or another by various avatars whose identities are unknown to me. More often than not, I'll assume the poster is relatively young, say 20's or 30's, based on the tenor and language of the post. Then, sooner or later the person behind one of these "20 something" avatars is revealed, they post a picture or something, and it turns out they're like 97 years old.
There's not a lot of "age appropriate" behavior around here ;-)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 26, 2018 - 11:49am PT
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Often people ask me where I grew up. My stock answer...”I didn’t...I’m a climber.”
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MH2
Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
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Jul 26, 2018 - 02:08pm PT
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Climbing is hard but easier than growing up.
If memory serves.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
Of THIS World (Planet Earth)
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Jul 26, 2018 - 02:40pm PT
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My first roped climbs were topropes at Stony Point with my dad and his friends when I was seven, 1964.
My first real climb was Angels Fright on Tahquitz with my dad James Evans and his best friend Lincoln Axe, 1967, 10 years old. Goldline rope, bowline on a coil, pitons, hip belay (of course), etc.
Also did my first 14er with my dad and Lincoln that same year, Middle Palisade.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Cascade Mountains and Monterey Bay
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Jul 27, 2018 - 11:30am PT
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60 years club
Manila rope on Boise River basalt cliffs and Idaho Sawtooths
Currently Columbia River basalt cliffs and Washington Cascades
SAR rope rescue team, swift water rescue team and fire department
etc
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Jul 27, 2018 - 11:55am PT
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Lessee - woulda been about 1950, St. Helena Palisades. Piece of 3/8 manilla from hardware store, top roped by younger brother who hadn't done anything like it before either.
First on a nylon rope, 1952, Mission Gorge in San Diego with Jerry Gallwas, Gary Hemming, Barbara Lilley.
Yesterday I was contemplating life changes, and decided that when you are young you are composed of muscle and stupidity. When old, of adipose and senility. And the time between is astonishingly short!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jul 27, 2018 - 03:29pm PT
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only 4 years to go. . .
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Trump
climber
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Jul 28, 2018 - 08:23am PT
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TFPU!
I think my first climb was 45 years ago.
Which, if I had evolved to have 9 fingers instead of 10, might be something I’d say was 50 years ago, and might be something that I found my brain caring about today and attaching some significance to, just because it was a multiple of the number of fingers I’d evolved to have.
But I started down that path 4 billion years ago. Man I’m old! This monkey thinking thing has been a long time in the making. Speaking of which, I guess I kind of like to belong to clubs, too. Go figure.
Keep on keeping on monkey climbers and monkey thinkers! It sure does beat the alternative.
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John Morton
climber
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Jul 28, 2018 - 09:28am PT
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It might have been 1960, at the RCS sessions at the Berkeley rocks and beyond. Practiced aid moves with 30p nails driven into eucalyptus trees, something that is barely possible. I shudder to think of the 3/8" manila rappel rope we used on things like Higher Spire.
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Raker
Trad climber
Lakewood, CO
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Aug 15, 2018 - 10:16am PT
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Likely did some short topropes in 1968 but it wasn't until I took a class with Exum Guides in June of 1969 that I became smitten with this bizarre activity. Been climbing ever since and despite stage 4 cancer and associated challenging treatment, I led a 5.11d and top-roped a 5.12a on Sunday. My new training program is KRM, aka Keep Rob Moving and I attribute my present fitness to my many friends who are members. Hoping to make the official 50 year mark before leaving the planet.
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souterhead
Trad climber
Switzerland
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Aug 15, 2018 - 10:17am PT
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Just caught up with this thread - and must be among the "winners". My 1st roped climb (on a Scottish sea cliff) was in 1960, I think. My 1st Yosemite climb was much later - and easy introduction given by None other than Jim Donini about 1979. And I just completed a Dolomite climb with my old fried Paul Fatti, celebrating 50 years of climbing together - and still having fun!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Aug 15, 2018 - 10:26am PT
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Born in '48, I began climbing in '68 while serving my one year in the USN at Treasure Island/SF Bay, making weekend trips to YNP. My Merced hometown provided the climbing pards.
It was never better than in that spring, lemme tellya. And the time between then and today, Fossil Climber, where in heck did it go?
So many good memories...thanks to all my pals from Backintheday's Sport Shop!
MFM
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