[r-man]

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/fred-beckey-90-years-old-climbing-in-jtree/107955528

[rich d]

Anyone got the info for bouldering?

[nik at work]

Dougie Hall has recently done a new E8 (and several E7's) and is just a few weeks off 60.

[Sloper]

For women Geraldine Taylor must be right up there.

Polish Mike (who I used to solo with) must also be pushing E6/7 new routes and he must be 60 something.

[Fiend]

Christ, are we going to have to do trad too?

Absolutely yes. Ideally trad onsighting as well 

[Sloper]

Christ, are we going to have to do trad too?

I remember seeing Geraldine at a meet somewhere with the t shirt, 'sport climbing is neither'.

Having said that she didn't approve of Al and I drinking and playing cards, I think she thought I was a bad influence (unlikely) on Al

[Sloper]

Christ, are we going to have to do trad too?

Absolutely yes. Ideally trad onsighting as well 

Subsections for grit and gneiss?

[nik at work]

Didn't someone 60 climb something 9a sometime??

A bit vague maybe, I have in mind something verty looking on marble-esque rock...

[nik at work]

Sorry was thinking of Manalo on Eternit (9a?) but he was only 51. Still not bad...

[LB]

http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?l=2&keyid=36940#

[duncan]

80: Stimson Bullitt "Illusion Dweller" 5.10b trad. (about E2) at 83. Poster-boy for patagonia: they know their customers.

I'm guessing that performance drops pretty sharply from the mid-70s.

[John Gillott]

What us middle aged climbers are really interested in is people who have maintained or improved their grade at at an advanced age. That, e.g., Moon can manage 8b+ or whatever it is at the ripe old age of 48 or so is of course impressive, but not so astonishing given what he did when he was 40 and what he did in his 30s. Is Haston unusual, even unique, in managing to improve in his 40s and up until the age of 50 (in terms of sports grades at least)? I'm thinking of people who climbed to a decent standard beforehand of course - it would be easy to improve if one bumbled around in one's 20s and 30s.

Then, the crucial question, can I improve without having to shed 10kg? That's basically what Stevie did at crucial moments as far as I can tell from his blog. And that Bleausard climbing Zen at 70 in the guide (I think I've remembered that right) - well, he looks like a bag of skin and bones (plus a bit of muscle).

[John Gillott]

Personally I think all this data is informative even if much of it is well-managed-decline rather than late-blooming improvement.

Yes, definitely, there's a lot to be said for well-managed-decline.

[lagerstarfish]

what's the oldest ascent of Austrian Oak so far?

[tomtom]

Just count the rings...

[jwi]

One thing which can be interesting to know for us older climbers is that there is quite a lot of research from a wide range of sports that supports the idea that strength training is way more important for older athletes than for younger. In particular explosive strength training. In mainstream sports (both in endurance and more powerful sports) many coaches talk about how practising the actual sport is enough strength training for athletes in their prime, but that older athletes need to replace skill practice with heavy strength training in order not to loose vital power and strength.

[Muenchener]

older athletes need to replace skill practice with heavy strength training in order not to loose vital power and strength.

Weighted pull-ups in the park are the way forward

[Oldmanmatt]

older athletes need to replace skill practice with heavy strength training in order not to loose vital power and strength.

Weighted pull-ups in the park are the way forward

Just kicked the butt of one of my 19 year old instructors at "L" sits, Windscreen wipers and General core stuff.

On the other hand, I benchmarked our latest rising star last night, for her new training programme.

She's 13.

Kicks my arse to Saturn...

[Johnny Brown]

Manolo's whole cv is worth a read, peaking at 9a+ at 48 amongst others.

[davej]

out of interest whats the oldest ascent of Mecca?? I heard Keith Sharples was trying it how did he get on??

[Muenchener]

Of these, I believe Haston's 9a at 52, Marin's 8b+ at 60 and Sheftel's 8b+ at 59 were lifetime hardest ascents.

Whereas Sharma did many things harder than La Dura Dura in his 20s?

[joel182]

For the women there's Muriel Sarkany with PuntX (9a) at age 39 - not sure of any others?

[petejh]

Continuing with the pedant theme...

60: Lee Sheftel "Whole Shot" 5.14a (8b+) at 59
70:  Lee Sheftel "Eulogy" 5.13b (8a) at 68.

59 isn't 60s and 68 isn't 70s.


I feel as a 39-year-old that this is important point. Although once I hit 40 my benchmark drops from 9b+ to only 9aish, phew.

[205Chris]

out of interest whats the oldest ascent of Mecca?? I heard Keith Sharples was trying it how did he get on??

My money would be on Simon Reed for the oldest ascent of Mecca, possibly late 40s / early 50s?

I'm sure someone will be along to correct me soon.

[dave]

Is Haston unusual, even unique, in managing to improve in his 40s and up until the age of 50 (in terms of sports grades at least)?

I reckon with Haston if he'd taken all the time he's spent over the past few decades doing billions of pull-ups everyday and spent it doing some more "conventional" training he'd probably have boshed off a 9a ten years sooner.