[Wood FT]

've just returned from a holiday clipping bolts and feel the fire a bit after a few years in the doldrums.

Starting this thread as a means to stoke it, mine the fertile seam of ukb elders and motivate myself for something in England. 

Has anyone on here climbed their hardest route over the age of 40? Please share approach to training, sacrifices (if any) and how long it took.

Thanks!

[User deactivated.]

The poster boy for this is Martin Keller who went from 8A(?) in his 30's to 8C+ at 45.

[Wood FT]

Yeah looking for closer to home really.

[monkey boy]

Moon climbing Rainshadow in 50's.

I'm not quite 40 but definitely feel like on certain things I'm still climbing as well, if not better than ever.

Dave Parry climbed Keen Roof last year, his hardest boulder and he's early 40's (?)

[jwi]

Has anyone on here climbed their hardest route over the age of 40? Please share approach to training, sacrifices (if any) and how long it took.

I ldid all my best redpoints after 40. I suspect my late development and improvement late in life is mostly due to starting climbing late in life and having no athletic background. Therefore I started at a very low level and it took me forever to get better.

I do have a bit stronger fingers than ten years ago, but am overall weaker and less snappy. Endurance keep on improving, and on limestone it is quite often possible to leverage endurance to get up hard moves by using intermediate holds.

OTOH I have not improved my best onsight grade since I was 39, so I have not improved in any way that matters except the patience to siege.

[abarro81]

I think Steve Mac did his best in his 40s? Maybe Paul Reeve too?

(Not so close to home, but Dani Fuertes did his first 8c onsight at 40 something, and I think most of his hardest redpoints...)

[northern yob]

Is it 100 % about grade…?

I’ve just been on an amazing trip where we climbed my easiest new route ever…. It’s up there with the most fun ever too.

I’ve spent this winter doing routes of a grade I first climbed 30yrs ago, whilst not at my limit it’s been a really rewarding process.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve realised it’s been less about grade than ever before, and I’ve enjoyed it more than ever.

If it is only about grade I’m 48 and definitely feel like I could climb my hardest grades ever in all but bouldering (that may be due to being a serial underachiever or just deluded) either way if you enjoy the process does it matter what the number you get at the end is….?

Don’t get me wrong the number is important and meaningful just not the be all and end all.

Good luck and don’t forget to enjoy it.

[Stabbsy]

Rob Sutton, first 9a in his mid 40s.

Closer to (my) home, all my best performances were late 30s, but I still think I could surpass them if I gave it my focus and cut out the high volume of running.

[ali k]

I just turned 40 last year so maybe similar age.

Staying motivated to train and prioritise it throughout the year(s) is the biggest hurdle in my experience, especially when there’s more and more that can derail you as you get older.

(I haven’t managed to practice what I preach so not very helpful sorry  but after a few false starts I’ve just accepted that I can’t be arsed with the effort/discipline it would take to progress or even maintain nowadays and that it’s ok)

Good luck!

[andy moles]

At 37 I've been having some similar thoughts, WFT.

Mainly with regard to bouldering, because I quite like the idea of doing 'all the 8s' at some stage. Never climbed harder than 7C, so there's probably no chance of getting there without adopting a more dedicated attitude to bouldering, at the very least.

I would guess bouldering is the hardest type of climbing to get better at with age, as power decreases before stamina. But the question for me is more am I willing to sacrifice other stuff in the next few years to be a committed boulderer for long enough to make a proper fist of it? Will I need to buy a portable fan?

[monkoffunk]

Not an example but this resonated with me:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C38MIyrPuNm/?igsh=ZjN3NjR2c2NqbjBr

[Wood FT]

Has anyone on here climbed their hardest route over the age of 40? Please share approach to training, sacrifices (if any) and how long it took.

I ldid all my best redpoints after 40. I suspect my late development and improvement late in life is mostly due to starting climbing late in life and having no athletic background. Therefore I started at a very low level and it took me forever to get better.

I do have a bit stronger fingers than ten years ago, but am overall weaker and less snappy. Endurance keep on improving, and on limestone it is quite often possible to leverage endurance to get up hard moves by using intermediate holds.

OTOH I have not improved my best onsight grade since I was 39, so I have not improved in any way that matters except the patience to siege.

When did you start? Early twenties?

[Wood FT]

Is it 100 % about grade…?

I’ve just been on an amazing trip where we climbed my easiest new route ever…. It’s up there with the most fun ever too.

I’ve spent this winter doing routes of a grade I first climbed 30yrs ago, whilst not at my limit it’s been a really rewarding process.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve realised it’s been less about grade than ever before, and I’ve enjoyed it more than ever.

If it is only about grade I’m 48 and definitely feel like I could climb my hardest grades ever in all but bouldering (that may be due to being a serial underachiever or just deluded) either way if you enjoy the process does it matter what the number you get at the end is….?

Don’t get me wrong the number is important and meaningful just not the be all and end all.

Good luck and don’t forget to enjoy it.

This is massively on point. Perhaps 'hardest grade' should be replaced with 'climbed your best' because, similar to you, this last holiday had me
climbing my best in terms of enjoyment and mindset. It is exciting to think of how this positive approach could make projecting a happier place in the here and now. The 'more to life' carefree climbing of the time starved older climber.

[Wood FT]

I just turned 40 last year so maybe similar age.

Staying motivated to train and prioritise it throughout the year(s) is the biggest hurdle in my experience, especially when there’s more and more that can derail you as you get older.

(I haven’t managed to practice what I preach so not very helpful sorry  but after a few false starts I’ve just accepted that I can’t be arsed with the effort/discipline it would take to progress or even maintain nowadays and that it’s ok)

Good luck!

I'm 37 and maintaining motivation when there are so many other variables in life leaves me much the same as you.

[Wood FT]

At 37 I've been having some similar thoughts, WFT.

Mainly with regard to bouldering, because I quite like the idea of doing 'all the 8s' at some stage. Never climbed harder than 7C, so there's probably no chance of getting there without adopting a more dedicated attitude to bouldering, at the very least.

I would guess bouldering is the hardest type of climbing to get better at with age, as power decreases before stamina. But the question for me is more am I willing to sacrifice other stuff in the next few years to be a committed boulderer for long enough to make a proper fist of it? Will I need to buy a portable fan?

I think the fan will just be a natural addition if you drop in to that particular performance pipe.

It's routes for me, and a singular route at that, that represents a previous unfinished piece but also a grade higher.

We're the same age btw (do you know who I am?)

[duncan]

've just returned from a holiday clipping bolts and feel the fire a bit after a few years in the doldrums.

What was it about this trip that rekindled the enthusiasm?

Purely from a performance perspective, the people that keep climbing hard / climb their hardest later in life are the ones that somehow manage to retain their motivation. I'm guessing they also still get a lot out of climbing.

What was it that you really liked about climbing when you first started?

What do you like about it now? 

[Wood FT]

've just returned from a holiday clipping bolts and feel the fire a bit after a few years in the doldrums.

What was it about this trip that rekindled the enthusiasm?

Purely from a performance perspective, the people that keep climbing hard / climb their hardest later in life are the ones that somehow manage to retain their motivation. I'm guessing they also still get a lot out of climbing.

What was it that you really liked about climbing when you first started?

What do you like about it now?

The freedom from outcome anxiety and the joy of moving well.

I'll have to have a think about your other questions. I can't really remember.

[andy moles]

do you know who I am?

Yes. I know where you live too. 

Happy to hear you're feeling the love again 

[Wellsy]

I started at 30 so past my athletic prime so I'm keen to see how boulderers can progress in their mid to late 30s and even 40s in strength, grades etc!

[Steve Crowe]

I was in my 40th year when I climbed Supercool 8a+ and I always consider this to be my first 8a.

I climbed my new route Cold Steal the year before but I graded that 7c+ at the time, because I thought I couldn’t climb 8a.

I climbed Stolen 8b at Kilnsey and Totally Free II 8b at Malham when I was 52.

At 56 I managed to onsight two 8a’s in a day at Chulilla.

I climbed my hardest route Mundo Feltz 8b+ with Karin when I was 60

I climbed my most recent 8a at 65 and I still have a list of unfinished business to attend to.

I’m still psyched to talk about training and ways to improve my performance. Injury avoidance and recovery is the top priority.

[mark20]

The freedom from outcome anxiety and the joy of moving well.

I'll have to have a think about your other questions. I can't really remember.

You are one of best movers on rock I've had the pleasure to climb with and I don't think things like that are really going to wear off. So that leaves much more trainable weaknesses to work on, and I don't see any reason why you can't achieve what you want to with some specific training and tactics
(or join me in my gradual decline, pootling up safe E2s and drinking lots of beer)

[Wood FT]

I was in my 40th year when I climbed Supercool 8a+ and I always consider this to be my first 8a.

I climbed my new route Cold Steal the year before but I graded that 7c+ at the time, because I thought I couldn’t climb 8a.

I climbed Stolen 8b at Kilnsey and Totally Free II 8b at Malham when I was 52.

At 56 I managed to onsight two 8a’s in a day at Chulilla.

I climbed my hardest route Mundo Feltz 8b+ with Karin when I was 60

I climbed my most recent 8a at 65 and I still have a list of unfinished business to attend to.

I’m still psyched to talk about training and ways to improve my performance. Injury avoidance and recovery is the top priority.

Inspirational, Steve. Did anything drive this later-in-life surge?

[Wood FT]

The freedom from outcome anxiety and the joy of moving well.

I'll have to have a think about your other questions. I can't really remember.

You are one of best movers on rock I've had the pleasure to climb with and I don't think things like that are really going to wear off. So that leaves much more trainable weaknesses to work on, and I don't see any reason why you can't achieve what you want to with some specific training and tactics
(or join me in my gradual decline, pootling up safe E2s and drinking lots of beer)

This wasn't meant as a hug me post but thanks, right back at you, and I don't believe that for that second - remember I have access to your onlyfans.

[Wood FT]

Not an example but this resonated with me:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C38MIyrPuNm/?igsh=ZjN3NjR2c2NqbjBr

Exactly the the same age. Our simulation chips must be due an upgrade.

[webbo]

've just returned from a holiday clipping bolts and feel the fire a bit after a few years in the doldrums.

Starting this thread as a means to stoke it, mine the fertile seam of ukb elders and motivate myself for something in England. 

Has anyone on here climbed their hardest route over the age of 40? Please share approach to training, sacrifices (if any) and how long it took.

Thanks!

If you ever get back to East Yorkshire, you can come for a session on my board and I will show you how to climb. A bit like I used to do at Rockcity when you were 21 and I was 52.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣