[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!

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.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Those were the days. I was at the Deep yesterday with my son! I got all nostalgic seeing the bridge.

[Stabbsy]

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?

Early retirement?

[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.

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

I don’t know but maybe just believing that progress is possible. I’m sure I could have performed better if I’d trained smarter. Consistency is key.

Probably doing repeaters on the Beastmaker fingerboard and the boring on the minute foot on campus training that we did was the most significant contribution to some of my best performances.

Train your weaknesses but perform to your strengths.

[Fiend]

When I was as happily and joyously young as 37, and naively full of yet-to-be-crushed hope about climbing progress, I'd done my hardest redpoint and boulder problem just a couple years earlier and could have equalled them if firstly the DVT-induced appalling weight gain wasn't catching up with me, and secondly longer-term sieging wasn't equally appalling. I did still have my most consistent periods of trad onsighting yet to come, these partly occurred due to falling practise and partly right place / right time scenarios (and a lot of saving routes to get those).

Starting late (but with a possibly hidden good physiological make-up for climbing) is one option to fake progress in later life, constantly underperforming (e.g. ledge-shuffling) then suddenly trying a bit is another option for the same illusion of gainz. Mercilessly and rigorously training with a mathematical precision that makes Dave Mac look like some parkour-loving numpty down the Depot could see genuine progress - as long as it's done while the mind and body can still handle it.

TL, DR - go read northern yob's post instead. 

[Steve Crowe]

Early retirement? aka lifestyle choices.

Early retirement from a predominantly desk job and working as a route setter at Sunderland Wall can only have helped.

[Duma]

I'm 46.

As background I've been climbing since my mid teens. I'm naturally fairly good on the movement side of things, and keen and have remained so for 30 odd years, so I do it a lot, but don't really ever structure my training.

I climbed my hardest boulders 2017 - 2019, ie post 40. Things have dropped off since then but that's likely due to more focus on sport in recent years, and after a bit of effort this winter at the wall I'm feeling pretty snappy on the short stuff again, probably close to where I was in those years.

Routes wise I redpointed my hardest at 38, but have equalled that as recently as 2022, and my current project would be my hardest if I manage it (though the same grade).
My hardest flash was last winter and I would say I'm currently as good or better than I've ever been at sport.

Biggest factors imo are maintaining motivation and managing recovery/injury.

[Wood FT]

That's a great read, Duma. I find it even more impressive given your working hours too.

[Duma]

Hah, I don't think they're a limiting factor tbh (more than any full time job I mean)

[spidermonkey09]

Probably doing repeaters on the Beastmaker fingerboard and the boring on the minute foot on campus training that we did was the most significant contribution to some of my best performances.

Train your weaknesses but perform to your strengths.

This is underrated advice for anyone sport climbing in the UK I think. Also the two mainstays of my training. Always boring, but it always works.

[andy moles]

the boring on the minute foot on campus training

Is 'foot on campus training' what it sounds like, i.e. going up and down on a campus board with your foot/feet on something?

[Steve Crowe]

the boring on the minute foot on campus training

Is 'foot on campus training' what it sounds like, i.e. going up and down on a campus board with your foot/feet on something?

“ The campus method has worked very well for me and many others. This must be done with feet on, or it will be too hard and you’ll be bouldering! Feet can be on specific footholds or a chair or whatever. Aim for 3 – 4 reps of this, each taking around 90 – 120 seconds. Rest 5 – 7 minutes in between. The movement should be similar to normal campusing, but with feet on, like rung 1 – rung 4, rung 6 match, then back down again (worth putting in rung 2 on way down to cut out the crux move (dropping 4-1) and so you lead with a different hand each movement)”

From https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=23696.0

[SA Chris]

I can hardly believe this, but I will be 55 next moth, ready to start drawing pension (kids just need to do one! ).

I pretty much quit rope climbing when we had kids (I was 40), and boulder 90% of the time, and have definitely hit a few peaks in grade sine then, I never really took bouldering seriously and just used it for mileage before.

Things that I think help;

1) Weekly beastmakering
2) Training on board in garage
3) Resistance training with weights
4) Regular running to keep the weight down
5) reasonably healthy diet
6) Back off and rest as soon as you feel an injury coming on (slow lesson learning)
7) Don't be shy to train / push yourself with people a fraction of your age at the wall.

[nai]

I started at 21, puntered around for nearly 20 years then got my act together and did my hardest boulders in my early 40s and hardest routes late 40s early 50s, hardest trad around then too. 

Having my own board and other training kit was key for me I think and being able to train 4/5 times a week barely leaving home. Plus being able to climb twice a week in season no doubt helped too.
Also had to specialise, tried winter bouldering & summer routes for a few years without the success on routes I was after, turns out a bit of token stamina work in spring isn't good prep  . So, having blocks away from rock to train properly.
I'm absolutely sure I'd have got my hardest boulder at 52 if not for covid but I got injured going for all out strength in lockdown then just lost my motivation.
Motivation is the key really, I guess you need to be able to see a realistic path to success. If not do something more realistic for now then pick it up again when life allows.
Looking back I question whether it was worth it but I probably wouldn't have been satisfied any other way. I wonder if spending another few hours a week with the kids would mean they'd spend less time on their phones now, or be more engaged in anything or not be mortified about going out with me in public, but probablay not.  Maybe I should have been more engaged pushing them on the swings rather than going through the microbeta of my current project.

[spidermonkey09]

the boring on the minute foot on campus training

Is 'foot on campus training' what it sounds like, i.e. going up and down on a campus board with your foot/feet on something?

https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,22064.75.html

Numerous ways of doing it depending on what you want to train.

[T_B]

I climbed my hardest sport route at 38 and hardest boulders at 39, but 40 was quite pivotal in that I took up another sport (running) which I do alongside climbing.

I have no doubt that you can improve in your forties, if you are motivated and enjoy the process of training and trying really hard.

Having an obvious goal to focus on can seem attractive if you have a busy life and I was certainly doing that when my kids were little.

Obviously there’s loads of info out there now about how to train for sport. Timed circuits were always key for me, even for longer endurance routes.

Something that I think is really good advice is to be honest about what you enjoy. I’ve always loved climbing on a board, but I’ve never really stuck with a deadhanging routine for very long. I just don’t get much pleasure from it.

I’m now 48 and feel like I’m having a mini comeback this winter but like Jason upthread, it’s this great feeling of no pressure and just enjoying the climbing/friends first and foremost. I have goals for this year but I’m not going to get into a position where I’m stressing about my climbing.

Finally, and linked to the point above, I value more than ever the energy and motivation that my climbing partners can bring to the party and I try harder nowadays to reciprocate the positive vibes.

[PeteHukb]

Great thread, thanks everyone. I've just turned 40 and am really hoping I can continue to climb harder for a bit longer, injuries permitting. (Continuing to enjoy it regardless of grade has thankfully never been a struggle for me.)

[cheque]

I climbed a bit when I was in my early teens, got back into it (started climbing for real really) when I was 28 and had to start again from scratch (as in, from absolute scratch, worse at climbing than I’d ever been) after injury when I was 38, 5 1/2 years ago.

I improve all the time, but I do have a weird gift/ infliction where I take the most pleasure from climbing stuff that while not a new grade for me is something I’d have struggled with or flat-out not been able to do in the past. I just love that feeling of holistic improvement rather than “that grade’s really hard, only good climbers can climb that grade”.

Having said that, I am pretty close to the grade levels I used to climb at now and confident that I can surpass them, probably fairly soon.

A cynic would say I’m assisted by never having been particularly good at climbing in the first place which is 100% true but being really good at climbing is massively overrated. You’re still climbing the same rocks, just in a slightly different place.*

One of the things I’ve learnt from my unorthodox “climbing journey” is that, like so much of life, you’re trying to recreate the carefree fun and love you had for climbing when you first got psyched for it and in most cases being seriously into grades, only climbing on specific projects and, for want of a better term, thinking you’re summat, is the opposite direction from that 

Something that I think is really good advice is to be honest about what you enjoy.

 I value more than ever the energy and motivation that my climbing partners can bring to the party and I try harder nowadays to reciprocate the positive vibes.

Massively with these two points.

*obviously this is a comic exaggeration but I stand by the basic point of it

[User deactivated.]

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edit - wrong post

[Hoseyb]

Started climbing when I was 13

At my greatest power to weight and most stupid in my twenties ( could barely lead 6c but could do 3 one armers).

This led to inevitable injury and focusing on technique in my thirties.

At this point I also discovered bouldering and got married. As kids came along the adventure climbing dwindled, my hardest trad route was at 39 ( the Beast in Me E6 6b) although my boldest was at 41 with Twll Love E5 6a.

My early forties brought back pain and I discovered core work and pilates. Now with 4 kids and concentrating on the more adventurous avenues in bouldering I feel I'm continuing to improve.

My best bouldering year was 2021. Power endurance boulders getting ticked including long term offwidth projects.

2022 and 23 were mainly write offs due to injury, and this year I'm concentrating on injury prevention and general conditioning to push through to a new bouldering grade by my 50th birthday in August.

I feel that as I've always pursued adventure, I was often lazy about the physical game. This means although I may never have reached my physical potential, there's so many tweaks and gains to exploit as a canny old climber.

Also I'm still enjoying it.

[Wood FT]

Great replies, thank you all. I've recently started a new hobby, a team sport, and being rubbish again certainly makes you appreciate the fluidity of years and years of climbing movement. Conscious competence is rare.

[Nike Air]

'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!

I'm 43 this year...

Are you willing to sacrifice feeing comfortable to achieve whatever goal this is?

Alot does come down to lifestyle choices. Obviously they are on a spectrum and life also throws some curve balls but you have to have a plan.
Some have had clarity from early on and other well life has just come at them faster than they anticipated..

Saying no to all responsibility and being selfish won't make you happy so doing the normal life stuff within reason works for many.

Thinking about it.
Can debt be one of the biggest issues to making the most of your time/energy?


As mentioned.
It's not all about achievement for everyone, but deep down you want to know what you are capable of surely?

Again this as you ages takes feeling uncomfortable. Be that dieting, training, not getting that dog, not getting that conservatory or new fancy car..

Everyone's circumstances are different so it's hard to apply one person's lifestyle to another.

The having fun part yes is key, a particular climb won't make you happy but having tried hard to better yourself will sit well with you and be the lasting impression of this/that particular time period.

JB

[JamieG]

Saying no to all responsibility and being selfish won't make you happy so doing the normal life stuff within reason works for many.

For me it's even more than that. A huge part of my enjoyment from climbing comes as an 'escape' from everyday life. So without the normal life stuff, I'm not sure I'd actually enjoy climbing as much. Obviously it's frustrating sometimes when you can't get out because of life stuff, but that makes me enjoy the times I do get out even more.

And building a board in the basement has kept me sane too. :-) Otherwise I would do no training/climbing most weeks.

[Nike Air]

"For me it's even more than that. A huge part of my enjoyment from climbing comes as an 'escape' from everyday life. So without the normal life stuff, I'm not sure I'd actually enjoy climbing as much."

You explained that better they I tried, exactly if all you had was climbing hard grades you wouldn't find much fulfillment.

I see plenty of achievers that are miserable and don't have much else going on. But again no climbers could look at climbers and think what the heck are they doing with large chunks of their life...

I'm especially impressed with those who work in the climbing industry speaking from my own experience. For them they can hardly use going climbing as an escape.

As long as the life stuff isn't to stressful/grief a balance can be struck but have a plan I guess.

Thinking more about the enjoyment vs trying hard, for some people they aren't linked and for others they are intrinsic.

You just got to be honest with yourself as you get older as time flies and today's choices affect the rest of the year....

Anyway I fly back from Turkey today having failed on my two big projects....

[SA Chris]

I've recently started a new hobby, a team sport

Hopefully not a silly team sport that gets you injured! Otherwise, enjoy.

[Fiend]

but being really good at climbing is massively overrated. You’re still climbing the same rocks, just in a slightly different place.*

brilliant.

I'm generally very grumpy about aging and climbing regress, mostly but not entirely due to the lack of SAChris's #4 and all the knock-on effects, but I should point out that despite that shit I'm still often very motivated (motivating for climbing / pushing hard is definitely NOT enough on it's own, motivation for the merciless training regimes alluded to may well be tho) and still try hard and still enjoy pushing the current lower levels of punterdom.

This winter I've got back into scrittle bothering after 2 dogshit seasons previously, and, despite climbing at a full single grade lower than previously, I'm still regularly inspired and regularly trying hard, in fact skin is letting me down more than psyche or anything else!! I think the massive development / documentation / Bonjoying of bouldering in recent years plus my usual penchant for exploring off-piste has given a lot more choice and fresh problems to go at which definitely helps...