Pencil_Pusher Posted July 26, 2003 Posted July 26, 2003 I was at Exit 38 today and saw (amongst the 30 kids and instructors from Stone Gardens) this 85 year old guy lead a 5.6 and then later a 5.9 on We Did Rock, the center route. Holy frijoles! Stim said he'd been hiking all his life but got into rock climbing at 70. He said that while coordination, speed and reaction times decrease with age, practically none of that is required for rock climbing. He said so long as you keep your bodyweight down and have good forearms, the techniques of rock climbing stay with you as you age. That was super-impressive! He did a couple other routes too while we were there, so he wasn't a one-hit wonder. Here's to Stim "Dave, get back on route!" "But it's so tempting to go this way!" (Cute girl on other route ) Got a ton of ripe raspberries too on the way out... mm,mm good! Quote
StylinBill Posted July 26, 2003 Posted July 26, 2003 No doubt about it - Stim is an inspiration . . . Quote
Dru Posted July 26, 2003 Posted July 26, 2003 Stim Bullitt, the dude is like 5 years older and 55 years less experienced than Beckey and still sending.... hardman style points Quote
Figger_Eight Posted July 26, 2003 Posted July 26, 2003 Hey Pencil Pusher...which group were you with? I was right next to that old guy leading the 5.9 today - that was pretty cool to see Quote
Pencil_Pusher Posted July 26, 2003 Author Posted July 26, 2003 Figger_Eight said: Hey Pencil Pusher...which group were you with? I was right next to that old guy leading the 5.9 today - that was pretty cool to see I recall several groups: A group of four, two guys and two gals, climbing the furthest right, with helmets. A strong dude with a blonde mom and daughter (both with helmets) but I think they left before Stim went up the center. A strong dude with two good looking women going up next to us. I'm guessing though, that my Americanski cc.commies were amongst that group of four on the right? Ida be the guy in the orange t-shirt, my bud and I went up the left side. If so, and I was just curious as we were leaving, why'd y'all leave the quickies on the bolts during the TR? Nice to meet you, Figger_Eight That was a pretty crowded day, eh? Quote
Figger_Eight Posted July 26, 2003 Posted July 26, 2003 That was me climbing with my friend and her daughter. I watched Stim lead most of the route just to the left of the 2 guys and girls. Quote
chucK Posted July 26, 2003 Posted July 26, 2003 Pencil_Pusher said: He said that while coordination, speed and reaction times decrease with age, practically none of that is required for rock climbing. Sorry to divert this thread a bit, but this is why I believe you see such a big bunch of computer and science geek types engaging in rock climbing. The cool jocks in high school were usually the ones with the coordination, speed and reaction time necessary for most of the "ball" sports. The geeks needed to focus on other things like science, computers and sh*t, ..................until they discovered rock climbing and peak bagging. Quote
pope Posted July 26, 2003 Posted July 26, 2003 (edited) chucK said: Pencil_Pusher said: He said that while coordination, speed and reaction times decrease with age, practically none of that is required for rock climbing. Sorry to divert this thread a bit, but this is why I believe you see such a big bunch of computer and science geek types engaging in rock climbing. The cool jocks in high school were usually the ones with the coordination, speed and reaction time necessary for most of the "ball" sports. The geeks needed to focus on other things like science, computers and sh*t, ..................until they discovered rock climbing and peak bagging. Mentioning coordination, Stimson was a boxing champ in college. His book River Dark and Bright (Willows Press) is a fascinating read. Here's a great quote from his memoir: One notion grew to become a fixed conviction: that you should strive to fulfill your own potential. You should try to put out all your energies in pursuit of your ends so that you go to the junkyard with no gas left in your tank. This man is a role model for all who intend to live beyond their youth. Edited July 26, 2003 by pope Quote
Fence_Sitter Posted July 27, 2003 Posted July 27, 2003 chucK said: Pencil_Pusher said: He said that while coordination, speed and reaction times decrease with age, practically none of that is required for rock climbing. Sorry to divert this thread a bit, but this is why I believe you see such a big bunch of computer and science geek types engaging in rock climbing. The cool jocks in high school were usually the ones with the coordination, speed and reaction time necessary for most of the "ball" sports. The geeks needed to focus on other things like science, computers and sh*t, ..................until they discovered rock climbing and peak bagging. not me... i just got sick of organization in athletics... i do what i want when i wanna do it with climbing... Quote
Dru Posted July 27, 2003 Posted July 27, 2003 pope said: chucK said: Pencil_Pusher said: He said that while coordination, speed and reaction times decrease with age, practically none of that is required for rock climbing. Sorry to divert this thread a bit, but this is why I believe you see such a big bunch of computer and science geek types engaging in rock climbing. The cool jocks in high school were usually the ones with the coordination, speed and reaction time necessary for most of the "ball" sports. The geeks needed to focus on other things like science, computers and sh*t, ..................until they discovered rock climbing and peak bagging. Mentioning coordination, Stimson was a boxing champ in college. His book River Dark and Bright (Willows Press) is a fascinating read. Here's a great quote from his memoir: One notion grew to become a fixed conviction: that you should strive to fulfill your own potential. You should try to put out all your energies in pursuit of your ends so that you go to the junkyard with no gas left in your tank. This man is a role model for all who intend to live beyond their youth. Hey pope you mean its OK to sport climb when you're 85??? Quote
pope Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 That's very juvenile of you, Dru. I'm certain he climbs at that moral wasteland in order to offer an example to the lost generation. Even Jesus supped with 'tutes. Quote
Norman_Clyde Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 Helping this thread to drift a little further... that's an interesting idea, that rock climbing attracts and retains a different sort than you see in traditional high school/ college sports. I was very small for my age, last one picked for the team all through elementary school, and thought of myself as therefore a sub-par athlete. Then in junior high I started to discover I could do things no one else could do in the strength/weight ratio department, like pullups/pushups/wrestling. I didn't pursue any of that seriously, but I suspect my original perceptions of myself as a non-traditional athlete have contributed to my general distaste for the usual team sports. I would bet that there aren't too many football/baseball/basketball/hockey stars who make a transition to climbing and mountaineering later in life. The usual team sports in my opinion promote a mindset that is more suited to...a different sort of life than I have, anyway. Quote
ctuller Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 I played football and Hockey all through High school, as well as some mountaineering, skiing and lots of hash/weed. In college I skied about 70 days a year and started climbing. I think that there is just not enough time for team sports once you leave high school. Quote
ryland_moore Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 I played team sports all of my life and played soccer in college. I got into rock climbing in high school, but didn't spend much time with it because other sports took up all of my time. It wasn't until my senior yeart in college when I no longer had a team sport to play that I really started climbing and spending my free time doing so. Maybe climbing is a sport that others who are less coordinated or those who never fit in with sports like baseball, soccer, football or hockey, are more drawn to, but I just think of it as requiring a different mentality. Unlike team sports, climbing is more like wrestling, or tennis except your opponent is a rock face or ice curtain. If you fail, you have only yourself to blame, or your opponent had the upper hand (ie. mother nature came in and put you in your place!). Don't take this wrong, I am not nearly as competitive in climbing as I was playing soccer, but I also find that I push myself harder in climbing than in any other team sport I ever played. Regardless if you were or were not atheletically inclined growing up, we each get out on the rock and ice for our own personal satiusfaction, whatever that feeling may be. So, whether you are a computer geek or a dumb jock, we all find a common bond in the vertical world. Quote
wrench Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 i played organized sports all my life (even div-I football for a couple yrs in college [i sucked at that level though -- thus only "a couple yrs"]). continued to play organized sports in one form or another until i climbed that rock wall in blackcomb village with a couple friends when i was 23. i was totally hooked. i realized i was getting sick of the emotional highs and lows and general ugliness of human nature caused by direct competition with other humans. in climbing i found the competition was against mother nature and yourself, which is a far more peaceful, fulfilling pursuit. and the skills required were vastly new and different--i only lead low 11's sport and 5.8 gear, so obviously there does not appear to be a direct correlation with being 'athletic' in the popular sense and being a good climber (at least in my case). back to the original topic: stimson is tha shiznit. Quote
Dan_Harris Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 I played organized sports all through school including college soccer. I continued to play some competative and rec soccer until my late 30's when an injury ended that. I have always enjoyed hiking and the outdoors and decided to head up Shasta for my 40th birthday. Now peak bagging is what I love to do. As several people have mentioned, the competition is with myself and the mountain. I've done the gym thing and think I'm ready to learn some rock. Quote
chelle Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 Gave up orgnized team sports in elementary school because I sucked at both baseball and basketball. But in high school discovered another sort of pseudo team sport -- track and loved it. Climbing was something I'd done since I was about 8 and scrambled up the big rocks around the area (easly bouldering for kids with little hands) we camped outside Desolation Wilderness in the Sierra. Didn't discover roped climbing until after high school and didn't know anyone who climbed and could teach me until I was in my mid-20s, after I tried triathlons and got into mountain biking. I was way less coordinated before I started rock climbing and definately not as strong as I am now. I like that it really isn't overtly competitive, but there is competition... with myself and sometimes I am more motivated to push myself harder because of what my friends can already do, which I guess is sorta competing with others. It's a great life pursuit and I love hearing about people who crank in their "older" years. Quote
dkemp Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 Met Stim yesterday morning (Sunday) at Exit 38's Headlight Point. At midday we moved to shady Gritstone where we saw him again. My pal, who is less shy than I am, asked him how old he is. Stim replied he is 84. My buddy even took his photo. Stim at Gritstone yesterday: Dox Quote
eric8 Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 well i was on the football, basketball, lacrosse, cross country, wrestling and the blabla look at me team that really gives a fuck Why doesn't every just write the own personnel biograhpy down Quote
Bronco Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 I was thinking the same thing ! I was a champion water boy! Quote
jumbone Posted July 28, 2003 Posted July 28, 2003 eric8 said: well i was on the football, basketball, lacrosse, cross country, wrestling and the blabla look at me team that really gives a fuck Why doesn't every just write the own personnel biograhpy down dumbass: these people are just expounding on the point someone made about what types of people are attracted to climbing and the suggestion someone else made about team-sports types not transitioning to climbing. if you're too dull to realize that, then shut the fuck up and figure it out when you get home. and if you're too insecure about your unit to appreciate a heart-warming cc.com moment, then i've got a lot of junk email you might be interested in. hugs & kisses, jb Quote
Figger_Eight Posted July 29, 2003 Posted July 29, 2003 eric8 said: well i was on the football, basketball, lacrosse, cross country, wrestling and the blabla look at me team that really gives a fuck Why doesn't every just write the own personnel biograhpy down spoken like the perennial towel boy who kept missing the jv squad cut Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.