UKC

Is it an age thing where you choose to cut down on bold routes or is it in your blood that you will never shake?

In reply to The Lemming:

Got a mate who did. He announced that he was done with dangerous climbing at the end of a trip to the alps, and that was that. He still climbs occasionally, and technically is still good but he can't be persuaded to do anything stupid any more.

In reply to The Lemming: Yep. I had a very nasty fall, was lucky to survive, realised I wasn't immortal and took up sport climbing. One of the best decisions I have made.

Andy F

In reply to The Lemming:

I promised my wife that I would pack in ice climbing once we started a family. So, 19 years ago I gave away all my winter pro, keeping just the axes and crampons for walking trips. The recipient of the gear sagely commented that ice climbing was like being an alcoholic; you may never indulge again but you are never cured of the desire.

In reply to andy farnell:
Luckily I haven't had the nasty fall yet. I still do some boldish sort of climbing (it's all relative innit'?) But have a more circumspect approach to such routes. And my route selections are drawn from a broader palette these days rather than pretty much 100% eeek routes...

...but then I'm still immortal

In reply to The Lemming:

Mine was family related, once kids arrived, I did less climbing and started to lose my bottle above gear, dropping about 3/4 grades. This also meant I stopped soloing and also skydiving.
Probably good in the long run, but I do miss these things at times!!

Get m adrenaline in other slightly safer ways these days.

In reply to JamButty:

Do you feel like you could get back into those sports? How old are the kids now?

I found I went really nesh for a few years - now the kids had got older and gone to Uni I have started getting fully back into the climbing - including doing stuff which may hurt me.

I think it is a family thing - but maybe just a natural phase.

In reply to The Lemming:



No, they gave up on me.

In reply to Nik Jennings: To quote the professor "we are all immortal for a limited time"

Andy F

In reply to robw007:




Kids are teens now and I am doing a bit more climbing but still at a much lower level. I just enjoy the hills more now - I used to only walk if there was a climb at the end. Bottle still gone though!!!

In reply to The Lemming:
I don't know how much age figures, but I'm 34 and decided/felt a few years ago I didn't want to make my family sad from my falling off while soloing, so I don't any more.

I might still solo again in the future but it's not really felt right to go soloing.

I feel the need to go mountain biking a bit more and enjoy having disc brakes and the feeling speed. ()

In reply to andy farnell:

I don't do bold stuff, never did. To me climbing is more about the moves and the physical achievement of getting up something than a fear of serious injury or death.

Neil

In reply to The Lemming: Yes and No.

I consciously never started doing HARD bold climbing so I have never needed to stop.

Conversely I have consciously always been happy to do easy and moderate bold climbing and I still do.

In reply to The Lemming:
I gave up winter climbing a few years back after a lucky walk away from a monster fall. The decision was easy; Id had a bad run and was fed up with walking for three hours to go ice climbing in the pouring rain. I soloed one more route, the next year just to get back on the horse, and walked away...

Rock is different, My soloing grade has slowly risen with age/number of children. Not through boldness, just getting better at staying calm.

Don't like to gamble though; getting buried alive in the Alps/frozen in a storm has never appealed...

In reply to The Lemming:

Yep - used to love soloing and would do it on the right day when I felt like it. Not necessarily hard but usually multipitch routes so the consequences don't bear thinking about really. Had a son and stopped immediately - didn't really feel it was fair on the missus. If I ever solo it will be through necessity to preserve my life rather than a desire to. Although am planning on ice climbing a fair bit, and hadn't really thought of that as risky so maybe I ought to evaluate that...

In reply to The Lemming:

Not consciously but... Moved south about 2004 and had previously climbed quite regularly in Northumberland. Lack of walls, crags and partners meant I hardly climbed for about 10 years. Now in Manc with loads of options and wish I hadn't lost those 10 years as my head is taking some training!! Last decent route I climbed in the County was a boldish E6, 10 years off and I could only just struggle up a HS without a wobble! It's coming back, but very slowly!

In reply to The Lemming:

i fell off a route at the roaches,fractured a few vertebrae.i did return and do the route but it certainly put me off and opened my eyes to things happening.
although I don't consider climbing a dangerous sport,its too risky when I have a 3 year old and wife.i don't think its in any ones blood to do risky routes.
I shudder when I think of some of the things I have done,at the time I never considered them to be anything other than another route to do.

In reply to The Lemming:

Generally speaking the older I get, the more careful I am with my body. As a teenager I had no concept of the future and did a lot of stupid things but never got badly hurt. These days I'm growingly more aware of the consequences that smashing my body to bits would have. Doesn't mean life has to be boring though!

In reply to mark s:

That kind of story puts me off the idea completely. I have no desire to risk getting serious long-term injuries that might adversely affect the rest of my life.

Neil

In reply to The Lemming:

all ways took a determined view that soloing was not something to do because you can't find partners to climb with. have done bits but nothing since kids now have a 1 and a 3 y.o.

had a nice trip to alps this summer where mellow climbing was done enjoyed it and have started to harbour ambitions of alpine winter climbing which I realise is daft but hey better than going to the himalaya!

can't see myself having another go on great slab anytime soon though and had to stop myself rearranging boulders mats underneath nbta. elastic ankles seem to be most prevalent in 16 -25 year old males. ...

In reply to The Lemming:


I reckon it is an age thing. Risk taking is an inherent tendency of youth, since the young have yet to discover their limitations. As we get older our increasing quota of sober experience tempers our ambition and hopefully makes us wiser. There can be something quite nihilistic about a young climber's raw desire for the bold and dangerous which is symptomatic of an existential discomfiture. I know there was in my own case. These days I am more chilled out about being in the world.

In reply to The Lemming:

I think I still do bold routes but well within my comfort zone. I would say that I no longer push my limits and this has a lot to do with no longer trusting my body to pull it off in extremise. I am currently STILL nursing a wrist/elbow injury after a month. Injuries come more easily and take longer to recover from so when you are contemplating a tricky bold move you really do not want to be thinking "when I reach that crimp on the lip will I get a sudden shock like pain in my forearm/shoulder/neck/etc."

In reply to The Lemming:

I soloed Little Chamonix yesterday and as I fell asleep last night felt guilty about the risk I'd taken (have a 22 month old son) and decided it was a bad choice. Though interestingly don't have the same feelings towards little browns slabs direct and arête... So I won't yet decide to never solo routes.


I guess soloing easy is different to climbing bold routes though...

In reply to sea_lene:

Climbed Mousetrap recently. It was exhilarating at the time but I did think afterwards what if. Still love to climb bold routes, but bold not potentially deadly.