UKC

Hey is it to late to start trad climbing???

Thanks T

In reply to Tony500: I'd say so, probably best to wait until morning now

In reply to Blackmud:

If he'd started tonight he could have had an extra hour at it, so no -never too late.

In reply to Blackmud: oh funny f*cker or what lol... Ok start again, is it to late to start climbing at any age????

Thanks T

In reply to Tony500:

No, provided you have a good enough light, preferably a headtorch so your hands are free to hold onto the rock with.

In reply to Tony500: I can see this is the right place to get great advice lol

In reply to Tony500: No it's not and how old are you?

In reply to Tony500:

In general, no
Although at 80 it might be physically a bit demanding!

In reply to Tony500: I wouldn't say so, it seems to me that a lot of trad isn't technically difficult/ doesn't require the athleticism of some whippet, but it requires psychological resilience to the fear of possible dangers, and the ability to control that fear. I don't think age would be a problem for routes like this.

In reply to JIMBO:
nah never too late as long as youre reasonably fit and up for adventure.

In reply to Tony500:

Nope - get to it

In reply to Tony500: agreed with all above.

sorry for the joke advice earlier, was too good to resist!


its never too late to do something new.

In reply to Tony500: It's never too late. Started climbing two years ago, at age 48, and haven't looked back ( although looking down makes me sweat a bit).

In reply to Tony500: thanks all for the feed back... and took no offence to the jokes, enjoy the banter..
Been mountaineering for years and started to have a interest in trad climbing and ice climbing...

Love the great outdoors and been a few times to Fair Head meet in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, so tough why not and try to get into it...

In reply to Tony500:

It is far too late to start trad climbing. The sport climbing revolution is gathering pace, all the best crags are getting retro-bolted, all the good climbers are turning to sport and soon the only places where you can climb trad will be mossy mountain rambles and manky quarries. Surely you don't want that?

In reply to Tony500:
As a friend of mine said, "hard scrambles are harder and more dangerous than easy climbs". So no, if you're in to mountaineering already, it's not too late. Trad climbing can be very easy-going

Just look at placing natural pro as another tool in the climbers tool box. Its not all that special or complicated in itself, though there are certainly levels of skill to it. It can be safer or more dangerous than clipping bolts.

In summary, no ones too old for it.

(In my area the biggest difference is that bolted routes tend to be faces. Trad lines tend to be cracks. It worked out for us that the transition to the different climbing style was the bigger issue.)

In reply to Blackmud:

Very good.

In reply to Jonny2vests:
I quite liked that too. Very sharp.

In reply to Tony500: My mate started climbing at 61 after frightening himself scrambling on some of his walking routes. He enjoys doing multi-pitch routes, diffs and severes that sort of grade. Never too late to begin.

In reply to Tony500: im a pup at 54 and enjoy nothing better than a big vdiff multi pitch day out with friends.gets the old adrenaline going .love it!

In reply to Tony500: thanks all for the feed back etc...

In reply to Tony500:


In life... No.

This year... It's bouldering season, you missed this summer's trad boat

jk

In reply to Tony500:

How old are you?

In reply to Trangia: 89 this December....

Only jk, 38 myself...

In reply to Tony500:

I started climbing in my 30s and I know plenty of others who have.

Language is the hardest bit. For instance you will have to get used to the fact that when people say pants, they sometimes mean their trousers rather than what is conspicuously visible above the waistline of their trousers.

In reply to Tony500:

One of the most enthusiastic climbers I know started in his early 50s.

In reply to Tony500:
38? Really, and you have to ask!

I only started bouldering at 41. While I will never worry the stars of the game (unless I get a weapon in my hands), I get great enjoyment from it and my bouldering is good enough, even still slowly improving.

In reply to Tony500:

38!!?

I can't believe you had to ask the question.

Even if you had been 89 I'd have said "Give it a go!"

I was recently taking a party of people on a Health Walk, we went via an outdoor gym with various adult exercise stations including a zip wire. One of my walkers was an 85 year old lady. She went on the zip wire twice before I had to drag her away to continue the walk.

In reply to Tony500: Hi, Im 41, in the last few year taken up Thai Kick Boxing (& teach it), become a higher level personal trainer, am fitter, stronger & faster then i have ever been in my life... if you put in the work & have the right mind set... never too late!

Im just starting climbing next week myself & whilst under no illusion as to how hard it is, don't expect to find it any harder than someone 20 years younger.

Just remember, if your mind is beaten your body stands little chance so never doubt yourself, set realistic targets (small steps) & train regularly.

In reply to Tony500: thanks people for the input... I now just got to start gaining time doing it