UKC

Whilst down at the wall a few months back, I came across a familiar face doing laps on the auto-belay lines. He smiled as I watched him catch his breath after a particularly tiring run. "Oh, I climbed my first 7a outdoors last week, and I've just turned 70!"

Dr Ivor McCourt lives in Edinburgh and is a professional Engineer. He's a regular face at EICA:Ratho and despite his age, appears to train harder than many climbers 40 or 50 years younger than him. I was inspired by his story of "7a at 70" and thought I'd ask him some questions to find out more and share his story...

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I like the trajectory... assuming I can still do 6a at 60!

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Well you can definitely build muscle after the age of 60, I didn't start climbing until 61 and I've gained muscles I didn't know I had! What an inspiring article.

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I may well be wrong, but I'm sure John Sheard was still climbing 7c when he reached his 70's.

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Great stuff

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Go Ivor! 7a+ at 71?

I think there is probably a big difference between pushing your grade at 70 as opposed to just maintaining a grade achieved years earlier.

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Inspiring!
Although I was expecting him to put the rope between his teeth, and have them pop out.

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Ace. Most of the rest of us have now get one less excuse

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Good article and insight to what can be achieved with dedication, it would be interesting to see the structured programme that was used ?
Would this be possible to publish ?

Thanks

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I'm 68 and can manage 6b at the moment. . .

. . . so at 69 I'll do a 6c, then at 70 a 7a. Sorted! (haha)

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Incredible. What an inspirational guy. I certainly hope i'm climbing 7a at 70. Nice work Ivor!

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Thanks for posting this. A genuinely inspirational article. So many achievements which are published don't inspire as they involve too many commitments, which are outwith the scope of many of us eg money and time. This however is just plain good old hard work. Kicks my usual moaning that the best is behind me well into touch.

In reply to Ivor
Brilliant inspiring stuff. Well done Ivor!

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Not bad at all, but check this Spanish dude

Novato Marin (father of Edu Marin) just climbed 8b+ at 61 years old.

http://www.epictv.com/media/podcast/most-people-cant-climb-8b-especially-at...

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Good article making some excellent points re using structured training to maintain or improve the whole gamut of things needed to climb well. Great effort by Ivor and his support guys. A crucial point to bear in mind is that if you are in reasonable physical condition when you retire, you have much more time to train and climb and probably enough cash to travel to climb. It is therefore possible to build the gradual improvement necessary to climb harder for a number of years. I know through experience, that being able to put in time on rock, on the lead, leads to significant improvements and these can be enhanced by strength and stamina training. There is no reason why older climbers must simply put their feet up and potter around on easy stuff. Unless of course that is what they want to do.

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Mean debater too! If you're reading this Ivor hope we catch up over the winter on FCT day, bit of mental exercise too.

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All credit to Ivor - 7a at 70 is fantastic. I don't think it is unusual for older climbers to still be pushing their limits - I climb with a group of average age in the late 60's and what amazes me is their unbounding enthusiasm for new climbing experience.
As soon as new routes are set on the wall they dive into trying to crack them - this is not cruising well known routes - it is pushing your limits on the unknown whether it is 6a or 7a. Such a vitality is shared across many veteran athletes and it is great to share their company.

In reply to Alex Gallego:

I'll settle for that and 7a at 70!

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what a hero!

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Great effort, really inspiring, the 7a in question is no pushover either, no long stamina pitch with easy moves, its full on bouldering.
It must have been done a while ago though as the trees are bare.

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I did my first 7a last week in Kalymnos at the age of 67, a route called 2046 at Ghost Kitchen. The book says it's now 6c+, probably true, but the logbook voting says 7a so I'm having it.

Al

Great and inspiring article a specially for me to read, I was looking for a way to get a little fitter at the age of 59 and I did not want to go to a gym or take up jogging both to boring for me.
My daughter put me in contact with a climber as I just thought of doing some abseiling, I thought I was to old to start climbing, I was talked into having a go indoors and my first go at climbing was on the 3rd Mar 2015, I loved it, I have been climbing at the Roaches and on slate at Llamberis this summer as well as indoors.
I have even started to exercise at home to try and get stronger so I can move up the grades, I'm now doing 6A indoors and have done E1 outdoors, the great thing is you can take it at your own pace.
Its a great inspiration for me to see Dr Ivor McCourt climbing 7A outdoors at 70, also the fact that you can get stronger at 60 plus, I'm loving every minute of it even the falling off.
safe climbing,

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I've seen Ivor climb at the wall a number of times and I reckon he is capable of climbing much harder than 7a...

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Crikey! He climbs like me... but with ability!