UKC

Hello

I was introduced to Climbing about 2 years ago, due to busy life style and I guess most of those around this age are, I can not practice more than once a week, I am still stuck at low grades V3, 6A+ top rope,

I am just wondering if anyone out there ( late 30s upwards ) , also new ish to climbing and managed to get to a descent grades

be nice to share some inspirational stories

Regards

B.

In reply to Matrix:

U can climb as much as you want to climb. Wotz ure goal bruv??

In reply to Matrix:
I would like to climb at 6c, heard that s where the fun starts,

In reply to Matrix:

I'm in a similar boat, same age, more or less around those grades. I do feel I'm still slowly getting better though. I would suggest climbing with people who are better than you, both to pick up tips and to be forced to push yourself a bit. If you can work extra exercise into your day that would probably help too i.e. cycle to work, do a few push ups in the morning, buy a hang board. Find a 6b+ that suits your style and project the shit out of it.

In reply to Matrix:

I'm a 44 yr old working single mum. I started climbing 3 yrs ago and git my first f6c a couple of weeks ago.

Getting time to climb is a logistical nightmare and the housework has more than suffered. Work let's me have some flexi so I can work into the night or early to get time climbing, running or on the suspension trainer. I also bike rather than drive when I can because time cycling is minus car journey time so I get bigger bangs for my minutes.

I think the trick is to use small slots. 30 mins is 2 hilly mile run plus a shower.

Best of luck anyhow (I think a good f6a can be cracking fun!).

In reply to Matrix:

It depends very much on the person but after you reach a certain level its very hard to progress if you're only climbing once per week. If you can supplement climbing with a bit of home training it could make a huge difference. Get a fingerboard, pull up bar, rings and/or weights (all pretty cheap - you can even make a decent fingerboard from scrap) and you'll at least be able to get stronger and fitter. Actual climbing is essential for training technique and your head though, but maybe the gap between sessions is not as critical as the physical side.

In reply to Matrix:


You can be sure that people who progress through the grades quickly climb a lot more than once a week. That doesn't mean climbing a lot guarantees success, but I reckon it's pretty essential.

Your age isn't necessarily a problem, I started climbing just shy of my 39th birthday (44 now). I managed a F6c outdoors after a few goes in my second year, but it was a bit of a fluke.

After that, just steady progress really. Until I started redpointing in June and went from F7a to F7c by September, but that was mostly mental gains, getting used to trying hard, getting used to falling, getting used to failure and being patient.

I was feeling like I was getting close to F8a before Malham turned into a waterfall, and I got a job.

In reply to Matrix:


The funs always starts one grade above what you currently climb... or can appear to unless you sort yourself out and realise that it is the sweet spot between what you currently can climb, and what you currently can't, that makes up a good part of the fun.

In reply to Matrix:

How about just enjoy climbing no matter what grade you are at It's easy to get stuck into chasing the next grade instead of being present and having fun. That said, it will be hard to make much progress climbing once a week so manage your expectations accordingly!

In reply to Matrix:

Admittedly she climbs a lot more than once a week but one of my regular climbing partners started climbing fairly late on (30s or possibly 40s) and is currently working towards "8a by 50".

There's a good section in "9 out of 10" about the ways in which there's more climbing or training time there than you think there is.

In reply to Matrix:

6c isn't where the fun starts. The fun starts when you tie on.

Where there may be some truth in the fun starting at 6c is, if you develop the technical skills to climb 1 6c, you should be able to climb pretty much any 6a on any wall. On the flipside, if you can develop the technical skills to climb any 6a in the wall, it's only strength that stops you projecting a 6c. My guess is that though you say to climb 6a+, there are probably some routes at 6a or 5+ on the wall you dismiss as 'not suiting you'. They may be thuggy or crimpy routes; it may be you loath routes on a slab that require flexibility or steep overhanging routes, but if there is be a type of route you don't like trying because you don't want to risk falling off on 'just a 5+' then my advice is try those routes. Address your weaknesses when you can climb rather than lapping your favourites and you should improve.

In reply to Matrix:


That's quite a disparity right there. Is that V3 indoors? Even so, I can barely do that and I can lead up to 7a indoors.

In reply to Matrix:

I started in February this year at 43, now 44. We go every Monday pretty much without fail but have the occassional second evening climbing, especially in the summer. We've also had several outdoor trips where i've been learning trad. I'm currently climbing about 6b indoor with the occassional 6c/6c+ but it very much depends on the route.
(Outdoors trad its only HV/HVS 4's!)
Try climbing 6b/6b+ you'll be surprised how some might be easier than you think and should give you confidence to push yourself. if you're on top rope you've got nothing to lose.

In reply to Matrix:

6c in your late thirties, only climbing once a week should be achievable. Not sure if this is universal, but at my local wall, 6a+ top rope is often more technical/crimpy/pumpy than the 6b/6c lead routes.

I'd suggest the following -

1. Make the most of your 1 weekly session - get some good rest the night before, eat some slow burn energy food before climbing, be the last one leaving the place when the doors close at night

2. Have a different but clear objective for every session - climb as many easy routes as possible in one night, work some very hard routes well above your grade (trying short sequences and individual moves), do laps on the same route until you have the sequence nailed

3. Start lead climbing - it's a big change, but after 2 years of top roping, a sea change in the type of climbing you do could kick-start you mentally - getting your 'serious head' on and pushing yourself that little bit more is a good way to motivate success - grrrrr!

Disclaimer - I'm currently a lazy sh@*t who does none of the above, but it's worked in the past for me.

In reply to planetmarshall:


Can you really trust indoor grading?

In reply to Matrix:

6A+ isn't a low grade. I thought you were going to say in the 4s or something.

In reply to Matrix:

There has been a bit of talk here about improving your strength, and whilst this is clearly a big part, you should not over look the importance of other factors, such as technique, route reading and mentality.

I have been climbing for 6 months, mostly indoors, but also a few outdoor trips. I can just about top rope to 6c and normally lead around 6a/a+. I am far from the strongest, so i do try to focus on other areas to improve, such as accurate footwork, using momentum and working on flexibility. The strength has appeared to come naturally through climbing two or three times a week.

In reply to planetmarshall:

really ?! must be different way of grading, it is indoor Bouldering and they are Colour coded
VB
Green V0-V2
White V1-V3
Pink V2-V4

I can do most of the Green, many of the whites, some pink ( beefed up ones )
On the wall, 6a+ Tope road and shit myself on leading so I have to drop few grades ..hhh

I may be unique, but normally find F4 - F5 grades to be the most fun!

I can climb F6 - F7 grades, but usually it means a lot of problem solving and may be just one pitch a day. While F5 can be 5 pitches done as part of Alpine route from hut to hut with amazing views and moving fast. Or F4 in UK moving solo with nice views and camping at the top of the hill.

I do like to project a technically difficult pitch, but normally the output of fun per time spent will be lower than racing Tower Ridge to Ben.

In reply to Matrix:
There some good replies and certainly the question has been posted here before.

The main reply I have is don't worry about age, that's one thing you can't train your way out of. I started at 40 and have climbed for 6 years.
The second part is more key, time management. To improve with little spare time you have to really work out a plan on how to use what time you have and perhaps where else you can sacrifice time to improve.
I have 3 daughters, trust me, this is my crux! I know this one well. If can hold down a job and properly bring up my girls AND improve then it can be done.

Look at your life and manage in the training you need. What this actual training is may depend on you and only you know you're own weaknesses BUT generic advice is:
Climb more - hmm you've already said not viable. Maybe build a home wall. It will make training more efficient.
Use a fingerboard- hmm depends on if this is a weakness. If you do then seriously approach it slowly and gradually, very easy to injure.
Loose weight - honestly it makes a difference. Strength versus weight. Can't improve the strength then loose weight.
Flexibility- 15 mins a stretching a day will help. Make it part of your daily routine.
Other exercise - hmm maybe but it will usually only help with general body condition. There's s few things better than others to do in a gym but there's no real substitute at your grade to climbing more.

Enjoy. Sometimes the path is more fun than the destination!

In reply to Matrix:
Lee Sheftel started climbing at 33 and climbed 8b+ at 59. Your age is virtually irrelevant at the grades you are climbing and aspiring to.
http://stephdavis.co/blog/climbing-and-age-limits/

Would you expect to play grade 8 on the piano if you started in your 30s and practiced once a week? Would you expect to run faster if you ran once a week? Would you become a better ballet dancer if you practiced once a week? Climbing once a week, even a focused and effective session, is going to severely limit your potential to improve and there is no dressing this up.

Rock climbing involves a combination of movement skill, head skills, and physical factors (strength-to-weight, forearm endurance, flexibility). That's the order of importance for most people. Movement, often the most important factor, can only be practiced on a wall, board or outside.

You are top-roping 6c and leading 6a+. You have a marked weakness in 'head skills': leading confidence, fear of falling perhaps, or leading tactics. These can be addressed effectively on a lead wall or outside, working with an experienced climber. This is how most coaching holidays achieve their improvements.

Supplementary exercises like finger boarding, pull-ups, or yoga/stretching help physical factors and might help your climbing if they directly address a significant weak-point. Finger strength-to-weight is your most likely physical limitation so finger strength training and weight optimisation are most likely to benefit you. As a rough guide, doing more than 25% of your climbing training on supplementary exercises is probably wasting your time. stp has climbed for ~35 years, has great movement skills and head skills, so doesn't need to practice them as much as you do. Supplementary training is really helpful for him. It is less helpful for people like you who usually most need to practice moving.

If you're happy leading 6b/+ then practicing in a focused fashion once a week with a little supplementary training will achieve this. Coaching your leading might reduce the gap between leading and top-roping grade. If you want to get significantly better you need to build more climbing around your life or modify your life a little to allow more climbing.

In reply to Matrix:
I am overwhelmed by the number of the responses and the quality of some of the advices and Analysis, Thanks ti_pin_man , Duncan,very inspiring story about Lee sheftel.

Everyone agree about importance of time management, actual climbing, Strength per pound, mental focus, to progress

so what I have taken from here:

15 Min Stretching day
improve strength/weight ratio through Supplementary training (rather not loose weight ,..75Kg @ 5'11 can not be skinnier than that.. haha )
Mental coaching to reduce gap between lead and top roping
try to add one more climbing session a week

the only thing about which I am getting conflicting opinions is "Consolidation Vs Growth" by that I mean is it worth dedicating time to problems I can accomplish to improve efficiency, techniques or those problems that I struggle with and push the limits further.

In reply to Matrix:


As someone who is always the same height and currently post christmas about the same weight as you, all I can say is that I look enviously on friends of a similar height who are 10kg lighter than me. I need to put more effort into that this year; manipulating my weight is by far the easiest way to improve my strength:weight ratio.

In reply to Matrix:
Why not just enjoy it, you get no more fun out of pushing 7a if you're climbing 6c than you do 6a if your climbing 5+.

Grades make no difference to the "fun" you can get out of climbing.


and 10st 8lb isn't tooo skinny it's welterweight

In reply to Matrix:


Who on earth told you that?

Get outdoors where the fun is about so much more than just the grade

In reply to Matrix:


Oh Dear!

If you're not having fun at the grade you're currently at I'm not sure you'll find the motivation to train sufficiently to improve on your current standard.

Martin

In reply to Matrix:

Picked this one up later than everyone else...

I started just over 2 years ago as well, but was just shy of my 50th birthday.

First winter indoors (1 night a week) got to just being able to lead short 6C, but during that time I was quite happy climbing any routes that were 'interesting', and building up movement knowledge & techniques. Did a bit of indoor bouldering too - enjoyed that for the movement more than the grades.

Second winter started to really focus on footwork / balance / fingers & better movement.

Thought I'd be quite happy sticking to the indoor walls until I got introduced to granite... Enjoyed a good summer of outdoor Lakes crags with an enthusiastic (younger but more experienced) climbing partner, peaking at E1 clean, but with plenty VS / HVS fun too.

I suppose I've just made the best of the limited times I've been able to get out (busy lifestyle too), but because I'm enjoying the simple pleasure of ascending interesting routes in the company of keen partners my enthusiasm keeps growing! I'm really looking forward to dryer weather and some new & exciting Trad routes this year.

At the end of the day age is no barrier to having fun, and in my opinion that's what it's all about.

Happy climbing.