Who is the oldest working climber on Arbtalk?

[slasherscot]

I feel about 72.

 

Luckily, I only look about 23.

 

which 1 are u, the black 1 or the golden 1 lol

[Albedo]

Whilst the humour is cool, I think this thread is worth taking seriously, at some stage.

 

Lots of people have talked about when they are too old to climb. Some have other business's lined up like the yurt man, or Dean with his tree planting. Some buy expensive bits of climbing gear and use the ergonomics of ageing as their justification for this.

 

The older ones can also offer a bit of hope for the future for the younger one's.

 

I'm 50 in december this year and still climbing, as its my own business, I can pick and choose a bit and don't have to climb every day. Having said that I am often climber, groundie and chipper rolled into one and the days can be hard.

 

I am however not as ugly or rotund as Mr Stockbridge:001_smile:

[John Hancock]

I’m 40 and up in till last year was climbing every day. I’ve recently taken on two new guys who both love climbing so I’m letting them take the lead role.

[Recceboy]

As someone at 32 that's just getting in to the business i hope to be climbing until i'm grey and old and my fingers are too shot to tie a knot.

 

Good to see the oldies showing the young whipper snappers how it's done and how long you can go on for.

[Bolt]

Is this to be renamed the old gits thread?

 

At 37 I jacked in my cushy training/teaching number and went back on the tools doing powerline. Climbed all day every day for a couple of years.

 

It was a bit of a struggle keeping up with the youngbloods to start with, but I was surprised how quickly I could hold my own.

 

Eased off again now unfortunately (training and doing audits currently, but where's the fun in that), but next time I come over all "mid life", i'll jack it in and dig the ropes out once more.

 

40 ain't that old, I thought maybe 57 is old

[Fred Pass]

im probly the oldest at 17, gettin on abit now...

[skyhuck]

I'm 40 and do all the climbing, get in an extra groundie occasionally but never a climber.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Haha, I was only thinking about a thread like this today.

 

I'm 46 and dont have any problems climbing and can keep my groundy busy, when I cant keep him busy then he can start climbing

[Mark Bolam]

I feel it a bit more these days (I'm 42 this year), but am probably more productive than ever (working smarter, not harder).

 

Long, repetetive re-ascents are the killer for me, hence breaks taken aloft, and more bling on the harness - ART ropeguide, pulleys, pantin, double extension ladder etc.

 

You are kidding yourself if you think you can climb forever. Some jobs will be OK till I retire, but large reductions etc. are getting beyond me at commercial speed. I'm a lot happier with my spikes on these days!

 

Dean Lofthouse will be the winner of this thread.

 

He is still climbing and is in his late nineties.

 

He picked up his tree-climbing skills in WW1 whilst spotting for the Royal Artillery so they could adjust fire whilst shelling the Boche.

 

However, most of the mud at the Somme was a result of Dean getting his 130 stuck, rather than gunfire.

[Treewarrior]

I'm 50 on the 26th, so that makes me a half century. Added bonus of 1 grand-daughter and another on the way.

 

You're right about the climbing though, it sometimes feels like being an old tractor engine, takes me a while to warm up, but once I'm up there, I'm flying!!