How old / average age

[StephF]

Know several climbers in 50's, slower, but work with skill and have so much experience. I did cs 38/9 at the age of 47! Loved watching champion pole climber in his 80's at APF last year, made us feel young ☺️

[Essexlogman]

[JimM]

48. It's only a number.

 

Mental age of 17 too ;-)

[chipper wallah]

 

53 here,still climbing regularly. About 4 years ago I moved over to spiderjack with 11.6 mm rope from my trusty old prussicks, I felt like I was back to my strength of ten years previous. Never be afraid to try new gear to make life easier.

[Ropechucka]

I started climbing when I was 26, I'm 46 now and feeling it. I still climb most days but pick and choose what I do and sub out the bigger stuff to younger climbers. When I see them climb I realise how slow I've got 😂😂 . I still enjoy what I do as I love working outside.

Would I encourage my son to follow in my footsteps? ( probably not)

This is as far as I'm concerned a very hard, dangerous, underpaid industry IMO.

[Macca]

Underpaid is the main bug bare for me I'm from the north of Scotland and all my friends work off shore earning 80k a year! 90% of the time the sit round drinking tea (their words not mine) we risk our lives on a daily basis and get paid the same as team supermarket managers! I love my job but at the top of that 20m poplar you sometimes feel we are undervalued! End of the day supply and demand dictates it too many climbers not enough trees!

[Mark Bolam]

Last 3 posts are spot on!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[Joe Newton]

(Answering Joe Newton)

You seem like a straight guy Joe but only a twenty something year old would say that!

I'm 50 something and can tell you that in reality the climbing side of things is manageable, it's the rest of it, ringing up, shifting logs, even raking up in the afternoon which will finish you, if you can stay clear of serious injury/wear and tear, sure one can climb quite late into life, but, don't lift heavy stuff, leave it to the twenty six year olds!

 

 

Thank you for affirming my sexuality, I try very hard to keep my image

 

My post was mainly tongue in cheek. I'm feeling aches and pains slightly from climbing, but these are due to technique (one handing, and holding heavy bits with one hand).

I'm not that macho guy that turns down help lifting heavy rings. That's daft.

There are so many helpful bits available now that climbing doesn't need to be real tough work.

I'll be climbing as long as I'm physically able. My methods might change, but my enthusiasm (or mental age) hopefully won't.

[Macca]

A decent groundie can save ur body massively! My 9 stone groundie keeps me fit As due to a recent manual handling course refuses to lift anything over 25kg ie 90% my rings and branches! We don't have a flying capston so I regularly make him

Fly cause he forgets to wrap round the tree then have to drop down and cut up the bit being lowered! I think like at Alton towers their is a minimum height ride groundies should have minimum weight 15st plus!

[Ropechucka]

Thank you for affirming my sexuality, I try very hard to keep my image

 

My post was mainly tongue in cheek. I'm feeling aches and pains slightly from climbing, but these are due to technique (one handing, and holding heavy bits with one hand).

I'm not that macho guy that turns down help lifting heavy rings. That's daft.

There are so many helpful bits available now that climbing doesn't need to be real tough work.

I'll be climbing as long as I'm physically able. My methods might change, but my enthusiasm (or mental age) hopefully won't.

 

 

Hey fella, I admire your enthusiasm, I was the same. My advice however is look ahead as it will get harder so prepare for the future.