Oldest person to climb . . .

Curious to know if anyone has any insight on who the oldest people to climb classic routes (especially the following) were - a motivational project/bar bet  for aging climber clients and friends. . . 

• Astroman 
• The Naked Edge (Eldo)
• The Casual Route (Longs)

Anything over 55 will do the trick . . . ;-)

Here in Wisconsin, at Devil's Lake, there is an 80 year old man climbing 5.10s and 5.11s on top rope.   We talked to him last summer for a bit.

Todd Berlier wrote:

ive been claiming FOFA--First Over Fifty Ascent on boulder problems in the hopes that i can get sponsored and reap untold fortunes. im surprised this hasn't happened yet.

Sure it hasn't? I mean, if those fortunes are untold, how would ya know???

Does this mean I'll get to snake you if I manage to wiggle up something at 65???   

(Don't worry. With V0 being the lowest rating that is  sometimes deemed nameable, and VB is rarely even acknowledged as existing.....oh well. All me boulders shall be anonymous, sadly)

Sorta on topic, but not really ...

The oldest climbers I've met so far who still climb?

Jim Doninni, and George Urioste, although Jorge was "taking a break" at the time, because of a shoulder issue.

Best, H.

Andrew R wrote:

Here in Wisconsin, at Devil's Lake, there is an 80 year old man climbing 5.10s and 5.11s on top rope.   We talked to him last summer for a bit.

That's badass. 

I'm 49, and often me and my wife are the oldest climbers at the gym. I'm old enough to be the father (or grandfather) of many of these kids. I'm sure they think I'm a broken-down old man trying to cling on to his youth. 

Not usually the crag though. Lots of old men at outdoors.

Humble guy, so not sure he would want me to post this, but the FA of the Casual Route (Long's) Chris Reveley just did 1st 3 pitches of Abracadaver (5.11 cochise, he led pitches 1&3) before he & partner just ran out of time to complete route in short days of November. He is 70 (& physical phenom & inspiration in many realms) - he doesn't even climb a bunch recently.

I am going to try the Grand traverse in the tetons this summer.  I will be 60.  

I read that a 70 year old has done the route

Paging Rob Kelman

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote:

Paging Rob Kelman

Reporting to the page.

I’m 91. When my contemporaries now ask me how I’m doing, I reply: “I can see you, I can hear you, and I’m walking unassisted, so I have no complaints.”  Given the health issues that many people my age have, if I say more than that it sounds boastful. 

I hike regularly, but no longer snowshoe. I lift weights two or three times per week mostly an overall body workout and with some emphasis on chin-ups. Normally, I can do a couple with 30 lbs. on my back but am recovering after aggravating an old R shoulder injury and over the past two weeks worked back up to 10 lb. I include military presses, dips, dumbbell finger curls,  dumbbell bench presses, power cleans, dead lifts, squats, platform step-ups, and use a climbing peg board. I do various light fly exercises to keep my shoulder joints healthy.  I have a well-appointed 425 sq. ft weight room at home that overlooks my wife’s flower garden. 

In March of 2020, I was climbing at Joshua Tree when the pandemic started. After climbing for three days, the park was closed. My wife and I had a hassle finding a flight back to Denver. Between the pandemic, my age, and arthritis in my L subtalar joint, I haven’t climbed that much during the past two years-28 days total. I’m not sure about this year, but I look forward to getting on the rock and seeing how it goes when the weather warms. 

My climbing is pretty much limited to 5.7 and short approaches. I stopped leading a couple of years ago. A lot of my climbing is done with guides that I have known for several years. It would be nice to find some other climbers in the over 80 category to climb with but that’s unlikely to happen. I still find climbing enjoyable. Climbs I once found easy now present interesting challenges. 

Germane to OP, I climbed Devils Tower when I was 87 via the Durrance Route with Bailey Direct Finish becoming the oldest person to have climbed the Tower.

rob.calm wrote:  

Germane to OP, I climbed Devils Tower when I was 87 via the Durrance Route with Bailey Direct Finish becoming the oldest person to have climbed the Tower.

 

Holy. Shit. Major inspo.

rob.calm wrote:

Reporting to the page.

I’m 91. When my contemporaries now ask me how I’m doing, I reply: “I can see you, I can hear you, and I’m walking unassisted, so I have no complaints.”  Given the health issues that many people my age have, if I say more than that it sounds boastful. 

I hike regularly, but no longer snowshoe. I lift weights two or three times per week mostly an overall body workout and with some emphasis on chin-ups. Normally, I can do a couple with 30 lbs. on my back but am recovering after aggravating an old R shoulder injury and over the past two weeks worked back up to 10 lb. I include military presses, dips, dumbbell finger curls,  dumbbell bench presses, power cleans, dead lifts, squats, platform step-ups, and use a climbing peg board. I do various light fly exercises to keep my shoulder joints healthy.  I have a well-appointed 425 sq. ft weight room at home that overlooks my wife’s flower garden. 

In March of 2020, I was climbing at Joshua Tree when the pandemic started. After climbing for three days, the park was closed. My wife and I had a hassle finding a flight back to Denver. Between the pandemic, my age, and arthritis in my L subtalar joint, I haven’t climbed that much during the past two years-28 days total. I’m not sure about this year, but I look forward to getting on the rock and seeing how it goes when the weather warms. 

My climbing is pretty much limited to 5.7 and short approaches. I stopped leading a couple of years ago. A lot of my climbing is done with guides that I have known for several years. It would be nice to find some other climbers in the over 80 category to climb with but that’s unlikely to happen. I still find climbing enjoyable. Climbs I once found easy now present interesting challenges. 

Germane to OP, I climbed Devils Tower when I was 87 via the Durrance Route with Bailey Direct Finish becoming the oldest person to have climbed the Tower.

 

Rob! Yay! :-)

Alan Rubin is crushing it, I've seen him in person. Up thread, I was thinking of names most know, but apologies. I really should have had you and Alan on there, although I think Alan is younger than Jorge!

I do remember you telling me, re squats, that you did ass to mat. My 65 year old self can't do.....well, anything remotely like. But hey, you are a great example of keeping it going, and so are quite a few people.

So glad you posted!

Planet Fitness is only half a block away, so I got somewhere between zero and nada for excuses.

Best, Helen

Wow Rob, that’s really impressive. The Tower at 87—hmm, maybe something to shoot for. I’m still a ‘kid’ compared to you at a mere 76. ( And despite OLH’s comments, I am far from “crushing it’, though still getting out—actually more ‘in’ these days —as much as I can. Hoping to head to Puerto Rico with a group of other mostly ‘mature’ climbers next week). There are quite a few of us in New England now still active in our 70s—but not doing anything groundbreaking. Visiting Kalymnos a couple of years ago, it was seemingly an international ‘geriatric’ climbers ‘rendezvous’.

Locally, in this part of western MA, a friend named Ed Daniels passed away last week ( just short of his 97th birthday, I believe). For years he was the leading figure in the Berkshire Appalachian Mountain Club climbing group. Until the pandemic hit, despite spending most of his time caring for his wife, he would climb every Friday morning at our local gym—his partner —The Kid ( only in his mid-80s) was our former Congressman, John Olver—both inspirations to all who knew them, as you must be to those in your area, and now for the rest of us.

Yes, OLH, Jorge is a bit older than I am. In the small world of climbing, Jorge and I actually winter climbed together in New Hampshire—-way back in the day!!!!

I climbed the Bachar Yerian at 59.  Does that count?  Pretty sure I am the oldest to climb it.  But then I did follow it so only partial points.

Alan Rubin wrote:

Hoping to head to Puerto Rico with a group of other mostly ‘mature’ climbers next week). \

I am not mature.  And still a kid at 72 so I guess I have time to grow up.  If I want to.

I met a guy in red rock named wolfgang who had put up a ton of routes there. Who was in his late 70s and when we asked him if he still climbs he said not really but he just lead a 10d the other day.

Eric, I was trying to be judicious in my word choice.

Hey, Jan. Saw the vid of you following the BY.  Frikkin' awesome.  You looked really solid.

George Hurley is still getting after it, and putting in short new routes here in New Hampshire. He just turned 87.

climber pat wrote:

I am going to try the Grand Traverse in the Tetons this summer.  I will be 60.  

I read that a 70 year old has done the route

Lee Sheftel (70) completed the Grand Travers in 3 days with Gee Dubble. 

Tom Hargis did the traverse in a day in his mid 60s (he's a local guide).

Maurice Horn was back in the Tetons in his 80s but can't really nail down who's the oldest to go climbing on a classic except for Irene climbing the Exum Ridge (just before her 70th birthday).

A quick search of "oldest" on MP brings up others.

Kelman is certainly one of the most impressive at 91.

Best of luck climber pat.

Its not a classic, but Paul Ross is

https://www.climbing.com/videos/80-year-old-paul-ross-climbs-in-roller-skates-and-boxing-gloves/

I would say Marcel Remy, 98 y/o, 94 at the time of this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqnDztcwKLc 

Jim Hooper wrote:

Curious to know if anyone has any insight on who the oldest people to climb classic routes (especially the following) were - a motivational project/bar bet  for aging climber clients and friends. . . 

• Astroman 

Anything over 55 will do the trick . . . ;-)

If you look on the MP Astroman page, there is a photo of Werner Braun doing Astroman.  He probably holds the record for how many times anyone has done it. Over 80 times.  He practically solos the whole thing, on many pitches when he's leading, he's going belay to belay without putting a piece in.  I can't remember how old he is, surely well over 55. No doubt still climbing it.