Wide for the Old

[grug]

I'm interested if you older wide guys are like me.  I find that my OW skills have deteriorated less quickly than my other climbing skills.  The Woodson Shindig was a case in point.  There were plenty of hard little mantels and face climbs I couldn't do that I used to be able to (couldn't come close to doing in many cases).  But there wasn't one OW crack that seemed any harder than it used to be, 20, 30 years ago (I didn't attempt Mother Superior or Boulder 13).  Scuffy_b was discussing this with me.  He felt that he may well have his hardest-sending OW days ahead of him, rather than behind him.

[RussWalling]

Since OW is largely desire based, versus strength to weight based, maybe us old guys just want it more and can thus get up the things?  5.12 overhanging sport = zero chance.... 12 OW = 60/40 off the couch.  You may want to climb that sport climb, but just can't physically.... but, if you are mean enough, you will probably get up that OW.  Maybe it has something to do with using a wider (get it, WIDER) range of muscles, rather than just a thin slice of lat?  Spread out the burn?

[grug]

Russ, I would have to think your last point is the closest - the wider range of muscles.  I also think a little extra weight hurts you a lot less on wide than other types of climbing. In fact, I think that having a little extra mass around the shoulders actually helps.  It gives you something to stuff in the crack when arm-barring.

[mungeclimber]

Grug,

totally, on the shoulder stuff...  I used to slide out of ow regularly, and that was the 5.7 ow on Feudal Wall at Indian Cove. LOL!

But now, I get what guys would tell me about 'cracks feeling secure'   "just stuff yourself in" and your golden.  More friction surface? 


M

[Jaybro]

I woulda agreed about this until about age 48.5 for me.  After the belly it all sort of dropped away, accept on wood. I'm hoping this is just a phase.