I think pursuing your dreams is very important. Taking formal mountaineering courses will help you stay alive throught the apprectice part of your training.

I think you should keep your goals alive, but realistically...

55 is too old to seriously consider starting from scratch and ending up as a Himalay climber. You are 20 years past your prime from a mountaineering perspective. Others may tell you that your age is not an obstacle, but many 55+ year-old climbers already have 30+ years of mountaineering experience under their belts.

Unless you move from Texas to a place where there are serious alpine mountains in your backyard, you're not going to get good enough, fast enough, to serious consider the Himalayas before your age seriously restricts you. Seriously, if you stay in Texas it will at least 10 years before you get enough savvy under your belt to survive a trip to the Himalayas.

I'm not trying to splash water on your fire, just helping you to be realistic. I think a truly achievable goal would be general alpine climbing with ascents of peaks such as Rainier, Grand Tetons, etc. These are still worthy goals.

Frankly, I'm 52 and I've been climbing for almost 40 years and, after 2 expeditions, have NO desire for anything except peaks like Rainier and the Grand Teton. I am living proof that you can spend a lifetime climbing in the smaller mountain ranges and still have the time of your life.

I respectfully disagree with you SLR. There are many many objectives in the Himalayas that could be classified as beginner mountains well within the abilities of novices.

Island Peak, Stok Kangri, Mera Peak, Tharpu Chuli, Dhampus etc do not require 10 years experience.

radson wrote:I respectfully disagree with you SLR. There are many many objectives in the Himalayas that could be classified as beginner mountains well within the abilities of novices.

Island Peak, Stok Kangri, Mera Peak, Tharpu Chuli, Dhampus etc do not require 10 years experience.

Again realistically.... Climbing Island Peak does not make you a "Himalayan climber."

That's like climbing one pitch on the Grack (5.6) and calling yourself a "Yosemite climber."

Technically correct, but not really true.

How many times a year is someone from Texas gonna get to real alpine mountains? A few times a year at best. At that rate, it will take 10 years for him to get enough experience to competently climb in the Himalayas. That is, unless he hires a guide to haul him up Island Peak. But again, getting hauled up an insignificant Himalayan peak doesn't make you a "Himalayan climber."

Sunny Buns wrote:
If you can, move closer to mountains. Colorado or Washington have some of the best. Have fun!

Yo Sunny Buns ... YOU LEFT OUT CALIFORNIA AND ARIZONA .....

Don't tackle this alone.
Start out out with a group. Like the Sierra Club or the like.
You'll learn hands on and they have outings for people of all abilities and experience including yours.

Actually I was thinking about this some more and was thinking Lhakpa Ri would be a great objective.

As for IP not being a Himalayan climb. Well for someone who has never been there, they might just think this a great view.


Colin on Island Peak Summit by radson1, on Flickr

55 is probably not too old to start. If you are enthusiastic, you can be ready for something like Island Peak in a year or two. Agree with radson above, Island Peak looks really nice. It looks like a good goal (one of many possibilities):

http://www.summitpost.org/imja-tse-island-peak/151130

Get started right away and have fun.

Clearly you have a lot of friends here, as you can see, many of us started at the non-optimal time to begin climbing, in the wrong place, with this or that handicap. And we love to see others do the same. I did the AAI course in 1997, learned a tremendous amount. It didn't take long for me to discover that my dreams were fulfilled on classic alpine and rock climbs...no need for the expensive and time of expeditions. Just weekends, the occasional week, and good friends to climb and laugh with. Life is rich...

ps - I grew up in Texas myself and sympathize greatly. At least you are in West Texas. I used to drive 10 hours from Houston to Big Bend for a mountain fix. :p

Sierra Ledge Rat wrote:

radson wrote:I respectfully disagree with you SLR. There are many many objectives in the Himalayas that could be classified as beginner mountains well within the abilities of novices.

Island Peak, Stok Kangri, Mera Peak, Tharpu Chuli, Dhampus etc do not require 10 years experience.

Again realistically.... Climbing Island Peak does not make you a "Himalayan climber."

That's like climbing one pitch on the Grack (5.6) and calling yourself a "Yosemite climber."

Technically correct, but not really true.

How many times a year is someone from Texas gonna get to real alpine mountains? A few times a year at best. At that rate, it will take 10 years for him to get enough experience to competently climb in the Himalayas. That is, unless he hires a guide to haul him up Island Peak. But again, getting hauled up an insignificant Himalayan peak doesn't make you a "Himalayan climber."

I appreciate your honesty.

I'll probably never be a "Himalayan Climber". Being hauled up Island Peak or Mera Peak would likely be the extent of any sort of climbing in the Himalayas I would ever attempt. I'm under no illusions about my abilities, location, or age. But even if being hauled up Island Peak is the pinnacle of my climbing career, it's still a heck of journey for a middle aged man from the High Plains of Texas. I've never met anyone that's climbed a mountain in the Himalayas so it seems like an incredible adventure. Now that I think about it, I've never met a person that's climbed ANY mountain. So, any mountain I ever climb is going to be a pretty big deal.

And you're also right about how many times I can manage to get to the mountains from where I live. New Mexico is about 4 hours away and Colorado is about 8 hours away. Moving to the mountains is probably never going to happen. I've got a job that keeps me here and kids that live near by. I can get to Colorado several times a year so that will probably have to do. But again, that is a huge deal to me. From where I'm standing now, just the idea of going to Colorado with the idea that I might climb a mountain is pretty darn exciting.

I guess for me its as much about doing "something" I always wanted to do instead of finding an excuse NOT to do it. Maybe it's a way to challenge my inertia and giving me something to achieve. It's hard to ask "why" I guess. It would be a LOT easier to take up golf. LOL!

Otto IMHO, if you get up any peak in the Himalayas (Hmm well perhaps not Kala Patar or Gokyo Ri) you are a Himalayan climber.

Once again, have a look at Lakpa Ri as an ultimate objective. Its next to Everest, high but not too technical, you get to travel through Tibet and see how an expedition works.

http://www.worldexpeditions.com/uk/index.php?section=trips&id=713816
http://www.jagged-globe.co.uk/exp/itinerary/lhakpa+ri.html

"Argue for your limitations and they are yours" R Bach
The Himalayas are well within your reach. And I respectfully disagree with SLR, he can judge, but who cares? Go climb Island Peak with a guide, it will be the trip of a lifetime.

Here's a nifty article that's perfect for you. http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure- ... p-Ten.html I've had great experiences with American Alpine Institute aai.cc and their courses.

As for training, read this http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/eve ... e-20120504
It will get some flak on this forum, but at nearly 50, I can still climb long days and stay injury free following this concept.

Set some goals, start small and work up (literally). For next summer, a skills course that ends with a climb of Mount Hood or Mt Baker would be a fine choice. Then maybe a trip up Kilimanjaro in 2014, just hiking, not technical, but what a trip!
Rainier, Whitney, 14ers in Colorado. There's so much to do.
Start reading up, take a course, go with a guide and learn the ropes.

otto6457 wrote:I'll probably never be a "Himalayan Climber". Being hauled up Island Peak or Mera Peak would likely be the extent of any sort of climbing in the Himalayas I would ever attempt....

And you're also right about how many times I can manage to get to the mountains from where I live. New Mexico is about 4 hours away and Colorado is about 8 hours away...

Then if those are your goals, go for it!

P.S. There is nothing in New Mexico or Colorado that is going to prepare you for the Himalayas. Winter climbing in Colorado would be very educational, but it's not enough. You'll need some glacier courses in the Pacific Northwest or Alaska.

The Chief wrote:Here's a fellow SPer... Tom Johnson at 62 climbing the EB of Whitney:




Here' is another SPer who is 60 leading some 5.10ds and .11a's at Pine Creek:


So... no frkn excuses, period.



PS: The Boss this last Spring summitted Everest for the 3rd time with this Client. He, the Client, is 61 who started this Everest quest at 52:

Awesome!
Gives this 44 YO beginner some hope.

We can debate the intelligence of going to the Himalayas without any glacier experience, but I wouldn't want to embarrass you any more than you already have.

There is also the question of competence. Sure, people can go the Himalayas without full competence in the necessary skills. There are some good books out there about the recent disasters on Everest relating to having too many incompetent climbers being guided up Everest.

Just because you can buy your way up Everest doesn't mean that you should.