Hi! I am a 34yr old Scot who has recently become attracted by - and would like to take up - climbing. I have no perevious experience (except for being regularly taken along to a climbing wall in Edinburgh as a kid in the early seventies!). My only concern is that I might be too late to take up climbing - especially to any serious level. Can anyone advise? Thanks - Richard.

-- Richard A. Fairley (clanrose@hotmail.com), February 15, 2001

Answers

It's not too late. You probably won't be able to do amazing gymnic performances as easily as the kids, but you can certainly climb at a very good level. I know climbers in their 60's who do things well beyond the reach of the vast majority of younger climbers. Endurance in the mountains is optimal in the 30's.

-- Q.-Tuan Luong (luong@ai.sri.com), February 15, 2001.

Yes, I didn't start climbing until after I was 40... I can't keep up with the youngsters, but I climb for my own enjoyment and peace of mind.... Just start at the bottom and keep going until you reach a level you are comfortable with, or when your body says "No more", whichever comes first!!!

-- Jim Leininger (leining@attglobal.net), February 15, 2001.

YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD!, besides it's all about your personal enjoyment!

-- Mike (gunslingerillustration@hotmail.com), February 16, 2001.

No way. I'm 40 and female, and I'm just begining to climb, I intend to keep going, get better and climb higher. The way i figure it , I got another 60yrs to go! Never doubt due to age!

-- Marie Delgrego (evensong@2cs.com), June 15, 2001.

no way, the oldest guys I know climbing are the most badass.

-- Travis Zuber (t_rav@hotmail.com), July 22, 2001.

I sure hope you're not too old! I'm 47, female, from Indiana (USA) with no experience. Last year my husband talked me into climbing Mt. St. Helen's, which is really just a difficult hike... still, I was "bitten". I'm beginning to research how to train to be able to take a class in mountaineering. My goal is to climb Mt. Rainier before I'm 50, then, who knows...?

-- Karen Masbaum (kmasbaum@yahoo.com), September 14, 2002.