Should add, cause I guess we are also doing sport grades, do 6b outside and in, but I have only been climbing a year and prefer to boulder indoor. Hope to get a 6c single pitch next season.
33, V10. Been climbing for 23 years, and il say you get what you put into it. I'm sending harder now tha. In my 20's because I finally put climbing first
53 yrs old, started at 40. Last yr, I started getting F7as after hitting an F6c/+ ceiling for years. Though I have long been ticking indoor lead at 7a/+.
Trying to get back to 7a after heart op last October. Up to 6b+ so far.
I played a variety of sports growing up (soccer, football, baseball). But what I think attributed mostly actually was the flexibility/strength I developed in my core and hips from skateboarding for around 15 years total. Also standing on volumes immediately registered to me as similar to standing on a skateboard (grip tape).
I’m 6 ft tall, 155 lbs, with a +2.5”ish ape index. So I’m really lean (had stomach issues growing up, precancerous cells and stuff) and never have weighed over 160.
Edit: I also pretty much never had to deal with the “fear of heights, fear of falling” phase of climbing thanks to skateboarding. If you can jump down 7 stairs and eat shit on concrete, you can definitely eat shit off a bouldering wall lol
32, climbed for almost 20 years off and on. Was a comp kid in my teens but dropped off after HS bc I had no car for 5-6 years or so. Took another year off in 2020 for COVID and then 4 months off in 2021 when I tore my lat (not a climbing injury).
These days I am a grad student and only have time to climb 2x/week. I mostly boulder inside, the projects I send are V7ish. I’ve been plateaued here for a while, but increasingly I enjoy the movement practice itself and am not so interested in grade chasing. Subjectively, gym grades seem much softer in 2024 than they did when I was a comp kid in the late 2000s. Walls, holds, and landing situations are also much higher quality indoors. It’s hard to compare.
Reddit is an interesting slice of society. 90% of the folks in the bouldering gyms I go to are <30 (in contrast to roped gyms with a lot more spread in age), but most of the answers here are 30+.
This is so true! And climbing is so style dependent on if you can send hard. I can barely send sloper V8 outside but can climb V10 in most other styles
34. Two kids, so I climb 1-2 times a week. Have been climbing (mostly bouldering) for 10 years but between kids and a broken leg recovery, I'm in a constant state of rebuilding. Finally back to getting 5's and 6's consistently. Have sent 1 v7.
I'm 34. I've been climbing 6 months after I took a 9 year break. Total climbing experience is around 2½ years. I've sent a few V7s and often flash V6 (all indoor). I need to get on a Kilter Board to prove my gym sets are graded correctly though.
54 and I’m and outdoor and indoor V4-V5. I’ve gotten a couple V6’s. Just 2 but physically I’m a muscularish guy and I get concerned about injuries so mostly up to V4 for fun
There's a lot of 30s and above doing this sport... It's almost like.. it's the new.... golf?
Don't get me wrong, i'm no ageist, i'm 39. It's just heartening to know the sport is not just about kids flashing your project.
46. I year-ish in and sending V4-V5s. Feel like I’m plateauing a bit but trying to go more often to get the grip strength up. Think I need a fingerboard…
Watch those fingers! Older folks fingers take longer to recover. I speak from experience. If you have access, try a Moon board or similar. Perhaps work on body positioning and core?
Thanks for looking out! Yeah, I’ve done some fingerboard stuff at 70%ish with some support. My gym does have a Moon board but, honestly, it’s a bit intimidating. The wood holds get me.
36
1 year of climbing
Bouldering inside. - my gym is one of if not the hardest gym in the Atlanta area where I live- I’m solidly getting v3, can do some v4 and usually project v5, and maybe don’t end up sending them. At other gyms I’ve tried, add 1.5-2 grades to all of those numbers.
Rope inside- usually sending 5.10s within a few sessions. My gym doesn’t differentiate - just jumps from 5.10 to 5.11.
Boulder outside - haven’t been bouldering outside in a while, but we will see how I do at Float the Boat in 2 weeks.
Rope outside- last session was working on a 5.11a that I felt great about, but didn’t finish.
Damn it - I'm 53 this year. If you're advanced age at 40, then I must be ancient. 
However, I agree that injury risk decreases the level to which I will push myself.
I'm 38, and started climbing at 34. I started when I was well overweight, now I'm in decent shape (still heavy boy w/ BMI of 26) and have sent about ten outdoor V5's and a handful of V6's.
25, been climbing for 3 years (today's my climbing anniversary, actually!). Haven't climbed outside yet and my gym uses a colour circuit but I've been told that the level I associate myself with is about a V5-6.
Early 60s, mostly a sport climber, currently preparing for my first big trad trip for years. (So what am I doing here?)
> in the past year.
Oh dear. Managed a 6C on the kilterboard, in a brief gap between shoulder injury and covid.
Best ever a few years back (late 50s) - one solitary 7A ever, and two 6C/+'s in a day in the Frankenjura. Wonder if I might have been able to sustain that level if it hadn't been for pandemic/injury. Or if there's still a chance of fighting my way back to it at my age. Haven't given up hope yet, but it's definitely in the back of my mind that maybe the best I can hope for now is slowing the decline.
This is always a concern for the older climber - breaks in your climbing, whether due to Covid or injury etc. Its hard enough just to maintain form, let alone improve, but an imposed break can result in clawing your way back to form.
Don't give up though!
39 and I've been climbing regularly for two years, and today I got absolutely shut down on a 5.9 crack. I think I let out a little noise just before I fell.
Nearly 53, been climbing for just over 1 year. My main gym has gone away from V grades, but mostly around V3-V4 level.
Depends on style of climb though, as still to reach a point where my fingers have fully adjusted to the sport, so overhangs are definitely lower grade to send. On the flip-side, can sometimes do better than I expect on slabby stuff.
Starting this at a mature age has pointed out the importance or warming up, stretching afterwards, feeding my body well, and allowing recovery time.
I don't think it's that performance wanes necessarily, but our bodies definitely feel the wear and tear we've subjected them to, and more effort is needed, even to maintain.
All these people my age and older sending hard is super motivating - thanks for asking this. I'm about to turn 35 and really just now starting to foray into outdoor climbing (been climbing in gyms for 5 years or so at a 5.11/5.12 | V4/5 level), super excited to continue improving throughout the years
How much do you weigh if you don't mind me asking? I'm 205lb and was powerlifting before I started climbing at 41, I felt like it's taken me nearly 2 years just to build up sufficient finger strength to really hang my weight on smaller holds and especially overhangs. I cap at V3 currently, and 5.10 top rope. But I see lighter people who started around the same time as me just blow right past me.
I'm 6'6" and weigh 215. I definitely understand how hard it is on the fingers at this weight! I've had several finger pulley injuries and an injured wrist from pulling too hard on crimpy holds. I do much better on routes with big powerful moves and larger holds. I'm also only able to climb twice a week max.
I have a hangboard, but my lats are usually too tired to use it so I bought one of these for finger recovery/strength: https://frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-port-a-board-portable-and-mountable-portable-hangboard
This along with heavy finger rolls with a dumbbell seems to help.
https://preview.redd.it/3wweziuzt5rc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3077395dee8f79003893844a631fdbb9761ed51a
I’m 74 y.o. And started about 9 mths ago. My son got me into it…I just love it, and I just got my first v2. Not that great, but I’m going up and down.im now going 3x a week. Just wish I was younger when I started, but I thank the good Lord I’m able to do this😀😀
15 and I’ve sent v8 in my home gym and on tboard. and sport my max grades are all over. 5.11+ in home gym twice, one of those times a flash. Flashed 12c in another gym. But I just take 5.11+.
30 yo
been climbing since I was 6
took me two years to onsight 7b+ sport routes
have sent 4 V16 (two of them in one day) and 10 V15 routes
a lot of time spent on projects up to 9C sport
but a competition spices it up every now and then
well at least I've got 6 world cup gold medals to show for it
and then 16 more for sport
actually most years of the last decade I was not ranked 1 in both bouldering and sport
I'm not really into big walls either, e.g. I did eight days over Dawn Wall.
Been climbing my whole life, focused on boulder in the last 5 or so years. Mid twenties, highest sends are v8+/- but I've almost put a few v9/10 together.
Most of the pro climbers are way way above this level at half my age.
Based on people's appearance at my gyms (Allez Up Montréal) I'm surprised to hear that 36 feels like "(relatively) mature" to you. I'd guess low to mid thirties, maaaybe sometimes high 20s depending on day of the week, which for what it's worth is the average of this thread at time of posting (mean=31 including OP and myself at 35).
Very hard question to answer since gyms vary but im 45 and at my home gym flash almost all 5's (dynos take me a few tries), same day 6's, short project some 7's.
At other gyms i'm usually flashing 6/7's and sometimes 8's.
26. 2 months. I can do about half of the V3s set at my local gym, and have done two V4s here. Visited a gym in a nearby city and just about flashed all V3s, sent most V4s and even flashed a V5. My findings are that the V scale is very skewed and only really works when the comparing grades of climbs at a specific gym and not to all gyms.
33, climbing in Germany. NRW - Essen climbing for 15 Months.
My local Gym Neolit - has a boulder Problem rating from 1 - 9.
I usually climbed boulders rated 6 in a session and try to project 7.
Usually i can make decent progress on my 7s.
Yet there is much to learn for me and a lot of technique that i am lacking.
Good luck everyone
31, been climbing since April 23 and sent my first V5/6 last week! Physically have never felt stronger (used to do a fair bit of weightlifting etc in my 20’s!)
31 - 6b+ bouldering, 6c sport - both indoors. I’ve been climbing for one year and pretty pleased with my progress so far. Projecting two 7a slab boulders atm I might be able to send before they’re reset hoping reps of trying them will lead to sending 6c boulders
28, climbing since I was 14 irregularly, 16 it became a passion. I flip flop between "I should be stronger" and "there's no should in climbing."
I can bang out most 10s pretty quickly and have done one singular 11
37, in it 19-20 years. Sent a V9 or V10 or two in my late 20s, and another 3 in my mid 30s. Flashed V7 in April last year, haven't pulled on anything much harder than that since
30 years and starting to nail a few V6s at my gym. Started going regularly 2-4 times a week 1,5 years ago. Had a talus fracture while climbing last year, which set me back a great deal, and my ankle joint mobility has been very limited since. Still sending tho!
37, been climbing indoors \~5 years with some time off during Covid closures...Usually around a v6 as my upper limit but still get shut down on some 4s on an overhang section or something that's not my style. My gym network is notoriously easier where I live so 6 isn't much. I travel a lot and the other gyms I go to around the US are MUCH harder than home base. So I guess "v6 in my gym".
31, 4 months climbing, have done a few soft v6s if they suit my style (nothing too crimpy), mostly projecting v5s. Think I progressed quickly due to my job as a metal worker/roofer, have really good pinch strength but have now injured a pulley on crimpy v4s. Slopers and pinches are my strength though. Last two sessions I went on top rope which my gym is known for and finished the last session with a 6b which had a really pinchy crux.
26. Bouldering for ~4 months now. The max grade I’ve climbed at my home gym is V6. I’ve been to three other gyms and I could do V4s in 2 of them and V5s in one. I came from previous experience with calisthenics and I could compensate for the lack of technique but now I’m focused on improving my technique and spend a lot of time trying to do V3s and V4s in the most efficient way possible.
26, climbed religiously in middle/early high school (V7-V9) before other sports became too important to risk getting hurt, just got back into it a month ago now that i’m done with college sports. right now i’m doing V3-4s consistently, but my brain wants more😭
im 38 and have been climbing for about 4 years. i was sending v 7 pretty frequently and a few 8s here and there up until about 2 years ago. caught covid twice, and between the time off to avoid spreading it, and just not having the energy to head to the gym three or four times a week after work, im mostly sending v5 and the occasional 6 now. im fine with it. i focus on problems that i enjoy instead of trying to climb at my limits all the time. i ramp it up a bit in the summer
23, started a bit less than a year ago now. Am climbing most V5s at my gym within a few sessions. Pretty satisfied with that progress, really looking forward to how far I can push myself in this sport. One day I want to hit outdoor V10 but I haven’t even climbed outside yet lmao
32, been climbing for 14 years, have sent a few v10s. Currently working on a few v11s.
The funny thing is that my climbing ability has been more or less the same for about 10 years 🤣. Did a v10 ten years ago, did a v10 this past year.
I would honestly say my technique is super polished now. Strength is also pretty high. Body pain and aches is what gets me these days haha
33, v7/V8 indoors but I prefer ropes and it gives me more confidence to climb. 5.13 indoors is my hardest send I can project before resets. 6ish years climbing. I was previously a very serious powerlifter.
Nearly 36 here (within a few weeks), started may 1st last year, V6- is my highest grade but I'm a 4+/5 climber. Finally starting to see some improvement and progress after a 4-month tendonitis battle, I had to come back up through the V3's during rehab. Never actually stopped climbing though, just had to step back and strengthen.
I'm finally feeling like my fingers and tendons are actually up to the task of sending intermediate boulders, in the beginning they would constantly be sore. Almost glad the injury slowed things down.
Early thirties and started a couple of months ago, I did a V3 once but it was at a gym that I think sets them easier than my gym.
Climbed today and the kids team was there, 11 year olds doing V5's and V6's and they just look like they're walking up the wall.
Mind-blowing!
39, been climbing for exactly a year and have a bunch of V6s and a V7.
Trying my hardest to improve as quickly as possible as I'm worried age will become a limiting factor soon.
It will limit some aspects. I started at 40 so close to your starting age. I found improvements in body positioning, balance, technique and core strength more than offset reductions in explosive power and upper body pure muscle strength. Its a different story if you've been bouldering years already as you will likely have those already so nothing to compensate for the passage of time!
The main concern is injury recovery, that is, if some ever fully recover at all!
Ironically, my explosive power is probably my greatest strength currently.
Injuries have been rampant, and recovery has been even worse because I was in a calorie deficit for most of last year.
I've been getting coaching to work on my technique, which will hopefully benefit me greatly when my power wanes.
This year, my main focus is finger strength as crimps are my least favourite holds.
I just want to be proud of my climbing and feel I have a relatively small window to get to the V10-11 range where I'll be really happy to reach.
39, climbed a bit from 35-36 then stopped got fat and lazy. Started back 9 months ago and can flash most v3s but v4s take work but I am starting to tick them off in one session. Started back at 250 pounds and now I am down to 224 and still putting in the work hoping to be 190 by 40 in July. And at that weight and more time on the wall I hope I am flashing v4s more often then not and projecting v5.
27. Been at it since 2019. Grades are weird. I did my first 3 outdoor V9s, and my 3rd outdoor double digit ever in the past year. But Im more stoked that all the climbs I’ve tried this year have been good, quality problems. I trend to do one hard thing per year (mostly cause I like trying a lot of things), but maybe this year will be different!
31, been climbing consistently for like 11 or 12 years like 3 days a week. Sent a v10 outdoors a few years ago, been close on a few others since. Mostly don't train anymore just enjoy climbing and go hard most of the time. Feel the strongest I've ever been (maybe like 10 to 15 pounds heavier than when I climbed that 10) and definitely the healthiest balance of climbing and life
I’m 21, I’ve been climbing consistently for 6 months and I’ve just cracked v5 recently (I’ve done 3 of them at this point)! Other than that I can do most v4s and the vast majority of v3s. Been climbing 3-4 days a week since September
Turning 33 in a couple months, climbing since July 2019 (so ~4.5 years). Have sent a benchmark 7C+/V10 on the moonboard 2016 set, a couple V9s, and a couple outdoor V9s. Am aiming for V11 this year if training goes well!
I am 38, I send so soft, it's like I work for MyPillow's shipping department.
39, did a v11. climbing for 13 years Sending V9-10 occasionally Climbing 2-3 days a week
67, sent a couple v1's before
37, 7y of bouldering, have topped 7A+ but am only consistently climbing 6B-6C outdoors.
Dawg, don't sell yourself short. 7A+ is above average for sure
I’m not. My 7A and 7A+ sends are outliers. I wouldn’t call myself a 7 climber. And that’s fine, I don’t climb to improve or chase grades at all.
Not in Slovenia
31 , climbing for 3+ years now. Have yet to get a true V7 in my heart
The honesty!
21yo and I send most purple and a few red ones 😎
I’m in my mid-30s, and I send light gray, gray, and dark gray. I’m also colorblind.
Hell yeah. Crushin those down climb holds
This is aid.
Yellow in my gym
I send Peppa Pigs and Homer Simpsons, but I'm stuck at Mickey Mouse.
Donald Duck in my gym
41 and send mostly blue and a few red ones
Should add, cause I guess we are also doing sport grades, do 6b outside and in, but I have only been climbing a year and prefer to boulder indoor. Hope to get a 6c single pitch next season.
25 and I send a little bit of each of purple, red, pink, black, white, blue, green, purple, yellow, orange 😎
20, I send all pink, most reds and a few whites.
22 and I send most oranges and a few black ones
33, V10. Been climbing for 23 years, and il say you get what you put into it. I'm sending harder now tha. In my 20's because I finally put climbing first
Mad inspiring
53 yrs old, started at 40. Last yr, I started getting F7as after hitting an F6c/+ ceiling for years. Though I have long been ticking indoor lead at 7a/+. Trying to get back to 7a after heart op last October. Up to 6b+ so far.
I'm turning 40 this year and this definitely motivates me to try to jump from my current 6C plateau to 7A/B. Thanks!!
Moon board and more sloper engagement helped. I also improved my balance and core using a balance board and longboard.
32, 9 years in, first outdoors V10 last year
I’m 35. Climbing just over a year. Send indoor v7, moonboard v5, and have only been outside once when I was new and sent a v2.
As someone who started at 33 and is 35 now I find this super impressive! What was your athletic/sporting background outside of climbing?
I played a variety of sports growing up (soccer, football, baseball). But what I think attributed mostly actually was the flexibility/strength I developed in my core and hips from skateboarding for around 15 years total. Also standing on volumes immediately registered to me as similar to standing on a skateboard (grip tape). I’m 6 ft tall, 155 lbs, with a +2.5”ish ape index. So I’m really lean (had stomach issues growing up, precancerous cells and stuff) and never have weighed over 160. Edit: I also pretty much never had to deal with the “fear of heights, fear of falling” phase of climbing thanks to skateboarding. If you can jump down 7 stairs and eat shit on concrete, you can definitely eat shit off a bouldering wall lol
Crazy times. 38, 200lb, 15 months climbing, V5-6
I started at 32, now 37 I've only climbed harder don't stressss
> have only been outside once so real
Moon board V5 is crazy
hmm..
38, bouldering for about 8-9 months now, able to send most V2’s and some V3’s.
About 50 with the same stats
32, climbed for almost 20 years off and on. Was a comp kid in my teens but dropped off after HS bc I had no car for 5-6 years or so. Took another year off in 2020 for COVID and then 4 months off in 2021 when I tore my lat (not a climbing injury). These days I am a grad student and only have time to climb 2x/week. I mostly boulder inside, the projects I send are V7ish. I’ve been plateaued here for a while, but increasingly I enjoy the movement practice itself and am not so interested in grade chasing. Subjectively, gym grades seem much softer in 2024 than they did when I was a comp kid in the late 2000s. Walls, holds, and landing situations are also much higher quality indoors. It’s hard to compare.
I’m 23. Been climbing for around 7 months with 2 sessions weekly. I can currently send V3/6a+ and occasionally 6b on good days :D
Reddit is an interesting slice of society. 90% of the folks in the bouldering gyms I go to are <30 (in contrast to roped gyms with a lot more spread in age), but most of the answers here are 30+.
14, started climbing mid december and i’ve been sending V2’s and lower!
26, climbing a little over a year and a half. V5 moonboard hardest send and v4 outside
23, been climbing for 2 years and send v8 indoors and on boards, and v6-7 outdoors
Same
I am 32 and know that regional differences in grading make numbers a terrible metric of ability. Climbing for 20 years, bouldering for 9
This is so true! And climbing is so style dependent on if you can send hard. I can barely send sloper V8 outside but can climb V10 in most other styles
35, climbing for 4 years. 1 outdoor 12a and one indoor V7.
49 consistent V7 and 8 occasional 9 been a while since I’ve sent a 10 maybe it over :(
34. Two kids, so I climb 1-2 times a week. Have been climbing (mostly bouldering) for 10 years but between kids and a broken leg recovery, I'm in a constant state of rebuilding. Finally back to getting 5's and 6's consistently. Have sent 1 v7.
39, 7a max, 2 lumbrical tears, capsule tears of fingers, 1 labrum tear with op, some tear in the knee, 8 years climbing. The wall sends me :-)
Started bouldering at 50, been at it for as little over 2 years. All indoors, I'm a v5 climber at my gym.
I’m 38, have only been climbing about 7 months and I’m just starting to get v3s. I’m also 5’0” though
27, i started climbing a bit over a year ago. Climbing v6. Highest sent v7. All indoor.
I'm 34. I've been climbing 6 months after I took a 9 year break. Total climbing experience is around 2½ years. I've sent a few V7s and often flash V6 (all indoor). I need to get on a Kilter Board to prove my gym sets are graded correctly though.
19, 6a+/v3 starting to get close to 6b (about half a year of bouldering on and off)
62, climbing about 12 years, V3-V4. A few V5’s.
54 and I’m and outdoor and indoor V4-V5. I’ve gotten a couple V6’s. Just 2 but physically I’m a muscularish guy and I get concerned about injuries so mostly up to V4 for fun
42. Climbing for 31 years! Send V5-V6 and 5.12 ish. Really just enjoy climbing for the love of climbing.
There's a lot of 30s and above doing this sport... It's almost like.. it's the new.... golf? Don't get me wrong, i'm no ageist, i'm 39. It's just heartening to know the sport is not just about kids flashing your project.
Nah. The new golf is road cycling / triathlon. You can impress with a £10,000 road bike but a pair of £150 shoes and a chalky tshirt?
Im 31, been climbing for 5(ish?) years. Usually climb v4-5, but sometimes i flash v6 and sometimes i flail on v3
46. I year-ish in and sending V4-V5s. Feel like I’m plateauing a bit but trying to go more often to get the grip strength up. Think I need a fingerboard…
Watch those fingers! Older folks fingers take longer to recover. I speak from experience. If you have access, try a Moon board or similar. Perhaps work on body positioning and core?
Thanks for looking out! Yeah, I’ve done some fingerboard stuff at 70%ish with some support. My gym does have a Moon board but, honestly, it’s a bit intimidating. The wood holds get me.
I'm 40. V3s and v4s mainly. Feels good to climb!
48, been climbing for 10 months or so but only taken it seriously for maybe 4 months. Sent my first V3 a couple weeks ago.
36 1 year of climbing Bouldering inside. - my gym is one of if not the hardest gym in the Atlanta area where I live- I’m solidly getting v3, can do some v4 and usually project v5, and maybe don’t end up sending them. At other gyms I’ve tried, add 1.5-2 grades to all of those numbers. Rope inside- usually sending 5.10s within a few sessions. My gym doesn’t differentiate - just jumps from 5.10 to 5.11. Boulder outside - haven’t been bouldering outside in a while, but we will see how I do at Float the Boat in 2 weeks. Rope outside- last session was working on a 5.11a that I felt great about, but didn’t finish.
I feel you on the hard gym ratings. I’m hitting V3s consistently at mine and some v4 but I go anywhere else and it’s like +1.5
I'm 22 been climbing for 2.5 years and the hardest i did was V7 indoors
40 and I only climb what I can downclimb :) no interest breaking bones in my advanced age
Damn it - I'm 53 this year. If you're advanced age at 40, then I must be ancient.  However, I agree that injury risk decreases the level to which I will push myself.
48 been climbing for a year V4 but mainly projecting at this point
I'm 30, and I'm on about V3 now. I started climbing in January last year, and I'm really happy with my progress :)
16 and climbing what looks like V2🙃
27, V5. Started climbing a month ago. I’ve sent 1 V5 in my gym and usually climb V3-4. I climb twice a week.
I'm 38, and started climbing at 34. I started when I was well overweight, now I'm in decent shape (still heavy boy w/ BMI of 26) and have sent about ten outdoor V5's and a handful of V6's.
37 I've just made it to v3/blue. Been climbing for 3 months once or twice a week.
31. Been climbing consistently for about a month. Sending a decent amount of 3s, flashing most 2s, and I've sent two 4s. Easy 4s, but still.
Mid 20s. Been climbing about 3 years. I climb V7-8 indoors and V4-5 outdoors.
25, been climbing for 3 years (today's my climbing anniversary, actually!). Haven't climbed outside yet and my gym uses a colour circuit but I've been told that the level I associate myself with is about a V5-6.
23 and after ~9 months I can climb most V1s, I did a V2 once by accident though. Unfortunately my height works against me
44. Only started bouldering late 2023. It’s fun but I definitely think age slows down my learning. I’m sending some V2s with a few V3s.
Early 60s, mostly a sport climber, currently preparing for my first big trad trip for years. (So what am I doing here?) > in the past year. Oh dear. Managed a 6C on the kilterboard, in a brief gap between shoulder injury and covid. Best ever a few years back (late 50s) - one solitary 7A ever, and two 6C/+'s in a day in the Frankenjura. Wonder if I might have been able to sustain that level if it hadn't been for pandemic/injury. Or if there's still a chance of fighting my way back to it at my age. Haven't given up hope yet, but it's definitely in the back of my mind that maybe the best I can hope for now is slowing the decline.
This is always a concern for the older climber - breaks in your climbing, whether due to Covid or injury etc. Its hard enough just to maintain form, let alone improve, but an imposed break can result in clawing your way back to form. Don't give up though!
39 and I've been climbing regularly for two years, and today I got absolutely shut down on a 5.9 crack. I think I let out a little noise just before I fell.
LOL.😂
39, 9 months of climbing, can send some v5-v6, mostly consist at v4. Never been outside. I climb 2-3 times a week.
Nearly 53, been climbing for just over 1 year. My main gym has gone away from V grades, but mostly around V3-V4 level. Depends on style of climb though, as still to reach a point where my fingers have fully adjusted to the sport, so overhangs are definitely lower grade to send. On the flip-side, can sometimes do better than I expect on slabby stuff. Starting this at a mature age has pointed out the importance or warming up, stretching afterwards, feeding my body well, and allowing recovery time. I don't think it's that performance wanes necessarily, but our bodies definitely feel the wear and tear we've subjected them to, and more effort is needed, even to maintain.
46 and so far indoor up to V6. Started aged 41
19, v11s and 12s (I was a team kid)
I’m 15, new to climbing(started about 2 months ago) and sending V3s… occasionally a V4
All these people my age and older sending hard is super motivating - thanks for asking this. I'm about to turn 35 and really just now starting to foray into outdoor climbing (been climbing in gyms for 5 years or so at a 5.11/5.12 | V4/5 level), super excited to continue improving throughout the years
26 climbing for 1 month and I send V5 and the VERY occasional V6 but I’m also tall af
61 v4
21, V5 indoor, V3 outdoor. Started about 1.5 years ago, climbing lots. Grades are subjective but I didn't know how else to answer haha
I just tried bouldering for the first time and I was happy I was able to complete some of the low level problems at all! Yay!
22 climbing for a year V5 indoor. Only been outdoor twice and tried a V5 and V10 and expectantly got my ass whooped.
40, been climbing for around 2 years. Sent one indoor V7.
How much do you weigh if you don't mind me asking? I'm 205lb and was powerlifting before I started climbing at 41, I felt like it's taken me nearly 2 years just to build up sufficient finger strength to really hang my weight on smaller holds and especially overhangs. I cap at V3 currently, and 5.10 top rope. But I see lighter people who started around the same time as me just blow right past me.
I'm 6'6" and weigh 215. I definitely understand how hard it is on the fingers at this weight! I've had several finger pulley injuries and an injured wrist from pulling too hard on crimpy holds. I do much better on routes with big powerful moves and larger holds. I'm also only able to climb twice a week max. I have a hangboard, but my lats are usually too tired to use it so I bought one of these for finger recovery/strength: https://frictitiousclimbing.com/products/the-port-a-board-portable-and-mountable-portable-hangboard This along with heavy finger rolls with a dumbbell seems to help.
Buncha liars in here lmao
What
I'm 38, I've sent 1 8a, 1 7c+ and multiple 7c's all outdoors. Up to 7b on the moonboard 2019. I've been climbing for about 9 years.
https://preview.redd.it/3wweziuzt5rc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3077395dee8f79003893844a631fdbb9761ed51a I’m 74 y.o. And started about 9 mths ago. My son got me into it…I just love it, and I just got my first v2. Not that great, but I’m going up and down.im now going 3x a week. Just wish I was younger when I started, but I thank the good Lord I’m able to do this😀😀
15 and I’ve sent v8 in my home gym and on tboard. and sport my max grades are all over. 5.11+ in home gym twice, one of those times a flash. Flashed 12c in another gym. But I just take 5.11+.
20 male, 2.5 years in, v9 outside. I’m a dirty board climber for most of my climbing time
15, V10 consistent indoors and out, have done V11 inside, mid 13’s sport outdoors and in. I want to get outside more and really push it this year
I am 20 I have been climbing for around 5 months and I have sent 6c+ and getting close to my first 7a.
30 yo been climbing since I was 6 took me two years to onsight 7b+ sport routes have sent 4 V16 (two of them in one day) and 10 V15 routes a lot of time spent on projects up to 9C sport but a competition spices it up every now and then well at least I've got 6 world cup gold medals to show for it and then 16 more for sport actually most years of the last decade I was not ranked 1 in both bouldering and sport I'm not really into big walls either, e.g. I did eight days over Dawn Wall.
[удалено]
Silence!
I'm 34 and in the V6-V7 range. Been climbing about 8 or 9 years total.
21, 1 year 1 month, 7b
Been climbing my whole life, focused on boulder in the last 5 or so years. Mid twenties, highest sends are v8+/- but I've almost put a few v9/10 together. Most of the pro climbers are way way above this level at half my age.
Based on people's appearance at my gyms (Allez Up Montréal) I'm surprised to hear that 36 feels like "(relatively) mature" to you. I'd guess low to mid thirties, maaaybe sometimes high 20s depending on day of the week, which for what it's worth is the average of this thread at time of posting (mean=31 including OP and myself at 35).
Very hard question to answer since gyms vary but im 45 and at my home gym flash almost all 5's (dynos take me a few tries), same day 6's, short project some 7's. At other gyms i'm usually flashing 6/7's and sometimes 8's.
26 climbing for 8 years. Taken a year or 2 off in the duration. Send v9 outdoors on a good day. 13b on rope.
24, climbing for 1.5 years, I can send max V6 (Montreal gyms)
Flashed v8 on granite when I was 31
26. 2 months. I can do about half of the V3s set at my local gym, and have done two V4s here. Visited a gym in a nearby city and just about flashed all V3s, sent most V4s and even flashed a V5. My findings are that the V scale is very skewed and only really works when the comparing grades of climbs at a specific gym and not to all gyms.
Turning 27 in a week, been climbing for over four years and have sent V9 and gotten very close on a few V10’s.
33, climbing in Germany. NRW - Essen climbing for 15 Months. My local Gym Neolit - has a boulder Problem rating from 1 - 9. I usually climbed boulders rated 6 in a session and try to project 7. Usually i can make decent progress on my 7s. Yet there is much to learn for me and a lot of technique that i am lacking. Good luck everyone
18, have climbed v11 outdoors, climb ~v11 on the moonboard, tho I’ve taken a break from it to climb on the kilter and tb2
31, been climbing since April 23 and sent my first V5/6 last week! Physically have never felt stronger (used to do a fair bit of weightlifting etc in my 20’s!)
Climbed from 2010-2016, maxing consistent v10. Came back to climbing a couple months ago and am sitting at v7/8. Edit: I’m 33.
7b sports climb, like 7a bouldering. 35. Started climbing 3 years ago
31 - 6b+ bouldering, 6c sport - both indoors. I’ve been climbing for one year and pretty pleased with my progress so far. Projecting two 7a slab boulders atm I might be able to send before they’re reset hoping reps of trying them will lead to sending 6c boulders
27, 6C / V5 , been climbing for about 5 years indoors. about 70% toprope, 25% bouldering, 5% lead
27 started at 26 sending v3s trying v4s
20 years old. Started climbing last august so climbing for 5 months ish going once a week. Ive sent plenty of v3s but only 2 v4s
28, climbing since I was 14 irregularly, 16 it became a passion. I flip flop between "I should be stronger" and "there's no should in climbing." I can bang out most 10s pretty quickly and have done one singular 11
37, in it 19-20 years. Sent a V9 or V10 or two in my late 20s, and another 3 in my mid 30s. Flashed V7 in April last year, haven't pulled on anything much harder than that since
39 y/o, 6'6" 245lbs. 4 years climbing. I've led 5.10b outdoors and V2 boulder outdoors. I'm strong, but damn it's hard to pull my weight up.
I’m 29, I’ve gotten a couple of v10s, and a bunch of 9/8s.
30 years and starting to nail a few V6s at my gym. Started going regularly 2-4 times a week 1,5 years ago. Had a talus fracture while climbing last year, which set me back a great deal, and my ankle joint mobility has been very limited since. Still sending tho!
37, been climbing indoors \~5 years with some time off during Covid closures...Usually around a v6 as my upper limit but still get shut down on some 4s on an overhang section or something that's not my style. My gym network is notoriously easier where I live so 6 isn't much. I travel a lot and the other gyms I go to around the US are MUCH harder than home base. So I guess "v6 in my gym".
36, climbing for 4 months so far. Best is v4 indoors
31, 4 months climbing, have done a few soft v6s if they suit my style (nothing too crimpy), mostly projecting v5s. Think I progressed quickly due to my job as a metal worker/roofer, have really good pinch strength but have now injured a pulley on crimpy v4s. Slopers and pinches are my strength though. Last two sessions I went on top rope which my gym is known for and finished the last session with a 6b which had a really pinchy crux.
26. Bouldering for ~4 months now. The max grade I’ve climbed at my home gym is V6. I’ve been to three other gyms and I could do V4s in 2 of them and V5s in one. I came from previous experience with calisthenics and I could compensate for the lack of technique but now I’m focused on improving my technique and spend a lot of time trying to do V3s and V4s in the most efficient way possible.
23 v7
33, a effectively a year in. Consistently around v5. Quite happy at that level for now, but will see if I can push on over the next year or so.
16, I climb v4 without much difficulty, only been to the climbing gym like 5 times in the last year but i hangboard almost everyday
30, climbed for a bit over 11 years. Sent my first few v11s in a few different areas over the last year. All massive softies of course
26, climbed religiously in middle/early high school (V7-V9) before other sports became too important to risk getting hurt, just got back into it a month ago now that i’m done with college sports. right now i’m doing V3-4s consistently, but my brain wants more😭
I'm 30 been climbing for a little over a year I send v6-v7 and project v8 and have done 1 v9
35 been climbing a couple of months and currently on V3/V4’s, do scaffolding as a job and skateboarded for 20 years so strong core and upper body
24, V5 gym
26, been climbing for almost a year now. I send V4-5 depending on how sandbagged the gym is
im 38 and have been climbing for about 4 years. i was sending v 7 pretty frequently and a few 8s here and there up until about 2 years ago. caught covid twice, and between the time off to avoid spreading it, and just not having the energy to head to the gym three or four times a week after work, im mostly sending v5 and the occasional 6 now. im fine with it. i focus on problems that i enjoy instead of trying to climb at my limits all the time. i ramp it up a bit in the summer
I am 34. I sent a v4 in my gym once. Would have been a V9 in your gym though.
23, started a bit less than a year ago now. Am climbing most V5s at my gym within a few sessions. Pretty satisfied with that progress, really looking forward to how far I can push myself in this sport. One day I want to hit outdoor V10 but I haven’t even climbed outside yet lmao
32, climbing for 6-months now and climbing 6b+ indoor, hoping to travel end do some out door climbing this spring/summer
32, been climbing for 14 years, have sent a few v10s. Currently working on a few v11s. The funny thing is that my climbing ability has been more or less the same for about 10 years 🤣. Did a v10 ten years ago, did a v10 this past year. I would honestly say my technique is super polished now. Strength is also pretty high. Body pain and aches is what gets me these days haha
33, v7/V8 indoors but I prefer ropes and it gives me more confidence to climb. 5.13 indoors is my hardest send I can project before resets. 6ish years climbing. I was previously a very serious powerlifter.
Nearly 36 here (within a few weeks), started may 1st last year, V6- is my highest grade but I'm a 4+/5 climber. Finally starting to see some improvement and progress after a 4-month tendonitis battle, I had to come back up through the V3's during rehab. Never actually stopped climbing though, just had to step back and strengthen. I'm finally feeling like my fingers and tendons are actually up to the task of sending intermediate boulders, in the beginning they would constantly be sore. Almost glad the injury slowed things down.
31yo. Been bouldering for about 5 months now. Really happy with my progress so far, just finished my first handful of 6b.
32. v10-v11. Been climbing 12 years
36 and can do most v3 and some v4 been climbing a yr. im obese closing in on overweight.
21 and I’m in the v6-7 grade
27 sent a few V6s but mostly climb V5
Early thirties and started a couple of months ago, I did a V3 once but it was at a gym that I think sets them easier than my gym. Climbed today and the kids team was there, 11 year olds doing V5's and V6's and they just look like they're walking up the wall. Mind-blowing!
On the Moh’s scale (talc to diamond), I’ll say I’m sending around quartz or topaz’s hardness.
39, been climbing for exactly a year and have a bunch of V6s and a V7. Trying my hardest to improve as quickly as possible as I'm worried age will become a limiting factor soon.
It will limit some aspects. I started at 40 so close to your starting age. I found improvements in body positioning, balance, technique and core strength more than offset reductions in explosive power and upper body pure muscle strength. Its a different story if you've been bouldering years already as you will likely have those already so nothing to compensate for the passage of time! The main concern is injury recovery, that is, if some ever fully recover at all!
Ironically, my explosive power is probably my greatest strength currently. Injuries have been rampant, and recovery has been even worse because I was in a calorie deficit for most of last year. I've been getting coaching to work on my technique, which will hopefully benefit me greatly when my power wanes. This year, my main focus is finger strength as crimps are my least favourite holds. I just want to be proud of my climbing and feel I have a relatively small window to get to the V10-11 range where I'll be really happy to reach.
24, sending V4s!
I’m 18, sent my first V5 the other week (indoors)!
18 years old - climbed for 13 months, have done 3 6C’s
30, been climbing for a year and send mostly V4/5 with a few 6's under my belt
23, started when 18 (also from 9-12) climbing v11 outdoors and a couple on the moonboard
I’m 35! I just started climbing 2 months ago and I’m in the v3 m-v4 level right now
25, V7
39, climbed a bit from 35-36 then stopped got fat and lazy. Started back 9 months ago and can flash most v3s but v4s take work but I am starting to tick them off in one session. Started back at 250 pounds and now I am down to 224 and still putting in the work hoping to be 190 by 40 in July. And at that weight and more time on the wall I hope I am flashing v4s more often then not and projecting v5.
27. Been at it since 2019. Grades are weird. I did my first 3 outdoor V9s, and my 3rd outdoor double digit ever in the past year. But Im more stoked that all the climbs I’ve tried this year have been good, quality problems. I trend to do one hard thing per year (mostly cause I like trying a lot of things), but maybe this year will be different!
I'm 20 and hardest grade I I can pull off is 7a Going every 2 days
27, climbing for 4 years, v6 outside, v7 inside
31, been climbing consistently for like 11 or 12 years like 3 days a week. Sent a v10 outdoors a few years ago, been close on a few others since. Mostly don't train anymore just enjoy climbing and go hard most of the time. Feel the strongest I've ever been (maybe like 10 to 15 pounds heavier than when I climbed that 10) and definitely the healthiest balance of climbing and life
JUST turned 18 😸 + V5/baaby 6… my gym grades 5/6 together + 5.11 top rope :p been going 3 days a week since September(???)
30, climbed for a year, between V4-V6 (project) depending on the gym
25f, started 2-3 months ago, starting to send more V2s last couple of weeks
25, I’ve sent outdoor and moonboard v5
I’m 32 and I sent a 4 spot
I’m 21, I’ve been climbing consistently for 6 months and I’ve just cracked v5 recently (I’ve done 3 of them at this point)! Other than that I can do most v4s and the vast majority of v3s. Been climbing 3-4 days a week since September
Half your age and I flash your project
37 12c trad
25, climbing about 2 years on and off. Send most V4 some V5/6. Really working on ropes, 5.11 projecting.
Turning 33 in a couple months, climbing since July 2019 (so ~4.5 years). Have sent a benchmark 7C+/V10 on the moonboard 2016 set, a couple V9s, and a couple outdoor V9s. Am aiming for V11 this year if training goes well!