Sheftel, 68, climbs 5.13b

Lee Sheftel of Colorado has climbed Maple’s Eulogy 5.13b. Sheftel is 68 and might be the eldest climber to send the grade.

As 8a.nu reported today, Sheftel sent a 5.14a when he was 59. He later had both hips replaced. He’s still serious about climbing, trains year-round and has a number of projects.

Here is an excerpt from Steph Davis’ blog. Sheftel wrote a short note in response to someone’s question:

“There are many factors that will determine how proficient you get at this sport. some factors you have control over such as passion, time, access, fitness level and weight (weight is a huge factor in climbing as we are constantly fighting gravity so any excess weight is not to a climbers advantage. If you think you could lose a few pounds then it will be to your advantage to do so) Factors we don’t have control over are obviously our age and genetics. I found that after climbing 10 years or so, my main weakness was that I am not a “powerful” climber relatively speaking. My strength lies in my endurance and perserverance. I continue to train strength periodically but realize I cannot overcome my genetics in this regard. I also noticed that it takes me two to three days to recover from a hard day on the rock or in the gym so expect longer recovery times than the young lads and gals. The main thing is to enjoy yourself. Too many climbers get caught up in the “grades ” of climbs (I am no exception) and i have seen many climbers get burned out of the sport because of it so make sure your climbing and training are enjoyable. that is another area that I think us older climbers have as an advantage in that we get into the sport for the correct reasons- we like climbing!”

For the rest of what the motivational Sheftel has to say, visit Steph Davis’ blog here.