Olympic athletes have something to impress with their extraordinary physical abilities. Subjected to intensive training, they reach a high level, at a very young age for some. Even if it seems difficult, it is not impossible to get started in a sport that can fascinate us on screen these days, on the occasion of the Paris Games. For adults, it can even be an excellent idea.
On the program since the Tokyo Games in 2021, climbing is a new kid on the Olympic list. That doesn’t stop this century-old discipline from attracting followers of all ages. And there are many good reasons to start: rediscovering the taste for movement, taking on new challenges and even getting rid of your fear of heights! Meet enthusiasts who have chosen to climb the slopes at an age when others opt for knitting and tai chi.
Climbing was probably the last sport Kathy Noël thought she would try. By the end of her forties, the former journalist had already tried her hand at figure skating, cycling, cross-country skiing and running. But certainly not climbing.
“I always said I would never climb because I was extremely afraid of heights, ever since I was little. I was the little girl at summer camp who made excuses not to climb the climbing wall. I was terrified,” she says.
It was through her son that she got the shot that immunized her against this phobia. From the ages of 10 to 16, her son was part of a competitive team, which led her to spend a lot of time in the gym.
“The gym became our second home: I often drove him to his training sessions, my buddy was climbing at the same time, I was watching them do it. So I thought it looked like the funbut I didn’t allow myself to. And at some point I said to myself: “I’ll try it, while I watch them and wait for it to end.”
It was in the family section, on walls intended for children, that she faced her fear, one shot at a time.
“I always set myself the goal of going a little higher and I realized that my brain was adapting. The more it went, the less afraid I was and the more I had fun “, relates Kathy Noël.
“I was afraid to step out of my comfort zone. I started to acclimate and realize how fun and rewarding it is. I completely fell in love with the sport. It has become a passion for my buddy and me. “
While her son has given up on competition, her mother has remained committed. Now 52, she climbs in the gym three to four times a week. With other parents, she has joined a training group supervised by a coach and is learning to climb outdoors.
“I can’t see myself stopping climbing until the end of my days. If my health allows it, I will continue until I am 100, because it has become a passion,” she explains fervently.
The benefits of getting older
Centenarians may be rare on the rock faces, but it is quite common to come across climbers who are 50, 60 and even 70 years old, confirms Andréanne Vallières, owner of the Passe-Montagne climbing school, located in Val-David, in the Laurentians. The 33-year-old has many sixty-year-olds among her students, and even one among her employees.
Unlike younger clients, his older clients will often “take more time, observe, analyze. They will see climbing as a route and not just for reaching the summit. The process is more important to them.”
Because as in life, aging brings new perspectives at altitude.
“The way we see climbing changes over time,” says Andréanne Vallières. “You appreciate more the gesture, the movement, the passing of time, the landscape. There is a wisdom that comes with climbing that allows you to appreciate the present moment.”
While many aspiring climbers fear injury, getting older does not necessarily mean being more exposed to it in this discipline.
“On the contrary, if you are able to listen to your body and take your time, find the right tools and warm up before a route, you will feel as good as a “young” person who is starting out,” says Andréanne Vallières.
Maturity also helps climbers keep their cool when the going gets tough on the wall.
“Along with physical fitness and the technical aspect, stress management is one of the three components of climbing,” explains Eric Seve, a member of the Montreal section of the Alpine Club of Canada, who started climbing in his mid-40s.
Now 57, he has added several walls to his list of conquests in recent years, traveling between Charlevoix, the Adirondacks and Alberta. The engineer by training has in his sights the mythical Half Dome of Yosemite National Park, in California, a legendary climb that requires technique and aplomb.
“It’s something you acquire with experience, which allows you to put your efforts only into climbing and not into what’s peripheral. You can lose a lot of energy if you don’t know how to manage your fear. It’s an aspect where I manage to do well with younger people.”
Another myth to debunk: it would take Herculean strength to be able to climb.
“You don’t need to be a Schwarzenegger to do it,” Eric Seve corrects. “It’s not big muscles that matter, but efficiency. Climbing welcomes people of all shapes and sizes. Everyone will adapt their technique to their shape, to their strengths. There are more powerful climbers, others more flexible. Everyone will find their own solution.”
The “true nature”
For Mathieu Bérubé, who started indoor climbing this year at age 44, climbing is the equivalent of a fountain of youth.
“I’m fitter than ever!” says the man who works in the film industry as an assistant editor. Not very into sports as a child, it was only as an adult that physical activity became more important in his life, when he discovered hang gliding, a sport he practiced avidly for about ten years. Then he turned to mountain biking, before choosing climbing, to stay in shape. All sports come with a certain degree of risk.
“Mountain sports are necessarily more extreme. We’re talking about height, elevation, but also adrenaline. It’s a drug, it’s addictive.”
A drug that nevertheless has extremely positive effects on the human body.
“People who climb regularly look 10 years younger physically and 20 years younger mentally. They have more energy, are willing to move, try new things, are more daring,” he says.
For those who fall in love at first sight, this sport can become a real “way of life”, according to Andréanne Vallières, who praises the openness of the climbing community, “where everyone is there to help each other and bring out the best in themselves”.
“Climbing is a way to connect with true human nature and the environment,” she says. “When you climb, you’re vulnerable, you’re in pain, sometimes it’s not easy. Your partner sees you in your less glorious facets. Climbing is a way to connect with yourself and others.”