Caving For The Over 70's

[steviet_scg]

So - can anyone recommend such a book?

I've not read it but 'Sod 70' by Muir Gray is supposed to be good - it won't be specific to active sports but Muir Gray is well respected in medical / health circles. Come to think of it I might send him a link to this thread...

 

[tony from suffolk]

My doctor told me that my hyper-active life in my youth and middle age had worn me out.
What happened to 'Stay active and keep heathy'?

Same thing here Laurie. The many miles of long-distance running up until the age of fifty-ish has done for my knees, feet and hips due to osteoarthritis. The problem is you become addicted, and even in the face of injury tend to keep running. For which you pay in later life.

 

[Simon Wilson]

My doctor told me that my hyper-active life in my youth and middle age had worn me out.
What happened to 'Stay active and keep heathy'?

I recommend you see a good physiotherapist. Unless they are too far gone, joints can repair themselves but only slowly. You need to reach a happy balance between doing too much and doing too little so as to keep fit whilst giving joints time to recover. That's what my physio said and it seems to work for me.

 

[cooleycr]

As a relative youngster (55 next year) I have nothing but admiration for the older cavers and to read about people still digging and caving/mining (especially SRT) when at their age they should be at home wearing slippers and a nice cardy is a real inspiration to me and I hope I can continue for the next 15 years or more.

I have suffered with my back for years (I had a slipped disc when I was in early 20's which has often flared-up) and then had an argument with a car in 2000 that left me with a spine like a corkscrew!
After many physio sessions I was straightened out and the physio advised me to take up yoga.
I did so and have found it has helped me in my 5-a-side football (now sadly lapsed), running (90% off-road as I also have a split meniscus in one of my knees!) and caving so I would recommend it to anyone...

 

[paul]

Not caving but still very impressive for 70+:

"With hundred kilos on their backs they are facing storms, blizzards and deep snow. Their craft is not only a profession, but also their way to the calmness. In the documentary Freedom under Load we get to know the oldest generation of the porters in the High Tatras, who climb with supplies to the mountain huts every day. We discover why they have chosen this way of life and why they remain the last of the Mohicans on the European continent. And maybe we find out something about our own load that we carry."

https://youtu.be/Z4hralYnCro

 

[Kenilworth]

I will be caving in my seventies, definitely, if I am alive.

And you haven't developed rheumatoid arthritis, or chronic back ache, or peripheral neuropathy, as other unfortunate posters have. The spirit can be willing, but  the flesh lets us down eventually.

Indeed. Back to my old grandad again. He has arthritis and chronic back ache (discs are gone). Sometimes he will howl, "It hurts!" or "Oh mommy!" when things get rough. But he keeps moving because he's not interested in an immobile existence. Neither am I. If I cannot move about the countryside, walk in the woods, scrape around in a cave, I will simply stop existing.

I have much sympathy for posters with health problems that do not allow them to act. I also have different priorities than they do.

 

[Laurie]

My doctor told me that my hyper-active life in my youth and middle age had worn me out.
What happened to 'Stay active and keep heathy'?

I recommend you see a good physiotherapist. Unless they are too far gone, joints can repair themselves but only slowly. You need to reach a happy balance between doing too much and doing too little so as to keep fit whilst giving joints time to recover. That's what my physio said and it seems to work for me.

The physios have given up on me but I did have a bit of meccano bolted into my spine a couple of years ago that enables me to walk to the pub rather than hobble fifty yards and need to sit down. 

 

[droid]

You do bloody well Laurie.... :kiss2:

 

[Fulk]

With regard to the telly ? was I out of the country when they passed the law that said you're not allowed to watch the good stuff, only the crap?

 

[Kenilworth]

With regard to the telly ? was I out of the country when they passed the law that said you're not allowed to watch the good stuff, only the crap?

It's 97% crap and the crap you see while looking for non-crap is addictive and degrading.

 

[alastairgott]

And full of adverts, esp in us.

 

[Chocolate fireguard]

With regard to the telly ? was I out of the country when they passed the law that said you're not allowed to watch the good stuff, only the crap?

It's 97% crap and the crap you see while looking for non-crap is addictive and degrading.

Yes, but they wouldn't show this crap unless they knew that a lot of people would watch it.

Luckily we don't ask these viewers to make any decisions that might affect the rest of us.

Do we???

 

[Laurie]

You do bloody well Laurie.... :kiss2:

See you at Christmas Dave?

 

[royfellows]

With regard to the telly ? was I out of the country when they passed the law that said you're not allowed to watch the good stuff, only the crap?

It's 97% crap and the crap you see while looking for non-crap is addictive and degrading.

Yes, but they wouldn't show this crap unless they knew that a lot of people would watch it.

Luckily we don't ask these viewers to make any decisions that might affect the rest of us.

Do we???

Yes we do, its part of democracy.
Dont want to start any arguments, just make a point.

EU referendum, all the publicity went one way, but result the other.

Remember, "Who wants to be a millionaire". I dumped my TV years ago so dont know if its still running.
Anyway, an option was "Ask the audience"

Oddly, the audience majority was seldom wrong, even on some technical questions.
Its a funny one.

As I said no TV for years but I not missing anything. In the world of TV every household has a member who is gay from what I hear. Or is it just on BBC.

 

[Jenny P]

Well Boyd Potts did the Titan / J.H. exchange trip for his 70th. birthday. 

A duff knee slowed him a bit towards the end of his 70's - though he reckoned that was from running too many marathons on hard roads.  He was still caving at 79, till lung cancer got him - probably radon-related 'cos he didn't smoke.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Dont mention the radon  My mate "Mr Radon" on here reckons it will spell the end for all of us cavers and is dead against young people caving. He is a pharmacist so does have a little knowledge of it. My view is it's all sods law. Whatever you do will result in your death and as far as I see super fit sports persons dont seem to live any longer than the rest of us. Much of it for us old un's is any absence from debilitating disease and skeletal muscular problems. Ability to recover quickly helps too though I am generally like a      " Dead Dog " on Wednesdays. Having a focus clearly helps to get you beyond the C.B.A. syndrome. I found that with diving as it was wreck research that kept me going. Sure real life can be very banal and everything now aims at the lowest possible denominator and political correctness. Sadly many are losing the spiritual meaning of life as they become immersed in modern technology. In future caving might see that and result in decline. I look at my street and see tarmac and gravel everywhere. Few have lovely gardens. My house is covered in climbing hydrangea and I have lawns and flower borders. The Japanese viewed gardens as a very spiritual place. I view caves and diving like that. A retreat from the burgeoning obsession with modernity and technology. ( I have never used an automatic checkout and resent the patronising tone of the robotic salesperson. "Please insert you clubcard -- arghhh.). No, of course I wont win. I found that out with self service petrol pumps years ago..
So enough of my anti modernity rant. Back to caving. We have a local " Underground Taunton " Facebook Group. Basically there is no real underground Taunton any more the there is an underground Swindon. There are 1500 members of the group mostly of the armchair variety who seem horrified when I actually post a real caving photo. Ooo the mud and loose boulders etc ! Funny that aint it ? Yes I still love my caving and do far more now than when I was younger. OK no Agen Allwedd and Draenen round trips. I do know my limits. Well rather I don't now. I did years ago but now I am never sure where the cut off point is or if ever that second wind will blow in. Yes ,now thinking about it that is a major worry for us older folk. Can I or can't I ? Couple that with the horrible dishonour of some overblown Mendip rescue situation. " Pensioner Rescued by Fire Service. Madness at That Age says Police Spokesman." I would shrivel up and die. So the digging and amateur photography sustain my passion. Oh. I really worry a 75m pitch is just around the corner in Vurley. The Cheddar Master Cave is calling. Good job I can swim.

 

[Pitlamp]

There shouldn't be any cause for embarrassment if you have a genuine accident and end up becoming involved in a formal rescue. Rather you should be congratulated for participating fully in a pastime which at least some youngsters are already too unfit to do.

We have a jealously guarded volunteer ethos for mountain and cave rescue in this country. It'd just be your mates coming to help you and I suspect you've perhaps done similar things yourself for other caving colleagues in the past. Or maybe you've chucked money in a rescue collecting tin from time to time. We're all part of the same community and we help each other. I hope to read posts about your underground activities on here for many years to come. 

 

[Laurie]

Beautifully worded Mr OR.
Thankyou 

 

[Chocolate fireguard]

With regard to the telly ? was I out of the country when they passed the law that said you're not allowed to watch the good stuff, only the crap?

It's 97% crap and the crap you see while looking for non-crap is addictive and degrading.

Yes, but they wouldn't show this crap unless they knew that a lot of people would watch it.

Luckily we don't ask these viewers to make any decisions that might affect the rest of us.

Do we???

Yes we do, its part of democracy.
........

Well I never!

 

[Laurie]

With regard to the telly ? was I out of the country when they passed the law that said you're not allowed to watch the good stuff, only the crap?

It's 97% crap and the crap you see while looking for non-crap is addictive and degrading.

Yes, but they wouldn't show this crap unless they knew that a lot of people would watch it.

Luckily we don't ask these viewers to make any decisions that might affect the rest of us.

Do we???

Yes we do, its part of democracy.
........

Well I never!

Never what?