Meet the ‘Flailing Fossils’ — seniors taking on rock climbing walls

RUTLAND, Vt. (Aging Untold) — A group of older adults in Vermont has taken up rock climbing, calling themselves the “Flailing Fossils.”

The group climbs inside the Green Mountain Climbing Center in Rutland.

“The Flailing Fossils is what we call ourselves,” Denise Coriell, 73, said.

Members share climbing experiences

Coriell has been climbing inside and outside for years and her friend, Pat Hunter, is relatively new to the sport.

Hunter described an early climb.

“I got up that wall about halfway and froze because I looked down and went, ‘Oh my God,’” Hunter said.

Hunter continued climbing.

“And when I got to the top, and we touch our head when we get to the top, and the exhilaration was incredible that I had done it,” Hunter said.

Hunter, now 77, and the other seniors climb three days a week.

“It made me think if there other things I’m not trying because I was afraid of failing?” Hunter said.

Candy Jones, 70, also overcame a fear of heights. Asked if she was nervous the first time she climbed, Jones said, “Totally. Totally. It took months before I was comfortable on the rope.”

Coriell said the camaraderie of the group and the upper-body strength training keep her coming back.

“I think it’s the camaraderie of the group of people here,” Coriell said. “It was something that I’ve not had and so this keeps me working at it.”

Highest climb yet

Allon Wildgust, 77, reached his highest climb during a recent session.

“Today, for some reason, I had my highest climb ever in my career, in this gym,” Wildgust said. “I failed four times and then the fifth time, got it.”

Larry Walter, 72, has been a rock climber for decades. He said he did not become passionate about climbing until he joined the group.

“You get the whole workout, and you don’t really even know what’s happening until you, you know, after two hours and it’s like, oh, I’ve been through something,” Walter said.

Read more here.