FUTSOC (pronounced Voetsek).


Tony Dick is 62 years young. He skin is thin, his hair is white and his body is generally wizened, shriveled and withered. And yet, yesterday he was at the Ledge giving it horns. After a very hot and exhausting walk up to the ledge, I lead the very pumpy Arms Race crux, graded 23 and Tony followed whipping out the gear claiming that it is harder than any of the 4 routes at the Hole that are graded 24 or 25 that he did 2 days ago.

He then led the 2nd pitch and had a pretty good whirl at climbing the top pitch of TATWOC which is probably grade 25 trad. (Does that make it grade 27 sport?).

We had some lunch and finished off on Africa Lunch 23 with Tony leading the final pitch with aplomb. We were down by 5 pm.

The FUTSOC club (Fired Up Totally Stoked Old Climbers) club has just two members right now. Hilton Davies and Bruce Daniel are vying for membership rights (although they are a little young still). Tini Versfeld and Dirk have the credentials but are still in rehab after their injuries. And younger aspirants are always welcome to apply for honorary membership.

There are only exclusion criteria. Taking the cable car up to the Ledge is a definite no no. Climbing routes all day within your grade does not cut it at all! (You are not going to make the cut if you climb 25 on Sport and fiddle around on 19’s on trad.) Sagging onto gear is certainly not going to score you many entry points!. And don’t bother doing your 10th repeat of Jacobs Ladder or Atlantic crag…..

Now all this may sound rather provocative and puffy but it is really hard for us old geezers to keep at it all alone. Where are all the aspirants? We used to be so inspired by guys climbing hard grades. And it made us want to do them and do it harder and better.

Willem Le Roux, Dark Horse Dave Vallet Hector Pringle. Who else? There is a “Joe” from the Eastern Cape? Step up and do the harder routes… C’mon and embarrass us. Come show us that we are actually just Tired and Totally Wanked-out Old Climbers and raise the bar. Show us how “last generation” we are.

There is still a bottle of Lagavulin on any dudes who on sight Prime Time on Yellowwood in a day!

The Ledge, Du Toits, Wolfberg, Krakadouw et al is calling you up, loud and clear…

Remember "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

Joe is an honorary Eastern Caper...he opened a trad 27 at van Stadens, a bunch of sport & boulder routes.

Would that be the 12 or the 16 year old Lagavulin then?

16 year old Laggies.

You see, "courage" comes from having a few beers or a couple whiskeys with your mates in a pub or around a camp fire. It makes you feel a little bolder than you normally feel. So emboldened, you espouse your climbing prowess to all and sundry and scorn and dis your mates for failing, flailing, whinging and whimping. (And they scorn you).

The next day you have to face up to your BS and take on the challenge, rev yourself up and go and try harder....And crank that on sight or get that red point.

It works....

Dark horse is just a wannabe.. He only makes it into the Futsoc Tatwoc clubs because he has the mind of a 60+ climber..

Dark Horse your take on your mind is quite dissimilar to what I think about you. You seem to be one of those dudes that does not need a couple toots to go throwing yourself at a route. Your ascent of Sanitorium comes to mind or were you high kiting on something then?