Toby Pola climbs Pooh Connection, 29 Mt Arapiles, Australia

Ben Wiessner captures Toby on this link-up from Pooh Sticks Direct Start into Anus Horribilus in Mysteries Gully at Mt Arapiles, Australia. Toby does a fine job of leveraging the rests to send his first 29 in about 15 years despite his inability to remember any beta after only 2 meters of climbing. If it wasn't for KP's frequent reminders and corrections he probably would've traversed off right and finished up Kachoong!

[@AlexeiDrummond]

Cool :) I am wondering about the number of attempts and the age of the climber? I hope that is not rude. I have just started climbing two years ago and I am turning 45. I wonder where I might be able to get to. I have climbed a couple of 25s but they take me 2-3 sessions.

[@jetjaxon]

I think Toby is somewhere around that age but he has been climbing for a long time. No reason why you couldn't climb at this level in your lifetime having started at 43. Key will be to not get injured, be really focussed in training, plenty of rest and heaps of outdoor climbing for skill acquisition. Plenty of people climbing into their 50s and 60s and climbing the upper 20s grades.
Check out Chuck Odette and Lee Sheftel for some inspiration.