Rob Matheson climbs E7 aged 72

British rock climber Rob Matheson is proof yet again that age is no barrier to rock climbing with his recent ascent of Tombola at Nesscliffe quarry in England. The route, first ascended by Crispin Waddy at the end of the 1980’s, is a technical and psychological trad E7 6c. This lands somewhere in the region of French 7c, except that instead of shiny bolts it’s protected by thin cams and wires and boasts a balancy crux right below the top where flawless footwork is paramount.

What makes Matheson’s ascent stand out is the fact that the lakeland climber was born in 1950, meaning not only that he started climbing with hemp ropes and nailed boots, but that he is now 72 years old…