Ian, an Australian short film, introduces viewers to the eponymous Ian Elliot, a 72-year-old rock climber.
“Age isn’t really a barrier to climbing,” Ian claims simply.
The camera pulls back slowly, revealing the massive crag Ian is climbing. Photo: Screenshot
Born on the then-rural Sunshine Coast in 1952, Ian didn’t start climbing seriously until his mid-50s. He was always adventurous, from a youth riding motorcycles along the coast to bush walking and canyoneering. From there, he found rock climbing.
But it was only after his partner, Jeannette, developed knee problems that he became serious about climbing. No longer able to walk with her, he turned to climbing instead.
It has become a central focus of his life — when he wakes up, he admits, he finds himself thinking through challenging sections, longing to get out there. At home, he trains with determination.
Ian training at home. His passion for rock climbing has been an incentive to stay as fit as possible as he ages, which his partner believes is a good reason to keep climbing. ‘And he just loves it, so why not?’ Photo: Screenshot
Now that we’ve met Ian, the film takes us with him to Mount Coolum, in Queensland. A volcanic intrusion less than a kilometer from the beach, Mt Coolum is a uniquely challenging climbing destination. A large overhang with unusual, horn-like rock formations makes it a destination for serious climbers.
“I don’t really have anything to prove,” Ian says, as we see him jump and pull his way up the jagged underside of Mt Coolum. “I just like to be out on the rock, climbing.”
He doesn’t claim to be immune to age. The stiffness and soreness, he admits, have worsened over the years. “But once I’m on the rock, you don’t think about aches and pains.”
Ian is practically climbing horizontally now, as the rock face bends dizzyingly up and over.
Intense climbing on Mt. Coolum. Photo: Screenshot
As captions on screen explain, Ian “astounded the climbing community” when he successfully completed his first 5.12d at the age of 69. He surprised himself, he confides, when he was able to keep going for so long, at such a high level.
Even he doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to do it. But he plans to find out — keep training, and keep climbing.
