This comment feels like the same. I wholeheartedly agree with your original point about people of any age being capable of impressive physical feats, and have no interest in refuting it or "sidestepping it".
But since you brought up Fred Beckey, I thought it was worthwhile to correct an inaccuracy about him. People on this forum tend to value accuracy of claims after all, and the man has accomplished enough that we don't need to go making up additional things.
This thread could have ended 6 comments ago with "my bad, he was maybe attempting first ascents into his early 80s, though probably not seriously past his 70s. I remembered wrong". Claiming it's an "ackshually" about your original point just seems like a mischaracterization of the whole thread, and honestly, we should be OK just taking ownership of mistakes instead of getting defensive.
I'm wholly okay with owning mistakes and encourage comfortability with that among people around me every day, it's part of my job both professionally and as a parent.
I don't see what is inaccurate about what I said. Coaxed or not, he still got out there and tried for that first ascent, even getting to base at 83 which, to your point, "is a remarkable feat at almost any age". I never claimed anything inaccurate - he tried, and that's the truth.
But alright. I'll sit with this for a bit and maybe I'll end up understanding my inaccuracies.
Thanks for being willing to reflect on that. The original claim I was responding to was that he was still traveling for FA attempts in his late 80s and 90s. I also recognize my initial understanding that he was no longer making FA attempts in his 80s at all was likely inaccurate.
And aside from that, my response about him not making any FAs in his 80s was based on initially misunderstanding your comment to be claiming otherwise, adding to a bit of miscommunication here.
But since you brought up Fred Beckey, I thought it was worthwhile to correct an inaccuracy about him. People on this forum tend to value accuracy of claims after all, and the man has accomplished enough that we don't need to go making up additional things.
This thread could have ended 6 comments ago with "my bad, he was maybe attempting first ascents into his early 80s, though probably not seriously past his 70s. I remembered wrong". Claiming it's an "ackshually" about your original point just seems like a mischaracterization of the whole thread, and honestly, we should be OK just taking ownership of mistakes instead of getting defensive.