Pro tip: Low budget hack to happy-feet on hard rock climbs
Climber in Indian Creek. Photo Mark Allen
There is no need to grin and bare it, climbing is hard enough!
And when we say “it” we are referring to the universal pain of hard rock climbs of significant length in a high performance climbing shoe. Footwear is the most important piece of equipment in any form of climbing. It’s your attachment to the surface and is one of the biggest, and overlooked, tools that can actually enhance your performance. As we select our footwear for longer routes, there’s always a compromise between comfort and performance. Tighter shoes give you more control over smaller edges, but comfortable shoes allow you to keep your feet inside all day. Now you’re tee-ing up on that long climb and you don’t know what to do? Maybe you just have one pair of shoes and even they get to you after a few pitches.
There is no need to grin and bare it, climbing is hard enough
A few bucks at your local climbing shop and a little bungee cord will allow you to attach your shoes to your ankle. This keeps the shoes on while you pop your heels out at that hanging belay. Now you can wiggle those toes and focus on what you can to do, climb hard.
Considerations with rock shoe leashes:
You will not look cool with them…yet. It’s going to be like hand-jammies, 10 years ago a faux pax, only to be worn by total “Newbs”. Fast forward to today, they are now a standard piece of gear, sold in the smallest of shops and certainly sold out of your size (debated by some, but, they’ll come around too).
Keep them tight to your ankle, no slack to get caught or snagged while you’re climbing. Make sure the girth hitch on your ankle doesn’t restrict blood flow, feeling your toes is important despite what some may say. This is a non-load bearing accessory and are only to be use for the purpose of keeping your shoes from falling off your feet.
Thanks for tuning in, when these become the next “big thing” in climbing, you’ll remember who told you first. Until then, see you on the wall.
Steffan Gregory
AMGA Certified Rock Guide
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