Looking for Answers about Climbing?

Modern ropes have little to no twist in the lay, a right handed lay is old school hawser lain stuff.
Grigris are perfectly okay for descent, read the book.
Just learn to use your gear left or right handed, the only real concern is that a grigri has almost no dynamic property to it- so it is best used on top rope or with bolt protection. Tubular devices such as the reverso or atc are most appropriate for trad climbing.

Try the Trango Cinch! It is the exact same as the Gri Gri except the lowering handle is on the opposite side. Also it is smaller, Lighter, and feeds effortlessly for lead belaying.

Try it out I'm in love with mine. I've had it since they came out.

I am a righ handed person but if you want a left haned device you can use the ATC

I don't think a Grigri or any belay device really requires any one hand to be much more dextrous than the other. You should be able to switch hands back and forth without thinking about it on most devices. It helps you belay faster.

does not exist, petzl verso, two slots so you could have rope on your left side

To a certain extent the fact that you don't see many so called left handed is because the lay of the rope that they use to either design them or that they manufacture more of corresponds to the to the functionality of the device its self... have a close look at your rope and the device and you'll notice the rope has a natural twist to it called the lay. So if you coil your rope and notice it twsting on itself or it kinks easily this means you've spooled it the opposite to its lay. Right and Left lay ropes respectively should be set into devices and knots tied in the same direction of the lay of the rope. most rope is right (clockwise) laying and therefore more devices tend to follow that trend. The best thing to do would be to learn to be ambidextrous. This helps you do sooo much more safe, faster easier and on and on. The MUNTER HITCH is also tried and true and lefty or righty, as is the figure 8 which is intended to be a DESCENT device, but can be used as an ATC on the little ring. I may be wrong as i don't use one every day but I'm pretty sure all ATC devices out there can be left or right and these are cheap and good. If you still want one i have seen a custom made device NFPA rated left version of the petzl ID but your looking at 400 or 500 bucks! Somewhat off topic i feel it important to distinguish between DESCENT devices which are different from BELAY devices which again are different from ASCENT AIDS and ROPE GRABS. These are all designed with a specific purpose. Using gear outside the intended use specified by manufacturers is just begging for consequences and repercussions. To the folks out there using the grigri to descend on should take a closer look at the manufacturers specs and literature! Also you should never rely on what anyone other than the manufacturer says about any of your equipment. Even though the intention is good the outcome may not.

I know that you want a left handed grigri but there isn't. I have seen a unit fron trango called the cinch. This is a must have. Buy it now.
by;??????

Hey there

I am left handed I fooled around with a right handed grigri and tried to figure out how to use it in reverse. Eventually I just made myself learn how to do it right handed. It took no time at all, and about a month later it began to feel more natural than doing it lefty.

I have not seen a Left handed Gri Gri yet. (write the Petzel company) I am also left handed but, I have to use my right hand and arm while decending, using my Gri Gri. If you want to use your left hand and arm to decend try a Figure 8 device that is much easier to rig, only you need to tie a Prusick loop higher up on your line to make a full stop. The other end of the Prusick loop should be hooked on a Carabiner and your harrness to hold you tight.
I hope this helps.

although not very aggressive, the Acopa Chameleons are great shoes and seem to fit a wide foot.

Check out the Evolv Pontas. They fit pretty wide for an aggressive edging, 5.15 climbing shoe.

I regularly wear 13 EEEE, yes 4 E's, and the best off the shelf fit I've had is from Bufo's Weapons. Until I found them I've had to stretch my shoes to death and ended up with my foot bulging out so much I had no way to use the outside edge until I had them resoled

Although most people will disagree, I have wide feet and found that La Sportiva Solutions fit like a charm. They were pretty nasty to my feet for the first few days, but after wearing them while climbing, watching T.V., doing the dishes, they broke in and fit like a glove!

I wear a street 10 1/2 and I bought the Sportiva 8 1/2.

Get them!

Wide climbing shoes, agressive and not lace up?
Certainly no easy solution to this scenerio.
1st
I would not be looking at branding (sportiva, 5.10, scarpa etc) as being known as "wide" or "narrow". All brands offer a variety of widths and fits.
2nd
By virture of an aggressive boot it needs to be tight (AKA narrow) in order to do what it was designed for. Performing on steep and or technical terrain.
3rd
It is unfortunet that by nature humans lean towards velcro or slip-on purely for convenience. With a lace-up, one is capable of opening the shoe up, especially in the toe box.

Solution?
It might be easier to spend a paper $1 canadian bill!! just kidding. One might want to seek a leather shoe as they strech more so then a synthetic. Plus deciphering ones own discomfort level will prevail once deciding on a climbng shoe.

Have fun!

The anasazi verdes fit my wide feet fairly well. They do fit large though (compared to the velcros) and stretch just a tad more. They are much better for wide feet.

i have very wide feet.

i was able to get my foot into the mad rock (orange) flash shoes. size 8 1/2

however those stretched out and the velcro has worn off.. i decided not to get velcro anymore for this reason.. they just didn't fit as i wanted...

now i am using the five ten verdes (green) size 7

even though i have to unlace almost half of the shoe to get it on, once it's on i know it will stay =)

Flash Rockshoes by Madrock are a good option to try on.

Try this with caution, but I've washed my natural leather climbing shoes. I used a brush to scrub them inside and out with mild laundry detergent (Woollite) and warm water. While they were still damp, I rubbed a little bit of saddle soap into the suede to condition it.

They still smell a bit, but they're better than they were, and the leather came through the treatment OK.

A lot of the recommendations here suggest using oils and sprays - Don't do that! Using oil-based sprays and washes leave residues and deposits which in turn form the perfect place for more bacteria to grow, which is why the smell often goes away briefly and comes back stronger.

The key to keeping your shoes smelling fresh is to let them dry properly. Don't shove them in a bag after your gym session - give them at least a night to air out. Tossing a few silica bags inside each of the shoes helps out too - most MECs will have plenty on-hand to give out. Aside from that, if they're already stinky, some baking soda poured into a pair of old pantyhose, tied into a ball, and tossed in the shoes helps, as does leaving it spread open wide on a sunny day. If it's super bad, using a pair of very thin socks (like the disposable ones at shoe stores) will also help. If it's absolutely atrocious, Mirazyme will do the trick

Bottom line: easier to keep them from smelling than to try and get rid of the smell afterwards.

Personally if the shoe is synthetic I put it in the wash and then air dry them. Shoe odor comes from a bacteria commonly transferred from your foot sweat, so febreze isn't going to get rid of it. There are some anti-bacterial powers, but I just think it ends up making a paste. Put them in the wash alone with some detergent. Good as new! PS. it's not going to kill ALL the bacteria, but at least it'll smell better (for now).

I've always used the antibacterial spray that climbing gyms and bowling alleys use on their rental shoes.

For my Vibram FiveFingers, which I DO NOT use for climbing, I find soaking them for a few hours in a solution of warm water and baking soda works wonders. I can't see why it won't do the same for climbing shoes.

The best part: baking soda is dirt cheap!

I've had good luck rubbing antibacterial deoderant on my toes. Some pharmacies or organic shops will have something called salt deoderant. It's not really deoderant, just a block of salt crystal which dissolves and helps keep bacteria populations down.

Tooth brush (old), X quantity of water, small amount of bleach.

Have used on dark colour climbing shoes without any discolouration, make sure you use a small amount of bleach.

I used approximately one tea spoon and a 1.5 L of water

Try some Tea Tree Oil, I find that it works really well. About 1-3 drops in 0.5 L of water in a spray bottle, make sure you shake it up really well then spray the inside of your shoe. It gets rid of the odour and helps prevent more odour. I also wash my feet with Tea Tree Oil soap before I go climbing to help reduce the smell my feet give off.

If your shoes are lace up's then unlace them, open them up and put them in the sun, it really helps to disinfect the shoes.

Hope this helps!

After climbing I toss a little baby (talc) powder in my shoes, it deodorizes and wicks moisture which helps prevent bacteria growth and in turn keeps the smell under control. I also keep them outside but under cover. Just knock the loose powder out of the shoes before climbing and you're good to go! For really stinky shoes, use MiraZyme (Mec sells it), it's meant for wetsuits but does the trick if you have a day or so before your next climb to let it dry.

While it is true that ropes over 10 years old and stored in ideal conditions have been tested/shown to fail at only a little less than full strength there is more to a rope than simple strength. The guy answering here with a 40 year old rope is clueless as to the real issues involved. He disregards the elasticity, fall factors, and impact forces (evaluating a rope by smell.??!!??). Climbing ropes DO lose elasticity increasingly over time. That means while the rope probably won't break, the likelihood of gear placements or anchors failing in the event of a fall is increased. At the very least it makes for hard catches when sport climbing. Using an old rope to rap or as a tag line might not be high risk but be prepared to retire a rope from active or lead use when the manufacturer suggests. That is for an unused rope ideally stored. A rope in active lead use may need retiring after less than a year if in heavy use.

If the science doesn't sway you then look at it from a neophyte perspective - buying a new rope every couple of years won't kill you, but a rope failure just might.

Practically speaking I am probably the only guy who has a 40 year rope. Rope manufacturer says 10 years, which just means they have tested it to ten years, and it is OK. Doesn't mean they have the 20, 30, or 40 year data, and it isn't OK. Generally lifespan and shelf life info just reflects the length of the test. Who is going to tell you at 10 years it was garbage. They are saying it's OK for 10 years, and then we gave up. They are liable and they are passing up sales. In any case, the average climber lasts in the sport something like 3.5 years. The ropes are good for 10, and if I found some new 20 year old ropes, I wouldn't bat an eye. In the real world it is a non-issue. And if I decided to do a few routes for old time sake I'm not buying new gear. The main improvement in gear is that it is lighter. The old stuff was built to last. 11mm ropes were standard, and they had 13 mm ropes for institutional use. The impact numbers were lower. That stuff is fine.

PS your computer says the manufacturer's name is a naughty word.

Plastics, including the nylon in ropes and slings degrade naturally over time, even without being used. Most manufacturers state that you should retire ropes and slings after around five to ten years, even if you've never used them.

Also, ropes have improved a lot in the last 40 years, and so have the standards used to test them. Climbing on a 40 year old rope is asking to get yourself hurt.

I started climbing in '72. I still have ropes from that period. They still seem fine. Ropes are tested in extreme tests. So top ropes, and certain kinds of leads climbing aren't pounding them. If the mantel still seems good, they smell good, and handling is normal. Sounds good to me. You have to consider that we all use other people's ropes without a thought. Compared to a rope of known provenance of my own, I know which I feel better about. Sport climbing ropes are a different thing, if you load something mildly over and over, it can have an effect. It isn't the age of the rope that maters it's the history. Therefore not knowing the history is the worrisome part.

All polymers are formulated with a certain amount of anti-oxidants to protect it against oxidative degradation for a certain amount of time.

Even if a rope hasn't been used at all, it will still degrade and weaken if it's beyond its designed lifespan. The same thing happens with cars - an old car with zero kilometers on it will break down faster and more frequently than a new car with a hundred thousand on the odometer.

Any time you buy a rope or plan to use it, you should know when it was manufactured and what kind of wear it has taken. Don't risk your life for a couple hundred bucks.

I had to consider this very question myself. I had bought a 2nd hand but unused (new) rope from a trusted source who had bought it a "few years ago" and never used it.
Following this I happened to find out via another friend (who had checked with the manufacturer) that this particular rope model hadnt been made for about 8 years.
I considered this age and my own inspection (it was identical cond to any rope in a shop) and after reading a report on BMI website where 20 and 30 yr old ropes still passed the UIAA rope tests decided it was ok for use and have since climbed neumerous times indoor and outdoor with it.
Of course manufacturers will want/recommned us to replace our ropes after say 5 yrs regardless of amount of use, that way the sell more ropes. However the facts from BMI seem to be that age has little or no effect on rope performance, most important is rope physical condition (wear abrassions etc) and how it has been stored all those years. Biggest danger to ropes is acid fumes (ie stored near a car battery) and other chemical fumes which might make a rope fataly weak without visible signs of wear.
Cheers

5 years in perfect conditions,its your life line, i'd not trust it after two

I started out on velcro, and switched to laceup for my next pair.

When I bought my velcro they were great, after a week or two of climbing they fit perfectly. However they loosened up sideways while staying short on the big toe, which meant my big toe was cramped front to back with lots of air and no support on either side of it and I was unable to climb with my toes, limited to the sides of my shoe.

My lace-ups even if they have stretched in that way, I can tighten the laces as needed and get an all around snug fit again.

I loved the convenience of the velcro, but it will really depend on the shoe and how it stretches because you have limited adjustability once they do. For velcro consider synthetics that will stretch little or not at all.

I have used both but like lace up much better. The difference is that with velcro they are much easier to take off and put on, but personally i leave my lace ups untied about 65% of the time. the simple fact is that I find lace ups untied gives me more freedom and versatility then anything else. I currently wear a size 10 2/3 and my street shoes are a size 12.. maybe go to a store and try those, or rent lace ups and try it.

It's really a matter of personal preference. My rule of thumb has always been the following: If you're looking for a shoe that's super aggressive with a downturned toe, you want a tight fit for supreme performance. This fit won't be comfortable to ahve on for extended periods of time, so velcro makes this situation easier by allowing quicker on and off phases.

Laces on the other hand I like for shoes that i use out on the crag for multipitch routes. I can adjust the laces for greater comfort for extended periods of wear or rreally crank down if I need a little more oomph out of my shoes.

The best shoe that fits your feet is more important then what holds it together.

In general, velcro means you can take your shoes off a lot easier, so it tends to be a more popular choice for bouldering. (or anyone who likes to size their shoes really really tight) These shoes also tend to be more aggressive then lace up shoes. (though this is not always the case). They tend to have more rubber covering the toes of the shoes.

Lace ups can be a lot kinder to people with a wider range of foot widthes. They can sometimes feel wider, and often can be pulled very tight to accomodate narrow feet. They tend to be more beginner friendly, and less agressive through the toebox. (There's less rubber covering the front of the shoe, and the top of your toes.) Downside is that they are harder to remove.

And don't forget SLIPPERS!
Slippers are great shoes when sized properly. If you try and get them too small they can be a real hassle to try and squeeze your feet into them. They tend to give a really glove like feel. They're awesome.

i definately prefer a lace shoe as you want your shoes to be as tight and form fitting as possible, velcro just doesnt do that and once the shoes stretch, all shoes do, you may not be able to get the desired tightness with velcro. as well lace ups evenly distribute the pressure/tightness around the entire foot, velcro does not. its the same reason why velcro running shoes are only popular among infants and seniors, they dont perform optimally with the shoe like a lace does, you dont see Usaine Bolt running in velcros

depends on what you intend to accomplish, long easy routes need loose(er) shoes. On the other hand hard bouldering requires tight, supportive downtured shoes. Figure out what type of climbing you like, (trad/sport) as this is also a good way to differentiate.

PACK ADVICE

BLADDER ADVICE
I am a fan of bladders with a 'ziploc' seal at the top. The reason is they tend to be a lot easier to clean and a lot less messy to fill. However, the downside of getting a bag that only opens by this method is that you can't attach to a filtration system if you want to be able to fill it with lake water/use it in more rustic dirty water situations.

If you don't need it to be able to do that, then stick with the 'ziplock' tops. They weigh less.

(Try the Source WXP Hydration Pack)
**The Source packs are nice because they're cheap, and easy to fix/get replacement parts/clean. They also come in 3L which is what I would recommend for any longer multipitch trips. You can always dump out extra water, but you'll want it if it's hot out and with a ton of hard climbing.

HYDRATION PACK ADVICE

1. Identify your needs. Do you want to JUST carry water in it? Do you want to carry snacks? Do you want to carry first aid kits/lunch etc on your back. That will help you determine Volume (Liters). I'd say for those looking at shorter climbs and who want to minimize weight, anything under 6L will be ideal. You should still be able to throw some clif bars in there, and it won't be too heavy. Those like to pack heavier 8-16 Liters. Anything over that could become a pretty big burden.

2. Look at the straps! Yes, most hydration packs are created catering to bikers or hikers. However, either could work for climbing depending on your purpose. (I tend to lean towards hiking or running designs)

I would stay away from the Dueter packs with the airstripes back or any of the packs with their aircomfort suspension. They will all be a lot heavier (probably 300-500 grams minimum) from any other packs, and frankly you just don't need it for this.

My favorite is probably a toss up between the MEC Mountain Fountain 4L or the Gregory Dipsea 6 Daypack. The pros of the MEC Mountain Fountain is it's super cost effective because for 39.00 you get a bladder and a pack. And it's small, lightweight, and simple, which is ideal. The benefits of the Gregory pack are the really nice hip straps, and extra snack pockets that really allow you to tighten it comfortably and prevent any extra movement from the pack. It does an excellent job of keeping it close against your body.

Other packs to look at are the MEC mountain fountain 9, Gregory wasatch or naravino 12 and the platapus origin 9

The Grivel Manu is awesome for this. As a bonus it has gear loops on it and they seem to work well for me. I use a platypus 2L system with it and it is great!

I often use my MEC Blitz crag and love it. Many of my partners use a BD beebe or bullet. Unless I am mistaken all of these packs have a hydration sleeve and port for the hose if that is what your system is.

I am usualy a full size larger but it realy depends on your foot.

That question cannot be answered outright. Many things affect the sizing of climbing shoes. Some stretch FAR more than others - while some stretch very little at all. Some manufacturers downsize their sizes for you while others size their shoes as if you were buying street shoes. I would recommend this process:
1. Research and decide what type of shoe will work best for you
2. Try on or order several brands and sizes to see which really fits your foot
3. Downsize from your normal size by 1, 2, 3 or 4 Euro sizes depending on the following:
- If the shoe is unlined suede you could downsixe as many as 2-4 sizes
- if the shoe is lined downsize 0-2 sizes
- if the shoe is synthetic leather downsize 0-2 sizes

Basically get a tight fit and do the research on how much your preferred shoe will strech and downsize accordingly.

Performance will be enhanced with a tighter fitting shoe but some climbers take this too far. Be careful, however, I have gone through many shoes in my years of climbing and some that I could not even wear for a single pitch intitially, can now be worn with socks.

I have to mention to validate the answer from staff. My climbing shoes were perfect fit for sport climbing, but I did Mount Sir Donald in them, we ended up with a bit of drama and spent the night on the mountain, though i unlaced my shoes i still lost both big toenails due to the length of time I had them on.

Ive never thought of this, but I have been in situations both as a climber and the belayer where I find myself wondering if my partner heard me/ if I heard what they said. Once i started pulling in the slack and almost pulled my climber off the wall because i heard the Wind and swore they were yelling TAKE. What we do now is simple hand movements. You can email me for more info if you want.
(lynchs@uoguelph.ca)

I think I am going to try radios in the future tho.. not a bad idea.

Cheers.

climbers rarely use radios unless on heavy alpine routes, most commands are one worded and unique as to not get confused with another command, two basic commands are 'take' (take in slack) and 'slack' (give out slack) you would never say 'take in the slack' as your belayer may only hear slack and this could be detremental, another form of communication is a predetermined pattern of tugs on the rope

I was always told to use words that sound clear even over wind or distance. Such as "Secure" when you have anchored yourself in and yelling it down to the belayer. "Belay off" when your belayers takes you off belay. "Take" when you want the belayer to take in slack "lower" when you want your belayer to lower you.
One clear word is what I always use and it get the message across. I am a minimalist and don't take gear I don't need that is why I prefer shouting over radios.

Well some wall climbers toss the whole haul bag over the edge after a climb so they don't need to carry it down. Probably illegal, and not something I would ever do, but as to dropping it 4 feet, how does three thousand sound. Climbing is a system, never trust anything by itself. In my day we would have been wary of something like a grigri that is all mechanical and held on with one biner, though it has proven itself. But were possible, always try and use methods with a high redundancy. So in this case, if using a descender I would prefer something like a brake bar system with double biners, or two biners to a figure of 8. Or if you use a top rope use two biners, rather than one 25 dollar one. If you are sport climbing with a runner every 4 feet, I would not worry about your biner on a runner. But when setitng up more do or die kind of systems, build in redundancy.

From what I've heard, I believe recent research shows that biners are still good unless they have obvious visible damage (ie. from rope wear they're significantly worn through, or have a significant gouge from being dropped, etc.), and otherwise will still function up to full strength. However, the research is still fairly preliminary and not all types/manufacturers/models have been tested.

That being said, if you have doubts as to whether a biner is still good, you should probably just retire it, since your life hangs in the balance. Especially if it's an oval biner, since there aren't many cases where another style of biner wouldn't be better suited to the task anyway, so you could just consider buying a new biner as an upgrade.

The best thing to do would be to read the FAQ's on Black Diamond's website, they have suggestions for when to retire a carabiner and what to look for in determining if it is still usable. You can find their recommendations here:

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.co...

When in doubt, it's probably best to keep it for non-climbing purposes... a new one really isn't that expensive.

I know people who have had harnesses for longer then that and they are fine. If it fits right, and has no problems when you inspect it, I don't see the problem. Im assuming he hasn't climbed 3 times a week for 12 years in it, you need to remember safety first. but reality second. you don't need to buy new gear just because it is older, as long as it is still in good working order.

There is never a downside replacing gear, and nobody really knows when it is toasted. I have some gear that is 40 years old, and I still use it. You can only max out the impact numbers at my local cliff, if one dug a hole in the ground that was deeper than the cliff is high. and even then you would not get there. And the max energy is 1/5th the breaking strength on my harness. I don't keep my harness on the windowsill. The real chance of breaking a harness is pretty remote. Now if all you do is toprope, then the chance pretty much goes to zero that it will break.

Climbing is an interesting activity. There is the gear one buys and it's ratings and lifespans, then there is the stuff one scabs it to like the rock, fixed pro, and so forth. Not as much certainty as one would like.

YES