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girasol
Trad climber
Colorado Springs, CO
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 20, 2007 - 10:58pm PT
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Someone who has never climbed recently said something to me about people climbing barefoot a lot. Anyone know how common that really is? Just curious.
Girasol
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girasol
Trad climber
Colorado Springs, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2007 - 11:02pm PT
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I take it Steve is a barefooter?
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girasol
Trad climber
Colorado Springs, CO
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2007 - 11:06pm PT
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I had a friend bet another friend a pony keg if he could climb a 5.10c in his Tevas. Of course, the sandal boy won the keg! And I have the photos of the Tevas on the rock to prove it.
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Chaz
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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Jun 21, 2007 - 12:17am PT
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I've seconded a few of the easier (5.6ish) face climbs at Perris Lake (Big Rock) without shoes a bunch of times (like almost always)
I always walk off and/or rap without shoes. Climbing rubber doesn't last forever and while it may be cheap enough it's a hassle to get shoes re-soled.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jun 21, 2007 - 01:15am PT
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There is the story of E.German climbers (pre unification) who climbed barefoot in the Elbsandstein because the eastern block climbing shoes where worse than climbing without... Henry Barber made contact with them in the 70's and on a visit found they were climbing really really hard....
See the story in Climbing 159, page 84 (1996) on Bernd Arnold...
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Jun 21, 2007 - 09:05am PT
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Chaz: is that why some of those easier Big Rock routes were so greasy? ;-)
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jun 21, 2007 - 11:29am PT
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I have sensitive feet but I've still enjoyed some barefoot climbing. Solo pitch 1 sunnyside jam up and down. TR some 5.9 cracks at El Cap and jug hauls at Josh
Lots of barefoot rapping on the Apron.
Feels good
Karl
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426
Sport climber
Buzzard Point, TN
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Jun 21, 2007 - 11:32am PT
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Bernd "brother from another mother" Arnold
Potter has been known to "deshoe" for thin crack cruxes as well...
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Jun 21, 2007 - 12:40pm PT
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Skip Guerin and Mark Wilford were both well known for climbing difficult routes bare footed. Not sure of any modern affectionados.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jun 21, 2007 - 12:51pm PT
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A good buddy of mine, Barefoot Bruce, always climbs barefoot. I guess at his peak, he did Swiss Orange Chip (.11c, r/x) in the Meadows. Crazy friction stuff.
We went to Thailand one year. While packing, I said "Bruce, take some shoes, please." On the plane, I asked him if he brought any. He said he could only find one of his Ninjas (he actually had bought a pair of those green things once), so he left it behind.
Over at Ko Phi Phi we were climbing some very (very!) sharp limestone. I lead over one section that was razor edges, I could barely touch it with my hands. How he went up that barefoot is beyond me.
Bruce climbs a bit these days, but mostly he rides unicycle. 40 mile single-track trips through the Santa Cruz mountains. Happy Birthday Bruce!
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jun 21, 2007 - 01:26pm PT
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Barefootin' was popular for a while among North Conway climbers. Not just on easy routes, either.
Here's Henry Barber onsighting the serious top pitch of Hallowed Eve, on the Wonderwall section of Whitehorse (1980). He's wearing unusual East German gear that covers only the arch of your foot.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Jun 21, 2007 - 02:37pm PT
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Awsome photo!
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Chaz
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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Jun 21, 2007 - 02:47pm PT
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I'll bet you're right, Mooser.
My feet seem to sweat more than my hands. Chalk helps.
I don't want to know what it's like to fall without shoes.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Jun 23, 2007 - 01:59pm PT
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Looks like even Barber in that pic has a pair of real backup shoes....
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Jun 23, 2007 - 02:30pm PT
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Yeah, he's carrying a pair of shoes -- but not as backup. Those EBs were so large and comfy that he took them along as approach/descent shoes, while leading Hallowed Eve's 5.10 face climbing barefoot. Only climber I've seen put his EBs on after the climb.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Jun 23, 2007 - 05:02pm PT
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RE:
"I don't want to know what it's like to fall without shoes."
perish the thought - too burly to contemplate - shivers!
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Petch
climber
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Jun 23, 2007 - 05:19pm PT
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The Leap is one of the best granite crags for bar foot climbing. Here's surrealistic direct.
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Strawberry Heidi
Trad climber
Strawberry
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Was that a freudian slip Petch? BAR foot? I have seen your feet at the bar more than once... Anyone who has seen your feet would refuse to follow a climb you BARE foot lead.
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Tomcat
Trad climber
Chatham N.H.
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I used to do it a lot,like every week.It works better than you might think.I did a lot of leads in the Gunks barefoot,but the piece de resistance was following Never Never Land that way.
There is archival footage of Barber climbing in Eldo and on the Cookie barefoot in the video Common Ground.
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