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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Some I've pulled from the Climbing in the 80s Facebook pages
Steve
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Steve,
Those Dolt-labeled shoes were the Bill Dolt Blue Boots to which I referred in my earlier post. I used a pair during the summer of 1971, but they kept stretching, so I switched back to my tried-and-true PA's. I still don't know of a shoe that beats PA's for edging.
I wish I would have kept my fires. Those suckers fit perfect and being a 5.9 dweeb at the time were such a step ahead from EBs. I recall Duane Raleigh coming into my shop in Norman,OK and rubbing the soles together to warm them up and then pasting them together.
Fortunately, I hung on to mine, and had them re-soled with C4. They're currently my favorite for OW, and probably my favorite right now for longer routes, too.
John
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Yep, a new pair of EBs were a good edging boot. We learned a trick from Martin Boysen, to recycle old outer edges, cutting out the worn section and superglueing in a new edge.
Worked quite well, though the chunk could pull out at just the wrong moment!
Steve
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
Panorama City, California & living in Seattle
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Before I got a swami belt it was a bowline on a coil,
Who here done that?
There were always plenty of reasons to not fall. I had the Sierra Club belay book that said 'the leader must not fall' - that was from the days of hemp I think - hemp was before my time! Was that the title? I do not remember.
Since I am from swami only days, I don't mind using just a swami for easier things. I still use a Forrest system of separate leg loops. If I buy a harness that does not separate, I modify it. Anyone know the Baboon Hang where you can quickly turn a long runner into a seat harness - if you are still conscious!?
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jogill
climber
Colorado
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Who here done that?
With a natural fiber rope.
;>)
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jabbas
Trad climber
phx AZ
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You guys are Hardcore . My Troll Whillans was "da bomb" . 2 inch swamis sucked ( my guts payed the price; as well as any surviving ribs. This thread is morphing into "somethun outta control".
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Before I got a swami belt it was a bowline on a coil,
Who here done that?
On goldline. Not at all pretty after a fall!
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jabbas
Trad climber
phx AZ
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Yes Randisi, I remember climber artwork on their EB's. You are right and I do wish I would have captured some of that with my camera. This might just become unto itself as a subject of historic import. Who knows !!
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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One thing that's been forgotten is that people used to personalize their EBs by drawing on them with felt tip markers.
I used to personalize my body that way too.
Oh, wait, I'm confusing "felt tip marker" with the whole thread-wrapped-needle tattoo bit.
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lars johansen
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Here's a shot of the East Butt of Middle with Whillan's harness and chinese boots from army surplus. They were about as secure as climbing with hockey pucks on your feet. Vintage mid to late 70's. lj
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Before I got a swami belt it was a bowline on a coil,
Who here done that?
Tad
Slowly raises his hand.
With goldline too.
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Gilroy
Social climber
Bolderado
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Bowline on a coil gave rise to the folkore about the fellow who fell at the Gunks and his bowline came untied (as they are wont to do, eh) and he spun off the rope like a top. Story went he augered into the ground so far...that all his buddies bought ball-busting Whillans.
The guy that taught me to tie into a rope climbed in these.
John Harlin II taught him to climb while he was at a rich kid school in Leysin. I learned in my hiking boots to 'hang a lug' on a crystal whilst slab climbing in Texas. Soon be the blue suede shoes. Not that they helped with the slabs but, boy, were they stylin.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
Panorama City, California & living in Seattle
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This thread is morphing into "somethun outta control".
The Cortina on the bottom of the shoe pile looks like it has some epoxy on it. We used to shore up the leather with epoxy to keep them from wearing out. Seems like I may have done that to Kronnies to.
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jabbas
Trad climber
phx AZ
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That shoe looks like he should have been pacing laps at the local high school. Incredible what you climbed in ; if you laced a pair of those on , I commend you.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
Panorama City, California & living in Seattle
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I remember those Adidas leather 'dress' track shoes. I never had any but I sure remember them.
The Corinas were not bad at all. Like any shoe - you wore them tight. The ones in the pick look a bit beat. When they were new, you edged. When they wore down you smeared. They were good training for what came next. It was never really about the shoes. I skipped the whole EB phase with Robbins boots and then started using PAs and RDs and on and on! Kamps did amazing things with Cortinas. Can't remember Shoenards - never had any - may have tried then on but maybe they didn't have them in Idaho at the time.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Almost ninety posts and no love for the Fabiano Black Beauty!?!
Pure unbridled stiffness.
When I had a chance to climb with Fritz Wiessner back in high school he was wearing a pair along with an Edelrid woven rope chest harness craging around Tucson! Or were those Hanwags...
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Shounards came out after PA's and even EB's, I think. My buddy bought PA's and I bought Shoenards as our first shoes in 77 or so. Shoenards sucked at anything but mixed aid/easy free.
It seemed like forever at the time, but when Fire's came out, they had several years where they were THE shoe.
I found an old titanium ice screw when scrounging around today. BITD, the eastern block climbers were behind the Iron Curtain. I guess there was a good black market, because some of them were making ice screws out of titanium. The workmanship is top notch, done on a lathe, and the thing weighs about two ounces. I traded for it in Europe and hung onto it. When they got permission to go climbing, they would bring this kind of stuff over and trade for money because they had little money.
It really is amazing quality. You could tell that somebody knew what they were making, and the spirals are precision cut on a lathe.
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Shoeinards appeared in the UK in 77, they worked well on the FAs of some of our crimpy/edgy sandstone routes. Some of which still get high numbers....
In fact a lot of the outcrop routes here, done in EBs and the like, still get high numbers and aren't done that often.
They require a good head, more than good feet I guess ;-)
Steve
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hobo_dan
Social climber
Minnesota
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What about Black Beauty's?
Like the blue RR's only stiffer, blacker and more beautiful!
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