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tech_dog
Jun 5, 2004, 10:52 PM
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I've got a female friend who would likely be a good climber, but won't part with her fingernails. I've refused to take her unless she trims them down to a butch length.
I'm pretty sure I'm correct on this. Do any of you climb with girly fingernails?
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happiegrrrl
Jun 5, 2004, 11:18 PM
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The length/style of someone else's nails is no reflection on you, so why demand she cut them in order to climb with you?
Meanwhile, if she has nails much longer than 1/8" extended past the nailbed, they ARE going to trashed. She'll find this out easily enough on her own.
You might be better off "suggesting" she cut them, with the reason being that they will probably get broken, or to at least bring a clipper along "in case". The only thing worse than a broken nail(fingernail-wise, that is) is a broken nail with a ragged-edge that's filled with chalk/dirt and sweat and scraping on your skin every time you go to wipe a wisp of hair off your cheek......
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climbingurlie
Jun 5, 2004, 11:51 PM
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Take a look at this maybe:
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...ighlight=fingernails
I started growing my fingernails out and I climbed with them long a couple days ago. It was killer. I kept hitting them and it really hurt. And chalk and dirt under them gets really annoying. I normally climb crimpy routes, but they were all kicking my butt cuz I couldn't crimp with my long nails. Even jugging was difficult.
It's totally your friend's decision, but I think she'll learn that if she wants to climb, she'll need to keep shorter nails.
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kimmyt
Jun 6, 2004, 2:10 AM
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The girl I used to climb with had really long fake nails. She was very into image, but was also very athletic. We only ever went gym climbing and her nails really hindered her climbing ability because she couldn't use the smaller holds and had to grab the juggy ones sorta sideways to facilitate her nails. It was really upsetting to see because she is a very strong woman and she would have made a great climber. I think sometimes that she never really jumped at the chance to climb outside because she realized she'd have to cut them. But that is her choice, and in the end I found other people to climb with.
In other words: if she doesn't want to cut them, you can't make her. You can, however, bring up the fact that her nails WILL get completely torn up and likely cause her pain. Of course, beware that this may scare her away from climbing in general.
K.
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kimmyt
Jun 6, 2004, 2:13 AM
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In reply to: It's totally your friend's decision, but I think she'll learn that if she wants to climb, she'll need to keep shorter nails.
Oh, in addition to what I posted: I have nails that naturally grow very long and straight. My mother was always envying my nails because they look as good as some girl's fake nails when I keep them up. However, since I started climbing they have rarely gotten longer than 2 cms past the tips of my fingernails. I made the choice to keep them short, despite how nice they look when they are long. I had them a bit longer for a little while, but they ended up getting really chipped and jagged. More like claws than nails, heh. So, I figured better to have 'butch' (as you so kindly put it) nails than worry about cutting someone up when I shake hands with them.
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thegogirl
Jun 6, 2004, 4:07 AM
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as much as the thong topic renders a thong uncomfortable , not cost effective an investment; so too, do long/fake fingernails. They are actually a health hazard due to (if they are fake) the chemicals used to apply, the dirt/fungus that can get underneath them and under the skin (ew, not a good visual)and into one's system, and..well they will break once your girl climbs. I would NOT "make" her remove them to climb (that's just nasty and controlling a request) but let her climb with her nails. Fake or not, She'll figure it out the painful way.
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climbingurlie
Jun 6, 2004, 4:53 AM
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In reply to: They are actually a health hazard due to (if they are fake) the chemicals used to apply, the dirt/fungus that can get underneath them and under the skin (ew, not a good visual)and into one's system, and..well they will break once your girl climbs. |
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paija
Jun 6, 2004, 5:40 AM
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My guess is that she won't be a good climber then.... Similarly, she'll never play the cello, be a massage therapist, or artificially inseminate cattle.
I don't see why you refuse to take her climbing though. There's no reason not to, if she's willing to try it. She may love it and ditch the nails right away. Or, she might hate it and be glad she didn't cut them just to go climbing. Why not take her out, and leave it up to her whether she wants to continue climbing or not?
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tech_dog
Jun 6, 2004, 5:40 AM
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In reply to: The length/style of someone else's nails is no reflection on you, so why demand she cut them in order to climb with you?
One reason, and one reason only. I don't want her to accidentally tear them off while climbing, leaving painfull bloody nailbeds.
It seems to me that 3/4 inch nails would surely be torn off while climbing on rock. Am I wrong?
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climbingurlie
Jun 6, 2004, 6:18 AM
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In reply to: It seems to me that 3/4 inch nails would surely be torn off while climbing on rock. Am I wrong?
This is really gross, but I've actually seen ripped off fingernails (fake ones) lying around the gym from stupid girls who just had to have long fingernails and ripped them off. Disgusting; they wouldn't even pick them up off the floor, so some poor employee had to at the end of the day. Icky.
Mine are 1/2 long from the start of my fingernail and I gotta trim them before I climb tomorrow. Can't bear to not crimp well again.
:idea:
Here's an idea. Print all this out, and give it to your friend and let her see what other women climbers think. Maybe that will convince her.
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happiegrrrl
Jun 6, 2004, 2:49 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: The length/style of someone else's nails is no reflection on you, so why demand she cut them in order to climb with you? One reason, and one reason only. I don't want her to accidentally tear them off while climbing, leaving painfull bloody nailbeds. It seems to me that 3/4 inch nails would surely be torn off while climbing on rock. Am I wrong?
I guess the words that ik me in your original post were "refuse" and "butch" as in:
In reply to: I've refused to take her unless she trims them down to a butch length.
I reiterate, as have many of the other responders - your responsibility in the dynamic is to advise the inexperienced potential climber of the risks associated with climbing. While there are probably a few other dangers you've apprised your friend of....in this case, nail fatality would be an additional risk very likely to result from her climbing activity. You've warned her; you've fulfilled your obligation.
Now, I realize there are times when a person would refuse to rope up with another. For myself, I won't climb with someone under the influence of drugs/ alcohol. As well, if I ever see someone belaying with a lackadaisical attitude, they won't be belaying me. But to be worried she's gonna have an owie?!
You may as well also tell her:
- she is gonna get nasty scrapes if she falls (Is Bactine still on the market?!)
- there will be bugs biting her legs/arms and generally annoying her by buzzing around her face (Don't wear perfume or fragranced shampoos/ lotions....)
- Dirt/Chalk WILL get under her nails (Ewwwww! Gross!)
- that her hands will get dirty from rope/carabiner handling (Ewww again...)
- there's nowhere to pee for the overly modest (Whaaaaa....?)
- and so on, and so on......
What I'm alluding to is that this is actually your problem, and not hers. Luckily, there is help for you! There are 12 Step programs to deal precisely with the issue at hand (not broken nails - the overly developed sense of responsibility for another's physical/mental/emotional state). It's called Codependant's Anonymous, and you can easily find them by doing an internet search....
Edited to add: I'm just playin' with ya. Joking. Don't get bent. Just trying to add fun to the forum. You've gotten plenty of serious, straightforward advice - follow that and ignore my post if it bites too hard. :wink:
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tech_dog
Jun 6, 2004, 3:21 PM
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In reply to: I guess the words that ik me in your original post were "refuse" and "butch" as in: Quote: I've refused to take her unless she trims them down to a butch length.
Refuse is the right word here. I refuse to be a part of a very predictable injury when someone is expecting me to help keep them safe. Its a bit of a mess when you tear out a fingernail, and it takes a long time to heal. I've done it, and it's not something I want to inflict upon a friend.
The words "butch" and "girly" were attempts at humor. I'm sorry if they didn't come across that way.
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tech_dog
Jun 6, 2004, 4:32 PM
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In reply to: The girl I used to climb with had really long fake nails. She was very into image, but was also very athletic. We only ever went gym climbing and her nails really hindered her climbing ability because she couldn't use the smaller holds and had to grab the juggy ones sorta sideways to facilitate her nails. It was really upsetting to see because she is a very strong woman and she would have made a great climber. I think sometimes that she never really jumped at the chance to climb outside because she realized she'd have to cut them. But that is her choice, and in the end I found other people to climb with. In other words: if she doesn't want to cut them, you can't make her. You can, however, bring up the fact that her nails WILL get completely torn up and likely cause her pain. Of course, beware that this may scare her away from climbing in general. K.
Thanks. This was the type of info I was looking for, and I pasted it into an e-mail for her. She's pretty much the same profile you just described.
Um... and thanks to all of you for the psychological guidance. I guess my attempt to get info for my friend exposed some sort of deep emotional flaw, and I'll seek therapy immediately. :roll:
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climbingurlie
Jun 6, 2004, 4:46 PM
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In reply to: Um... and thanks to all of you for the psychological guidance. I guess my attempt to get info for my friend exposed some sort of deep emotional flaw, and I'll seek therapy immediately. :roll: |
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diana
Jun 28, 2004, 8:56 PM
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I find belaying with long nails to be much more painful than climbing. If my nails aren't really short, they dig into my palm when I'm holding the rope. Ouch!
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imnjerz
Jul 1, 2004, 4:49 PM
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I can't seem to find any reason to keep my nails longer than the nailbed. It f*%ing hurts like hell if you try to climb with them otherwise. If the girl won't part with em, then I'd go find yourself another partner.
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