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antigravity
Jul 7, 2006, 5:42 PM
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My partner is having issues getting his feet to stay under him. He is fine in the beginning, but then as he starts to get tired, his feet slip and he falls. Half the time his feet slip, he is standing on the same holds I use, which makes me think he is standing on his feet wrong somehow. He wants to blame the shoes, but they are fairly new and the rubber looks fine. Does anyone have any tips I could give him about using his feet? Or is there a better way to clean shoes and make them stickier then using a towel and going with the grain?
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chanceboarder
Jul 7, 2006, 6:04 PM
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Practice, practice, and more practice. It's not the shoes that make the climber its the climber. I've watched people climb stuff on small edges in flip flops with good foot work. Finding a good traverse or two close to the ground where you can go back and forth practicing your foot work and really concentrating on it can help a lot. Learning good foot work takes time and some people naturally get it and some people really have to work at it.
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locoduck
Jul 7, 2006, 6:07 PM
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On the topic of cleaning shoes... The way i have been told, and have used on occasion, is to take a stiff wire brush and give my soles a nice cleaning. As you say "going with the grain," with nice long strokes (only becuase it looks better than just rapidly rubbing the heck outa 'em, and is a little more "classy").
On your friends feet slipping off the same holds... well, start with his body possition. It doesn't matter how good the hold is, if your weight is in the wrong place, it probably isn't going to work well, if at all. Maybe your friend is getting "sloppy" when they are getting tired. Perhaps they need to focus more on thier body possition as they get more pumped.
Everyone begins to loose focus as the day wears on, and we can begin to loose that "good style" that has worked so well for us on our first few routes. We start changing little things about our style, and end up working less effectively throughout the day, making the same climbs harder simply becuase we loose focus.
When your friends feet start slipping, tell them to slow down, reach for the hold with thier foot, plant the foot, center themselves, and then begin the next move.
Maybe that will help? Good luck to ya, get it awn!
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caughtinside
Jul 7, 2006, 6:22 PM
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which part of his foot is he using to stand on the holds? I see people in the gym all the time standing on jugs with their arches. Which can be good for rests, but definitely not a good default foot placement.
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nthusiastj
Jul 7, 2006, 6:23 PM
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In reply to: On the topic of cleaning shoes... The way i have been told, and have used on occasion, is to take a stiff wire brush and give my soles a nice cleaning. As you say "going with the grain," with nice long strokes (only becuase it looks better than just rapidly rubbing the heck outa 'em, and is a little more "classy").
Another note: I see people walk around in the dirt with their climbing shoes on. The same thing that makes your shoes sticky to rock also attracts dirt. The dirt fills in the "micropores" and your shoes are slippery.
Avoid walking around in dirt with your shoes on if you want better friction.
This doesn't sound like your friends problem but good advice anyway.
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hyhuu
Jul 11, 2006, 12:58 PM
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It's the foot and toes (and sometimes core) fatigue , the same thing happened w/ fingers on handholds.
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anykineclimb
Jul 11, 2006, 1:25 PM
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its probably just that he simply doesn't trust his feet and aren't weighing them enough. As he tired, he tries to pull himself up= less weigh on feet= slipping
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dirtineye
Jul 11, 2006, 4:34 PM
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Tell him to stop oiling his shoes.
It really could be the rubber or dirt or oxidation though.
However, does he stand on his tip toes al the time? that is a typical beginner mistake, to use very little surface area.
UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE in this thread, most climbers with good sense know that more contact is better if all other things are equal.
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bill413
Jul 11, 2006, 4:53 PM
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The angle of the climb may have something to do with it also. If this is on overhanging terrain, it may be a core strength (abs) issue.
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catbird_seat
Jul 14, 2006, 9:46 PM
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Finally someone nailed it. In many cases, the foot must be held on the hold through body tension. If you don't have the core strength and/or coordination to maintain that force, the foot will slip off.
If you change anything about a foot placement (as you move up) from position to the force or direction of force, it can come off.
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dutyje
Jul 15, 2006, 2:15 AM
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As far as cleaning shoes, I remember reading here that you should just rub them together.. this will clean both soles at the same time. In my experience, it's worked very well.
To stick to the hold, body position and core strength are important. So is foot positioning - maximize the surface area of contact with the rock, even if it feels like you won't be putting your weight directly onto that area. The extra contact area really helps you stick. This has made the most dramatic difference in my ability to use small holds for feet.
If you (I mean your "friend") are still having trouble keeping it up, you should stop blaming the rubber and recognize that you may just need to get in shape and work on your stamina :lol:
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