footlocking

Boots with ankle support are required. So I have never used anything like them before. My merrills and scarpas have worked well though they don't last very long.
 
actually, its funny that this post came up cause i was meaning to put something on here about this, recently i have been climbing with a pair of pumas, i bought them a while ago for stylish reasons but recently discovered the advantages of using them for climbing on pruning jobs or rec climbing, i used them for a weekend and ran around a big white oak and loved them, they are so good its like having spikes on because they are thin on the bottom of your foot so your natural arch helps hug the branches and there is very minimal slip, now ansi and osha require boots but ive always been a bit of a rule breaker, the way i see it is they require us to wear boots for our own safety but if wearing these shoes makes me more safe in a tree doesnt that just further along the message they are trying to get out, i dont know, i always thought that your own personal well being is, well, personal, but dont get me started on that, then ill get ranting on seatbelt tickets and what nots, but between you me and the other thousands of people that are going to read this, i prefer my pumas over my bulky boots any day (i always carry my climbing boots with me as well so that i can wear spikes for removals)
 
[ QUOTE ]
Boots with ankle support are required

[/ QUOTE ]

That is for work correct? I only do Rec climbing. So I am sure I will not be stopped as I gear up and start my climb because my shoes are wrong.

I was looking at the Merrell Chameleon's low and light weight. Gortex or not in several colors.

merrelgcams.jpg


merrelgcams2.jpg


But I will try them on as a hiker that I would use for the cross over to climbing. For right now until I get the footlocking down I will stick with the high top hikers. I have over stepped, positioning my foot wrong and bruised the top of the foot.

Gee I get more bruise and tree bites doing this then any other sport or adventures I do. (maybe me not doing it right) BUT then water is a little softer.

all this information is great, thanks for sharing.

have a great day and enjoy the trees you climb.

jz
 
My merrills where quite similiar to what you explained familiy tree. I loved climbing in them being they were so light and comfortable but I ran through them in under 3 months.

I understand where you are coming from jersey girl. Just figured I would through it out there just incase. But personally I like the support of the high tops for both rec. and work. Figure it is way to easy to sprain an ankle or what have you to even try but to each their own.
 
hey mark, the pumas i have are the speedcats, you can find them on the website, i bought mine off of ebay for 50 bucks for just casual wear before i even got into tree work but the more i wore them and the more i looked at them i realized they would be great for climbing, my only complant is that because there is no ankle support the rope can sometimes burn my ankle when footlocking but i fixed this problem by wearing knee high socks like i do when i wear my baileys. i wore them again today and i have to tell you, im having a hard time going back to boots, i was able to keep my weight balanced against a small sucker today and make the cut needed without any problems, my boots would have just broke the sucker without thinking twice
 
i think I would wear tennis shoes if i cold afford to replace them every month. It seems like nothing can destroy a shoe faster than climbing trees. But I definitly agree that less is better for moving around a tree and on the ground. Its a tradeoff between weight and durability. I have to say though, That extra couple of pounds that heavy boot wearers carry around with them all day has to add up and contribute to fatigue. On light trims, I find crocs to be a pleasurable climbing experience, just a step above barefoot.
 
I got a pair of Boreal big wall climbing boots last week, and so far their the best shoes I've ever climbed in. There great for footlocking, they really stick to branches, and they seem indestructible.
 
I spent about 6 hours in the trees this weekend and was able to get that double footlock working and i also tried the single. I find that my foot cramps with the single as i have to pull the arch in to the inside it wants to point out. am I doing something wrong? or just need to practice. I also found it quite hard to footlock either style the closer i was to the trunk. Is this style of climbing easier on branch climbing?

also I AGREE with the high tops for climbing. The merrills i have have the sole go over the toe and that helps to get the toes into the truck for extra support and traction.

any hints, suggested, dope slaps appreciated

thanks all

jz
 
[ QUOTE ]
...I also found it quite hard to footlock either style the closer i was to the trunk. Is this style of climbing easier on branch climbing?

[/ QUOTE ]

In two-footed footlocking you want a branch ascent otherwise you're going to be banging into the trunk as you found out. With one foot style you can use the other leg to hold yourself off the trunk, this is a lot easier than body thrusting (the usual way up the trunk).

If you can post a photo of your foot in the rope when you're doing single footlocking maybe we can diagnose why your foot is twisting.
-moss
 
Howdy folks,

First post!!

I'm new to tree climbing and currently climb for fun only, but I'm learning a lot here. THANKS TO ALL!

For some reason, I took to footlocking right away. After practicing basic footlocking (traditional Ddrt w/blake's), I saw Moss' pix here showing the single footlock style. I tried it and I'm getting pretty good with it also.

I have success with high quality sneakers but find high top boots a must with the single foot technique for ankle support. Also, if not paying attention to form, I found that after a little fatigue, I find my foot swaying way under my body when starting to step down (single footlock) which can put considerable strain on the knee. So, it seems best to practice proper form so it becomes a 'muscle memory' thing BEFORE attempting whiz up to the top!

I'm also planning to try a simple little nylon web strap on my boot to help tend the tail when single footlocking. If this works, I will try to attach a photo.

Thanks for your time!
 
Recently I've been trying footlocking with ascenders with the attachment sling just short enough to hold my weight when I'm resetting my feet. It's the fastest access method I've used so far.

SRT is great, it's what I was using before but footlocking on my doubled lifeline saves having to install and remove an access rope.
 
FL is fun, and it makes me feel good to bust out a grinding footlock. When we were training for ISA Southern, we were hitting 3-4 a day after work and we really got a training method down that translates to real world. Counting picks, breathing, starting position. I really sucked at first, even my wife said so. But it has to be one of the best indicators of skill as a climber when you can fl into a tree quickly and reset to begin work without being totally winded. I love footlocking and keep 2 trees set up on the property with bells, I am planning on a FL marathon this week in prep for the NEC TCC. And I also stink at SRT W/ ascenders, they hurt my hands. Hi Tech boots are cheaper but my personal best is in some Hi Techs. I now sport some Asolos and the rope seems to loop around my toe every so often, a quick kickoff and continue. I like rubber in the arcg and a leather upper. Also the Bunn-G-String we designed really helps.
 
OK, better then pictures, i have video for the one leg rope/footlocking. I was able to get up the rope with this method, then took out the camera, using one hand to hold the camera (gee need to look into a helmet cam?) I was not able to show how i did it.

This video shows me able to stand up and lower me self with just the leg.

Moss, am i turning the leg/knee out to much.

let me know what you all think?

thanks and enjoy the day

jz
 
jz,

My 2 cents;

Watching your video, it does look to me like your knee is splayed out to the right side too much when starting to step down.
As I mentioned above, I have trouble with proper form once fatigue sets in, but I find that concentrating on foot/leg position PRIOR to stepping down will help a lot. It sounds easy, but really isn't.
IMO, it looks like you should focus on keeping your ankle/knee/leg in-line with your hip before stepping down. I try to focus on this so that after I visually confirm the rope loop is choked on side of my boot, that I straighten my leg so that it is parallel to the climbing line BEFORE stepping down. I'm getting better with practice and find that I look down at my boot less and focus on my leg alignment/position more.

I learned that I had to slow down, focus and practice a lot in order to avoid straining knee/ankle. Again, I think high top, stiff boots really help ankle support in single footlock mode.

Good Luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom