Socks & rock shoes for when it's cold - how do you do it?
|
So I am thinking about having a set of shoes sized to wear socks with for when I wanna climb and it's cold enough out for me to think it's a good idea. Never done it before. For reference I'm a skinny guy whose extremeties tend to get colder than the average person's when cold out (especially when idle). |
|
TC Pro shoe fits me with and without my |
|
I generally try to avoid climbing when it is really cold (less than freezing), and as such do not wear socks. I did wear socks on the Diamond during a cold spell in September, when it was in the upper 20s. I wore Boreal Shadows (slipper) in size 6.5 (8.5 street size), and thin polypro sock liners. I was freezing, but my feet were okay. My experience was that sock liners such as the ones I wore do not restrict you from wearing your normal shoe. |
|
I have a pair of Tc pros, Astorman, and high top Anasazi vcs that are all fit for socks. I'm a pussy when it comes to cold weather and they definitely help. I also climb in eastern Utah a lot so the extra padding doesn't hurt either. I usually wear a medium weight sock and really haven't found that I lose much if any technical ability. I don't like to wear thin ones. I'm all about the socks |
|
1. Carry down booties with you to the crag. |
|
Socks make a huge difference on cold multi pitches as well. Feels phenomenal taking off the shoes and having warm comfy feet on a ledge. |
|
I hate wearing socks with climbing shoes no matter what the weather. Though I did try wearing socks one time in the dead of winter (maybe 20C) and it made the situation worse because it constricted blood flow. However, wearing socks in perfect weather makes it hard for me to feel my toes while stepping on really small edges. Even when wearing a thin sock it feels like I'm wearing construction boots trying to step on a micro-edge. My advice would be to keep your feet warm while you're not climbing/not wearing cilmbing shoes... |
|
It is all about having the correct fit on the shoes. |
|
The only time socks come in handy are for multi pitch climbs. For cragging just keep the shoes inside your jacket. |
|
I wear socks on all Alpine routes - I don't climb hard enough in those conditions that I need the foot crushing sizing anyway. Fit that pair of shoes just for socks and you'll be fine. Most people wear their shoes too tight anyway - ten pitches of moderate climbing do not require super small shoes. If you're talking about bouldering or sport in the cold - just keep everything warm (your feet and your shoes) until time to start climbing - then put the big warm boots back on in between. |
|
Cut off the fore-foot of some old beat heavy wool socks and use as anklets for alpine rock. Wear comfortable rock shoes. As long as your climbing shoes are not too small or laced too tight you will be a rock star up there in the clouds. |
|
This is wisdom. Chris Rice wrote:I wear socks on all Alpine routes - I don't climb hard enough in those conditions that I need the foot crushing sizing anyway. Fit that pair of shoes just for socks and you'll be fine. Most people wear their shoes too tight anyway - ten pitches of moderate climbing do not require super small shoes. If you're talking about bouldering or sport in the cold - just keep everything warm (your feet and your shoes) until time to start climbing - then put the big warm boots back on in between.My favorite alpine rock shoes are old Boreal Ballets. If I were going to climb rock in seriously cold conditions, I'd get the insulated Boreal Fire Invernal: silvertipmountaincenter.com… |
|
Steve Levin wrote:Cut off the fore-foot of some old beat heavy wool socks and use as anklets for alpine rock.Good advice. This is a great trick that someone showed me a few years back. |
|
If your looking for specific advice, I'd go with thin socks when you need them and keep the same shoe size if you can. |
|
This is what I do for bouldering when it's cold. Just get Some big wool socks and put 'em on over the shoes, then stick the toes in your gloves. This is obviously only if you're just resting between attempts. I always hike shoes in in my jacket if it's cold to loosen them up, as has been said already. |