Help My Battered Bollocks

[bad_roo]

After spending Saturday on the climbing walls at the Wetsway Centre, I'm now nursing a pair of rather tender dusters. I attribute the prtoblem to my BD Alpine Bod harness which you pull up between your legs, clip up with a biner and then proceed to lose the ability to breathe when you fall off the wall.

What's the most comfortable harness for a climbing JONG like me to go for? I quite literally had to quit climbing a couple of the walls because my nads were on fire. Any shoe recommendations would also be welcomed as my Puma drivng shoes weren't really cutting it (that was my excuse as to why Mrs Roo kept schooling me anyway).

Cheers.

[Mulletizer]

Any harness can cause castration if it gets in the wrong place, especially if you wear boxers. The same is true of telemark skis as well. I've learnt the hard way that Sloggi sports pants are the way forward rather than different harnesses. They also do a great job of preventing bollock-knock when you land any air hard. I find doing the straps up really tight on the legs of the Bod helps too - although it does look as though I'm trying to create a posing-pouch effect... Alternatively, you could try trading your nads in for a smaller pair.

Personally I'd get cheap, comfy shoes until you know you want to climb a lot more. I have Scarpa Matrix shoes - they do the trick although they look a bit naff.

[Spamhelmet]

....preventing bollock-knock when you land any air hard...

Tjauch..

Havent had that painfull situations in my BD Blizzards. It seems that the legloops stay a lot lower than in those Alpines..
Used before Petzl harnesses that were very similar to Blizzards, but
nowadays they have changed the legloops quite a bit. At least in their
Calidris(?) models, so dont know if they give you a nutmassage.

For the boot question its same as in the skiiboots. What ever fits your feet.
I personally use my climbing shoes 2-3 (euro) sizes smaller than my sneakers, but there is the painthreshold question again.
Leathertopped boots strech after use a bit. Synthetic doesnt.

One extremely good boot is for example LaSportiva Katana.Very good rubber, close to the stealth..
Boreal Zen on the other hand is maybe something to avoid, the rubber is very slippery and sucky, even if the shoe itself is very good indoor(roof)shoe.After resoling you will get a good shoe,though.
Salomons i personlly found a bit stiff and cloppy.

But as said, what ever you can keep in your feet for 20mins in a row,
is a good shoe.

[Spats]

The regular BD Bod has the same problem.

Wearing a jock or briefs (Y-fronts to you) helps some, and tugging the package out of the way before your belayer lowers you helps some, but the main problem is that all the BD mountaineering harnesses with detachable leg loops will pinch when you fall. The leg loops come up too high in the front. Any harness with regular leg loops will be an improvement, but those of us with respectably-sized bollocks will always be in danger. You could always carry ice with you to shrink them before your route

The main tradeoff with climbing shoes is stiffness. A stiffer sole will make it easer to stand on small holds but give you less control. A softer sole gives more control but requires very strong feet, which you won't have when you start climbing. (I sure didn't.)

Lace-up shoes have a more adjustable and (usually) better fit, at the price of being harder to put on and take off. People who boulder a lot get velcro or slippers because the routes are so short.

It's usually best to get an unlined leather shoe which will stretch a lot and mold to your feet.

The La Sportiva Mythos is the standard climbing shoe, which was recommended to me and about 1/4 of the people at the gym seem to own. When I bought mine they were very tight (though not immediately painful) and I could only wear them about 15 minutes. Now that they've stretched out I can wear them for about an hour without discomfort.

Don't let the clerk stuff you into something that's painful right away; if your feet constantly hurt you won't go climbing. If you get good enough that a painfully tight shoe will make you climb better, you can buy those later.

Here are some good comments:
http://www.tradgirl.com/climbing_faq...r.htm#buyshoes

Mythos on sale for US$90:
http://www.mountaingoatoutfitters.co...ROD&ProdID=818

[Will]

In my experience you definately want to set up a bod harness so the straps sit between your boys and your inner thigh (basically following the line that the elastic of your briefs would take). The leg loops need to be tight enough so they stay there no matter how much moving around you do, so get them nice and snug.
This will give you the codpiece look, which when climbing in sweats or other thin pants doesn't leave much to the imagination.

The best climbing shoe advice I can give you is this: Don't buy 'beginner shoes'. In general, shoes aimed at "beginners" suck. You'll probably end up getting new shoes once you've caught the climbing bug anyway.
Shoes should fit tightly, but not super-painfully. Lined shoes won't stretch much, unlined ones will.
Also, keep in mind the type of shoe you're buying. A really cambered sport/bouldering shoe is meant to be worn with your toes curled up for maximum power and grip on overhanging stuff. In a trad shoe your foot is generally meant to sit flat, with your toes not so scrunched. Also remember, some shoes just won't fit you in any size.

In my opinion some of the more popular shoes include:
- La Sportiva
Mythos, Miura, Katana, Cobra
- Five Ten
Ascent, Anasazi (lace-up or velcro)
- Boreal
Laser