Alois Smrz on the First Tower...

Alois Smrz on the First Tower...

Alois Smrz on the First Tower Traverse, East Face of Mt.Whitney, August 2003. Photo: Penelope May/Alois Smrz
asmrz
on Sep 10, 2003 12:32 pm
Image ID: 27473

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Jack Daniels

Jack Daniels - Sep 17, 2003 10:37 am - Voted 8/10

Nice photo

I want a pair of those shoes.

asmrz

asmrz - Sep 17, 2003 10:27 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Nice photo

There is a story behind those shoes...and since you asked, I got them (Mariacher by Sportiva, long out of production, as you no doubt know) from a wife of a friend who died rather prematurely. I was among the few close friends who got his gear. Every time I put them on, I remember Andree. Thanks for helping me to remember him again. He was a close friend, I miss him. Cheers, Alois.

Jack Daniels

Jack Daniels - Sep 18, 2003 5:43 pm - Voted 8/10

Re: Nice photo

That's a nice story, Alois. When I put on my shoes, it only reminds me that I really need to get on the ball and start that antifungal treatment.

Craig Peer

Craig Peer - Sep 18, 2003 6:03 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Nice photo

I've got two pair of purple and yellow Sportivas like those. One pair was what I was using to lead those 5.10a 1st ascents on Chernobyl Wall on North Dome before I quit climbing. Now that I'm back climbing they're in service again. The 2nd pair I got from my Godson when my best friend Gary Hinton died a couple of years ago. Same shoe, same size. I think of Gary when I wear those. I'll be wearing 'em this weekend!

asmrz

asmrz - Sep 19, 2003 2:35 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Nice photo

Actually, that would be an excellent subject for a SP discussion. My antifungal treatments have largely been inneffective, I have fought it for 20 years without success. It would be great to hear other horror storries. Is anyone out there, that actually beat this rock climber illment?

Jack Daniels

Jack Daniels - Sep 22, 2003 12:30 pm - Voted 8/10

Fungus and shoes

I've been able to beat back athlete's foot fungus with good medicine, but it always returns. Toenails are a different problem though. And I'm not really sure if it's fungus or what, but rock shoe smell and smegma have been major issues for me. I've retired several pairs of shoes just because they smelled so bad and felt so greasy. Just for fun, I took one of these pairs and repeatedly filled them with chlorine bleach and just let it sit like that. It had zero effect upon the odor. In the last year, I've started wearing thin socks in my rock shoes in the hope that that will cure the problem. It seems to help, but it makes me look even goofier than I already do.

asmrz

asmrz - Sep 24, 2003 6:22 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Fungus and shoes

It might be that your feet perspire more than ours. Thin socks and canvas lining in your rock shoes might help. The synthetic linings in rock shoes have been known to retain odors. I have a very serious big toe fungus condition which is different from Athlete's foot fungus. It attacks the toe nails and is only treatable by very difficult drug treatment. The drugs affect one's liver as well, and I was discouraged from taking it. Topical treatments don't seem to help. Anyone out there knows anything about treating this? Over the years I met several people (climbers and ballet dancers-tight shoes in common??) who suffered from same condition so it's not that uncommon.

chosspile - Jun 10, 2005 12:41 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Fungus and shoes

hey, did you try urinating in your shoes? pee in them and rinse them, then pee on your foot everytime you are in the shower. also, try picking off as much of your nail that appears to be affected. then, take the meds they give you but only take them for half the time (i think it a month, so take it for 2 weeks) dont worry about your liver unless you drink 5 pints of booze a day. then, if that doesnt work, go crawl up some glacier barefoot and wait for the toes to fall off!

kevinhansen

kevinhansen - Aug 6, 2012 11:44 pm - Hasn't voted

McKusky Variation

If anyone is wondering about the McKusky Variation, it bypasses the chimbney behind the climbers helmet. Instead, this variation stays low and traverses left onto the face behind the climbers feet, and joins a crack leading up and left to the bottom of the Washboard. It looked a little harder than 5.6 to me, but I never climbed this variation.

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