UKC

Do any of you frequent a wall where there is a rule stating that bare feet are not allowed in the climbing centre?

Apparently it's a rule at my nearest wall, but I've not come across it elsewhere, and have no idea why it's in place.

In reply to wayno265:

It's so people don't get athletes foot/veruka's & other foul foot related maladies.
Quite sensible really.

In reply to Bahhhhumbug: but they let you walk round the floor with no shoes on?

was thinking about this the other night actually as i was remembering some girl at craggy getting very moody with people that were climbing barefoot saying she didnt want to touch, with her hands, places where people had put bare feet

yeah cos the climbing shoes that have just walked in and out of the mens toilets are going to be So Much cleaner than a pair of bare feet

In reply to Bahhhhumbug:

That's a fair comment but why does it not apply to swimmers, when walking to the pool and those participating in martial arts etc. In my experience most climbing walls seem to encourage the opposite i.e. you should NOT wear outdoor shoes on protective matting.

Al

In reply to wayno265:

Having sweaty feet on hand holds seems a little distasteful to me. It's just general hygiene; same as not being able to climb in (non-climbing) outdoor shoes.

In reply to wayno265:

Sniff your climbing shoes after a hard session. That's why.

In reply to darren-surrey:

but that's _because_ you are wearing shoes. if you dont wear shoes or just wear flip flops the whole time your feet dont smell any worse than the rest of you

In reply to EasyAndy:

Good point; but then that depends how people got to the climbing centre. Plus it still doesn't stop the virus issues mentioned by others.

In reply to wayno265:
I wash my hands countless times a day, but would a shoeless climber wash their feet to remove the days accumulation of stale sweat before starting their climbing?

As others have said I don't especially want to put my hands where your sweaty feet have just been, or to have my nose hovering over a hold you have just smeared with your sweaty foot.

In reply to tradlad:

Does it not apply to swimmers ? I haven't been for a while I admit, but I do remember walking through a pool of disinfectant stuff on the way to the pool itself.

In reply to EasyAndy:

You have clearly never had the missfortune to be in the same room as my feet.

In reply to Bahhhhumbug:

Also the pool is filled with chlorine, specifically to kill any nasties.

In reply to wayno265: At our local wall it states that appropriate footwear should be worn at all times, I agree with other people would not want to put my hands where someones sweaty feet have been.

In reply to Bahhhhumbug:

On the other hand you can easily argue that you can choose to wear shoes if you don't want to risk catching these things.

Bare feet on holds I don't like, but I quite like having bare feet between climbs.

In reply to wayno265: why on earth would you want to climb barefoot? we dont allow it at my wall, its pretty gross it you think about it!

In reply to wayno265: No one is talking about barefoot climbing. The wall does not like climbers standing in bare feet whilst belaying and resting between climbs and standing on the protective matting. The matting that at other walls you are told not to go on in outdoor shoes.

Al

In reply to martypants:

Some people seem to be rather sensitive over such minor issues. Climb, wash hands and then get on with the rest fo your life. If you're going to worry about nasty dirty holds it's probably best to stop at home

In reply to martypants:

it's actually quite nice, sandstone and grit routes in particular, not so much on limestone

In reply to EasyAndy: and its a good way of making trackside at curbar a bit closer to 7a

In reply to wayno265: To clarify, it's about people being barefoot on the ground, not while climbing.

The infectious disease arguments don't really wash with me (pardon the pun), which leaves safety issues. I can see some argument for not wanting people to be barefoot, but given the nature of climbing and the fact that people want relief from tight shoes, that they tend to walk on the heels of their shoes which is arguably more dangerous and that the risk is so pathetically small that it doesn't warrant the control measures, it seems like a bit of a "jobsworth" rule.

In reply to EasyAndy:


Mmm. I know lots of people that wipe their arse and pick their nose with their hands, but none that use their feet!

In reply to wayno265: Could just be that some people don't like the sight of others' ratty feet.

In reply to edinburgerboulderer53:

F*ck me, if that's where the rule originated I'll soon be climbing with a bag on my head.

In reply to danwaters:

So how about sweaty hands on handholds, then?

In reply to wayno265: Haha I've got a nice brown paper one with eye holes and a straw to breathe through that I have to use, if you'd like me to design you one.

In reply to wayno265: I've been advised by the staff at the sports centre in question that they were not aware of the issue and would consult the Climbing Wall Manager. Watch this space.

Al

In reply to petestack:

as someone stated earlier,people tend to wash their hands on a more regular basis than their feet

In reply to wayno265: who would want to climb in bare feet anyway its painful

In reply to wayno265:

What about all the people who don't wash their hands after going to the loo?

In reply to wayno265: They're smart at your wall!

In reply to wayno265:

Surely the reasoning behind not belaying barefoot is pretty straightforward that the last thing you need when you've fallen is your belayer being more concerned with his stubbed toe, splinter from wooden floorboards etc than holding the dead end of the rope?!

In reply to Lil_Pete:

That's exactly what I was thinking.

However, its a perception issue as well. Obviously, from this thread, people perceive feet to be unclean and don't like it. Regardless of whether its clean or unclean some people think it's bad.

In reply to wayno265:

Kind of.
The Climbing Works, Sheffield has a sign saying no climbing in bare feet but not "you can't have bare feet in the climbing works"

In reply to wayno265:

its just normal health & safety stuff that may well just have no basis in every day logic. some kind of general rule to do with public places. one of those boxes that has to get ticked to get such-n-such a license so no one hurts themselves with the vending machine or walking to the bus stop.

i was refused entry to a cinema once for not having shoes on. the usher simply said "dunno. just the rules".

In reply to wayno265:
I agree with the sweaty feet thing, and those people arguing that is no better then sweaty hands. There is a little sack clipped on the back of your harness full of white stuff that most climbers use to prevent this...
So i guess if you chalked your feet i wouldn't have a problem with it.
I quite like easy barefoot bouldering outdoors

In reply to wayno265: Some of the responses on here clearly indicate that some of you are not reading the thread. The centre in question is stopping climbers taking their climbing shoes off during periods of rest and belaying whilst standing on the protective matting. It's not clear at this time if they expect climbers to wear their outdoor everyday shoes or move around with climbing shoes hanging/balanced on the front of their feet. Both options raise further issues. Either mud on the mat (some walls explicitly prohibit the wearing of outdoor footwear) or someone tripping themselves up. I'm no expert but this latter could make the centre legally liable if it happens as a direct consequence of a specific instruction.

Al

You should all be ashamed of yourselves for spending any of your precious lives discussing a topic as banal as this one.

In reply to Burns: One mans banal is another mans critical issue of the moment and anyway it's raining.

Al

In reply to wayno265: Also ,not just the minging feet issue but also if a hold spins/cracks or breaks, they are razor sharp when the do. OUCH!!!!

Rob

In reply to darren-surrey:

haha! nuff said!

In reply to wayno265:

I'm quite aware that when my climbing shoes come off between routes my feet leave sweaty footprints everywhere. Its pretty disgusting and something flip-flops would solve. While our climbing wall doesn't enforce footwear myself and everyone else will continue this pretty grotty practice.