UKC

Hi

I am wondering if people find that climbing on monos on ice (and mixed I suppose) increases calf pump? Does a dual setup spread the weight more evenly and mean that the calf is under less stress?

Thanks

In reply to iamaclimber:
No, what your asking relies on mono points mitigate the torque applied to the calf. The mono arrangement may reduce the moment but this negligible in my experience. Mono's do however; A. offer more precise placements, B. allow you to use pick placements in tenuous ice, C. are more sustainable because you have a spare point.

In reply to iamaclimber:

In a word, No.

In reply to iamaclimber:

Calf pump is more likely to result from being overly tense and lifting your heels (which can lead to fracturing the ice out under the frontpoints- not good).

Some people advocate horizontal dual points for snow climbing and I suppose having more contact points for this might be a bit better than monos?

The difference isn't that marked in my experience. If you're using your crampons correctly you should be engaging the secondary points in ice and snow.

I like monos better for mixed anyway.

In reply to Wee Davie:


Wot Davie said.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but its not a huge difference. Ice is so variable - one week you'll use one type and think they're rubbish, then next week they'll feel fine again. I tend to use monos more on early season thin, cold hard ice, then duals on later season fat ice, but for me it depends which boots I want to wear as much as anything.

In reply to iamaclimber:


I'd say yes on mixed and no on ice. I think monos on easier mixed are a disadvantage for that reason but on harder mixed the advantage of more bite and finer placements over-rides the disadvantage. On ice the monopoint bites in far and therefore doesn't add calf strain. But on softer ice, the monopoint may slide down through the ice and require more effort to keep it stable.

So for both, dual points better for lower grades, monopoints better for harder grades. Just my opinion and what I use.

In reply to iamaclimber:
Andy is being characteristically modest. "My informed judgement, based on possibly more mileage in crampons than 99.9999999999% of the climbers on the planet" would be more accurate.

In reply to iamaclimber:

I don't know about increased calf pump, but it makes my heart pump faster on snow-ice (as on those ben routes) for which it can be terrifying to use forged monos: only 1 vertical bit sticking out!

In reply to Andy Nisbet:

Interesting.

I'm not clear on why a mono would increase strain on the calves on easier mixed? Could you please expand on this Andy?

I suppose 'it depends' but at what grade to monos start to come into their own (in people's opinion)?

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Interesting discussion.

In reply to iamaclimber:



The main reason is that the mono point is very long and because it doesn't sink into rock, then it's like standing on extended tiptoes.