UKH

Has anyone had any success with homemade fruit boots? Is it as simple as bolting a crampon section to a stiff pair if rock shoes? Any advice gratefully received. Thanks

In reply to climber34neil:

A friend in Switzerland had quite some success with an old pair of ice skates. Blades removed... selvfølgelig.

In reply to climber34neil:

Depends what they'll be used for. Bolted on crampons on rock shoes works well for overhanging tooling routes. Probably not so good in freezing temperatures and bad for calf pump on vertical routes.

In reply to Pina:

Just for steep tooling routes really, any idea what bolts to use so they don't stick in your feet?

In reply to climber34neil:

I made a pair out of some old mountain bike SPD shoes, and a pair of crampons I bought off here.
The shoes have a very rigid sole, with a plastic plate embedded where the pedal cleat attaches so they are really stiff.
The crampons were an old pair of Petzl fixed mono-points which were only £25. I chopped off the bits of crampon not needed with an angle grinder, they already had suitable holes to bolt to the shoe.
I cut the tread pattern off the sole of the shoe with a hacksaw as it was quite deep, to leave a flat surface to mount the crampon. Then I just marked where the holes needed to be, and drilled through the sole. By removing the laces I could open the shoe up enough to access the heads of the screws, I used flat headed pan screws and wide washers so they did not pull through the sole and to add to the stiffness. I used locking nuts on the outside.
Inside the shoe I covered the screws with tape and then replaced the insole and it is fine.
The only down side I have experienced is that the crampon point is quite short, they were very worn before I sharpened them. On a route like Sub Rosa at Masson where you toe into a roof crack this can be a disadvantage. I would recommend using a crampon that you can change points on.

Not bad for £25 though!

Andy

In reply to Andrew Wilson:

That's great thanks, I have an old pair of cycling shoes so hopefully that should work ok

In reply to climber34neil:

I just used some m6 bolts with a recessed head (head inside the shoe). As with Andrew above, cut off the unnecessary points. Drilled some holes through the crampons (cobalt drill bits recommended) and through the shoe.

In reply to Pina:

Ok thanks