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Edge
Trad climber
New Durham, NH
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Jan 30, 2013 - 08:17pm PT
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I bought a pair for something like $25 from the old EMS attic back in 1978. I loved them for standing in etriers while teaching myself aid climbing with a 3/8" Goldline rope, Whillans harness, Forrest titons, and hand tied aiders.
I loaned them to a friend the next year, and his mom threw them in the Goodwill collection box. Gone.
I sometimes wonder who got them through Goodwill.
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neverwas
Mountain climber
ak
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Jan 30, 2013 - 08:52pm PT
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I started rock climbing with the AMC around Boston, late 60's or so. Bought a pair of 'RRs' (or whatever they're called ;-), and one of the instructors, an older guy, saw my new boots, stuck his nose right into them and took a huge whiff. They did have a characteristic and somehow alluring 'new car' smell to them...
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TwistedCrank
climber
Dingleberry Gulch, Ideeho
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Jan 30, 2013 - 08:52pm PT
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I had two pairs of them boots. One pair had a stiff an unpadded cuff, the other pair had a thick pad around the cuff. I liked the unpadded ones better.
Anybody else see those two varieties?
The first pair I won from some kid in a poker game in Gunnison. The second pair I bought from Jack Tackle at a garage sale.
And, of course, they required laces in some shade of red.
Holy cow I miss those shoes.
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ron gomez
Trad climber
fallbrook,ca
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Jan 30, 2013 - 10:14pm PT
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I'll say it for Locker......Blue Butt Plugs!
those were sweet wall boots.
Peace
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 31, 2013 - 12:38am PT
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I have a pair with smooth soles... I'll post a pic tomorrow.
For me RRs were as painful as a raspberry seed stuck in an open cavity. You could however edge on dimes like there was no tomorrow and (as said earlier) that certain off width size was almost pleasant. And, as Werner said, you could stand in tied 1" flat webbing aiders all day long and NEVER get a cramp! Besides, those shoes were built to be abused and they held up like no pansy-arse slipper ever will.
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hooblie
climber
from out where the anecdotes roam
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Jan 31, 2013 - 03:56am PT
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bought pairs in ~'71 for me and my gal, the cute little ones came back like a block sweater when going steady went south. my mom used them in the back yard for standing on the edge of a shovel (was going to saying stomping a spade, but ...)
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Jan 31, 2013 - 11:30am PT
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Bought em used, resoled them twice. Loved the edging, I heard people bitching and moaning about cramping feet on J-Crack at Lumpy, I was totally comfy in my blue RR's.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jan 31, 2013 - 11:59am PT
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I used to free-solo the Grack (up and down) in my RR yosemite boots - just to prove that it could be done.
Ever climb on the apron in RR yosemite boots?
(:
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 31, 2013 - 12:09pm PT
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Ever climb on the apron in RR yosemite boots?
Yes, what else were we supposed to use, Kronhofers? ;-)
But then came that fateful day when I went on the Apron with Ellie Hawkins
wearing her new EB's. Damn, that was embarrassing - really, those weren't
whimpers, just a sort of exhaling. Went straight down to Royal's and had
Bruce Carson fit me to a pair.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jan 31, 2013 - 01:21pm PT
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I bought my first pair in 1969 for $28.00. I bought a second pair, one full size smaller, in 1971 for $32.00. I still have and use both pairs for mountaineering and walls.
I climbed Patio and Maxine's Wall in the bigger pair. I first did the Glass Pyramid problem in Camp 4 and Grack Marginal in my smaller pair. The latter was quite exciting, because it is really much more of a pure friction problem than one of edging, where the RR's were quite good. Generally, though, I preferred PA's, because I felt more secure, but the rubber on the PA's was about as hard, and no more sticky, than those of the RR's.
As many others found, I, too, found EB's to be almost cheating when I first used them on the Apron in 1973.
John
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ydpl8s
Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
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Jan 31, 2013 - 01:33pm PT
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I love this pic of Joe Herbst on the FA of the Rainbow Wall at Red Rocks (Original Route 5.12 - 1973) I hope this is ok to post this Chiloe.
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john bald
climber
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Jan 31, 2013 - 01:51pm PT
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Along with other climbs, did Duck Soup on the Weeping Wall with them.
My old pair is currently on display at IME, SLC.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jan 31, 2013 - 02:16pm PT
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I still have my original pair. . .
knott quite so pretty, but they still fit.
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Scole
Trad climber
Joshua Tree
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Jan 31, 2013 - 07:43pm PT
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Still one of the best wall boots ever made. Occasionally you will find a pair in a thrift shop for less than a buck. I bought one pair at the cast off in Mammoth for .25, drove to the valley and sold them for eighty dollars three hours later.
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OR
Trad climber
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Jan 31, 2013 - 10:00pm PT
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Still a great looking shoe IMO. I could have bought a brand new pair in Bezerkely in the early 90's but was too poor. They were in some consignment shop. Bummer
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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I started out in red PAs. As mentioned … case hardened rubber, at least they were sleek!
Yours truly, probably one of the few fools around here who decided RRs would be suitable for long days on the feet. During the late 90s when my arms went south, a bunch of closets were getting purged and RRs would show up in the used outdoor gear stores here in Boulder.
So I went through a couple pair doing big days in the mountains on fourth class. Even did one of those days, something like 11 hours in Rocky Mountain National Park (Glacier Gorge/McHenry's) in a pair of green Shoenards, also called the Vasque Tarentola or some such?
Prancing about on the summit of Mount McClure in Robbins Boots during a 20 hour day, Mount Lyell in the background:
Matterhorn Peak:
John Bald: Duck Soup! It does have some fine edges doesn't it? Still that would not be very easy to pull off. I watched John Lonne waltz New Generations in RRs.
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Ihateplastic
Trad climber
It ain't El Cap, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 2, 2013 - 12:51am PT
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Mountaineering in RRs! I could not imagine the pain and blisters.
Still need to take a pic of the pair that I have with smooth soles.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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I've had a good read here. I'm all bluebirded out.
I'd like to say I have the most cheapest deal on RRs from Larry Horton at North Face-Berkeley in early 1970. He had a pair in my size that had the toe rand separated from the leather on one of them, but it was good to climb in, just couldn't be sold full price. So he gave the pair to the Rev to give to me down at Apathy House in Pacific Grove.
Thank you for the God Boots, Larry!
I ended up using the 'oddball' brown leather RDs from Galibier. I thought the rubber better than the popular PAs.
The first climb I got to do with them was in the Pinnacles. The Higher Spire was next, my first 5.8 climb. And descent after )a8=$ dark!
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Still need to take a pic of the pair that I have with smooth soles.
My soles are also worn flat!
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Haston
Trad climber
Boise, ID
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Jul 16, 2016 - 11:07pm PT
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I still have mine, they don't fit any more but used the heck out of them. I am thinking of putting them on eBay just for kicks to see what they bring.
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