Talk:Ice climbing
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[edit] Boots used in Vertical Ice climbing
This article (1st paragraph) states that "for serious ice climbing double plastic mountaineering boots (or their older stiff leather equivalent) are usually used".
This was true 10 years ago, but is no longer the case. The boot of choice for modern, high end vertical ice climbing is now a single but insulated, lightweight but quite rigid leather boot.
Recent designs sometimes use flexible and lightweight synthetic materials in place of leather, but not rigid plastic. The double plastic mountaineering boots are no longer used for high level vertical ice climbing because of their heavy weight and lack of ankle flexibility and sensitivity. Exceptions to this include climbing in particularly frigid conditions or as part of extended (multi-day) backcountry expeditions, when the absolute waterproofness of plastic boots is an advantage.
Recent photos of modern ice climbing can be found at [1] 207.108.254.113 00:02, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
I agree. Although double plastic boots are still widely used, leather boots should definitely not be considered old. I also wonder about the part that claims that the single rope system is the most widely used rope system. I would guess that half ropes (aka double ropes) are the most widely used system for ice climbing, but it would be good to have a citation proving it either way. Eli6 06:47, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
