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Do I need toe nails?

NMcKinnon

23-Sep-2009
7:13:49 PM

Last weekend I spent a few hours on a 3 pitch granite slab route. Feet were a bit sore afterwards but nothing unusual. But by next day one of my big toenails turned completely purple with bruising.

I bought shoes specifically to do these longer middle grade routes so they aren't too tight. Never had this happen before.

Any suggestion how to avoid this? My ideas were:
1) Get out the pliers and remove the offending nail (do I really need it anyway?)
2) Tape up my toes
3) Get over it


wallwombat

23-Sep-2009
7:32:44 PM

When I was a child and this happened to me, my mother would bend a large paper clip and heat the end until it was red hot. She would then ram it through the toenail to release all the blood.

Needless to say, I no longer speak to my mother.

I seem to remember losing the toenail every time anyway, so I wouldn't bother trying this. On top of that it hurt like f#ck.

Strange that only one toenail would go black. Actually it's pretty strange that even one toenail went black.

What shoes were you wearing?

brendan

23-Sep-2009
7:33:39 PM

i completly lost my two big toenails last summer in NZ walking down the tasman, they both had massive blood blisters underneath, one got infected and the other i had to get the blood out from under the nail with a hot needle. They both fell off and the were a massive pain in the ass climbing for about 4 months until they grew back, really sensitive. I dont think ripping your toenails off is a good solution


cruze

23-Sep-2009
7:49:57 PM

I have lost both my big toe nails (one of them twice). The one that has gone twice is nowhere near as strong as the other one now... I tape over my big toe nails when walking/running longer distances, not sure how that would go climbing. Keep them as long as you can!

NMcKinnon

23-Sep-2009
8:01:22 PM

The shoes are Evolv - lace ups - can't remember the exact model.
Thanks for the suggestions. Nice and disgusting.

I guess I'll try taping up next time.

brendan

23-Sep-2009
8:01:42 PM

On 23/09/2009 wallwombat wrote:
>When I was a child and this happened to me, my mother would bend a large
>paper clip and heat the end until it was red hot. She would then ram it
>through the toenail to release all the blood.
>
>Needless to say, I no longer speak to my mother.
>
>
>I seem to remember losing the toenail every time anyway, so I wouldn't
>bother trying this. On top of that it hurt like f#ck.
>
when i went and saw the nurse in fox glacier she actually said by me releasing the blood pressure from under my toenail it helped my chances of keeping my toenail and was the right thing to do, i also lost my toenails, but i made them feel better by releasing the pressure

brendan

23-Sep-2009
8:02:44 PM

On 23/09/2009 NMcKinnon wrote:

>Thanks for the suggestions. Nice and disgusting.
>
i have pictures if you want : )

Richard Delaney

23-Sep-2009
8:08:27 PM

Don't need the pics thanks...

I have trouble with mine - esp the smaller toes after cutting the nails too short. Used to do
crazy 50km & 100km+ races and would often get blisters under the nails. Climbing is
different - but for running, taping is no good as you get more trouble from the tape. Finding
the right length is the key - just long enough not to trouble the adjacent toe.


wallwombat

23-Sep-2009
8:19:47 PM

On 23/09/2009 brendan wrote:

>when i went and saw the nurse in fox glacier she actually said by me releasing
>the blood pressure from under my toenail it helped my chances of keeping
>my toenail and was the right thing to do, i also lost my toenails, but
>i made them feel better by releasing the pressure

My mother did her nursing training in NZ.

One Day Hero

23-Sep-2009
8:37:55 PM

Definitely do the hot needle thing and get the blood out before it goes off (anaerobic bacteria are bad). Causing uneccessary trauma to your toenails may seem like the Clint Eastwood thing to do.....however, having gone down that road and now being the proud owner of "the manky toe" I would recommend being nice to your nails.

Winston Smith

24-Sep-2009
12:40:41 PM

On 23/09/2009 NMcKinnon wrote:
>Last weekend I spent a few hours on a 3 pitch granite slab route. Feet
>were a bit sore afterwards but nothing unusual. But by next day one of
>my big toenails turned completely purple with bruising.
>
>I bought shoes specifically to do these longer middle grade routes so
>they aren't too tight. Never had this happen before.
>
>Any suggestion how to avoid this? My ideas were:
>1) Get out the pliers and remove the offending nail (do I really need
>it anyway?)
>2) Tape up my toes
>3) Get over it
>

Yeah rip 'em off with pliers and tell us how you go.

widewetandslippery

24-Sep-2009
12:53:53 PM

On 23/09/2009 brendan wrote:
>On 23/09/2009 NMcKinnon wrote:
>
>>Thanks for the suggestions. Nice and disgusting.
>>
>i have pictures if you want : )

WANT PICTURES


IdratherbeclimbingM9

24-Sep-2009
1:28:50 PM

On 24/09/2009 widewetandslippery wrote:
>On 23/09/2009 brendan wrote:
>>On 23/09/2009 NMcKinnon wrote:
>>
>>>Thanks for the suggestions. Nice and disgusting.
>>>
>>i have pictures if you want : )
>
>WANT PICTURES

I will go you one better widewet&oneshoeless.
Do you want the original toe nails?
Yuk^x2yuk

~> Have lost both more than once over the years.
1st time was skateboarding many years ago, but the most recent was from the incidental action of repeatedly jamming my toes in the front of my boots (trying to control the descent), while carrying a heavy haulbag down the Sth side of the Buffalo Gorge.

After the second time of losing them, I found they never grow back in a fully 'fitted' position, ... and due to being 'loose towards the leading edge', are prone to snagging and ripping out; ... one side at least!... ~> hurts quickly, ... ~> in which case you get the fun of finishing the job, ... ~> hurts slowly!!

>Any suggestion how to avoid this? My ideas were:
>1) Get out the pliers and remove the offending nail (do I really need it anyway?)
>2) Tape up my toes
>3) Get over it

Give them a chance to heal first, but I have found that they are not really needed and advocate option 1 as you will likely lose it/them anyway.
Once the outcome becomes obvious it is best to soften the remaining 'quick' up by soaking beforehand...
When they re-grow you could easily find (like I have), that they require being kept short (shorter than you ever had them before), to minimise snagging/stubbing.

brendan

24-Sep-2009
4:45:32 PM

i'll swap some pictures of my rotten feet for a black diamond talon : )

Wendy

24-Sep-2009
6:44:33 PM


JimboV10

25-Sep-2009
9:19:18 AM

On 24/09/2009 Wendy wrote:
>On 23/09/2009 NMcKinnon wrote:
>>Last weekend I spent a few hours on a 3 pitch granite slab route. Feet
>>were a bit sore afterwards but nothing unusual. But by next day one of
>>my big toenails turned completely purple with bruising.
>>
>>
>
>I think there's a crucial lesson in this ... SLABS ARE BAD!!!

Hear hear!!!


IdratherbeclimbingM9

25-Sep-2009
9:58:19 AM

On 24/09/2009 Wendy wrote:
>I think there's a crucial lesson in this ... SLABS ARE BAD!!!

Only in inappropriate footwear.
Dunlop volleys are good for the low angled ones(!), but I have to ask ...
~> In your opinion when does a slab become a face?
;-)


ambyeok

25-Sep-2009
10:00:50 AM

On 25/09/2009 JimboV10 wrote:
>On 24/09/2009 Wendy wrote:
>>On 23/09/2009 NMcKinnon wrote:
>>I think there's a crucial lesson in this ... SLABS ARE BAD!!!
>Hear hear!!!

Its intuitive. The human species naturally despises slabs. Its in our genetics. Ive never climbed one yet somehow I still just know that they are bad. Its kinda uncanny.


ambyeok

25-Sep-2009
10:02:22 AM

p.s. If god didnt want us to climb cracks he wouldnt have made our hands wide than our wrists ;)

gfdonc

25-Sep-2009
10:38:48 AM

Slabs are fine. You just need appropriate footwear ..
http://staff.data.com.au/stoal/Araps1982/index.htm

(note: suitable for those with toenail problems)

There are 37 messages in this topic.