Modding iceclimbing shoes

The annoying thing of fruitboots is that most come standard with a specific crampon. The Boreal's with Black Diamond, the Asolo with Petzl, the La Sportiva with Grivel...
So if you want to have Petzl crampons on Boreal boots (or any other combi) this is what you can do:

1. Get a couple spacer rings to figure where the bolts need to be.
2. If needed drill holes on the right places through the crampon for the right fit
3. Take the new crampons, marked and well off the boot
4. Weld the spacers in place
5. Tadaaa :)

It works much better then spacer-plates, or loose spacers. It's less weight added and they won't move (like they did apparently when I climbed the Worldcup finals last week, thats why we now got this technique fixed)

Worldcup Boulder Eindhoven

Oeeee, almost. Just one night, a bit of soccer and then climbing!

I just had the technical meeting and got the starting list.

I'm already nervous and feel this little heartbeat in my throat. But, I already felt better after I met another iceclimber: Radka from Bulgaria. She's kind and social, so time to chill and laugh :)

I'm number 31 on the list for tomorrow. Which means I'll be one of the last to climb.

On the website of the Worldcup you can follow a livestream.

The Womens qualifications starts at 9h (Dutch time) which means I won't be climbing before 10h.

The Belgian climber Cloé (also an iceclimber) takes the lead on the list. Vera, is first of the Dutch to boulder as number 21. Then Magli form Belgium (nr. 25), then me (nr. 31) Roelien (nr. 34), Radka (nr. 36), Marianne (nr. 37), Rachel (nr. 38), Nikki (nr. 39) and Channah (nr. 40) (see the whole list on the IFSC website)

And now: have fun...and climb well :)

Boreal

Yes!

I'm still sponsored by Boreal, it just all went so slow that I wasn't sure anymore if Boreal was still interested in what I do and what I climb.

But, it all changed again and I got new shoes!

First: the IceMaster, renewed and even lighter then the pervious version. They're slightly higher and the looks changed a bit. And, as all new good alpine shoes, they have a little strap to avoid getting snow in your shoes. Ready for the Summer and the Winter I guess :)

Second: the Arrow lila (lady), for running, walking and just casual walking. They're my favourite running shoes. The old ones are completely 'gone', as I wore them every day :)

Third: the Mutant, a bouldering shoe adjusted for lead climbing. Because of the strap, you can thighten the shoes pretty well. Only a little problem: I think they're too small...again, strange those sizes, I fitted exactly the same shoe about three weeks ago in that exact size and now they don't fit...did my feet grow that much??

Fourth: socks, yes Boreal has socks as well. And actually, they look just as good as your favourite socks of any other brand :)

Next week: full test results!

Anyway, I'm happy.

If you'd like to try those shoes as well, please contact me and check the Boreal website.

Boreal late Christmas package

Finally, after e-mailing, calling, more mailing and waiting. I now have my new shoes. The Ice Mutant fits perfectly and I tried them straight away in the Globe in Den Haag. Here a little movie on my first first try with the shoes on really really hard ice in the Globe "ískápur". (Diederik filming)
My brother went with me and had his first real iceclimbing experience.
Though, the climbing shoes are a bit too small :( so I have to change them somehow/somewhere. But that's ok, at least it's all here now (after more then 3 months)