Bret S.
Level 9 Valued Member
That's what I thought, sounds extremely brutal.. especially for my tender little calf musclesNot to hijack Larry’s log too much…
No brace
The spiked foot gear are known as crampons. There are some specialized ice-climbing boots that have this integrated into the boot, but mostly it is a frame that clamps securely to the welt of your boot. The frames are rigid as is the sole of the boot (for the most part) (there are flexible crampons as well but these are more for general mountaineering and glacier travel)
And oh boy is there calf fatigue! Forearm as well. Do 1,000‘ of front pointing up a steep ice wall and you will know what I mean. But like anything else… you train up for it…