Frost Nip/Bite on the toes?

[John Frieh]

Had it before? How bad? What did your doctor have you do to encourage the healing process? How long before you could run again? Wear rock shoes? How long did you avoid ice climbing/cold temps after the initial event? Etc?

[ivan]

have you had it on your fingers before john? i haven't zapped my toes, but 5 years ago a couple fingers - they didn't blister up, but felt numb for about a week, like i was wearing gloves or something - there were no long term problems though - i stayed out of the hills for probably a month afterwards, adn yeah, it still seemed quick to get cold again.

 

how are they looking a couple days later?

[John Frieh]

Never on the hands including this trip though both Bryan and I climbed the initial 3k in our belay gloves (which froze into the gripped position) w/ handwarmers in them.

 

I have two blisters currently + a brightly colored toe (black, red, yellow... basically various shades of gross). Saw a doc on monday who spent more time telling me how stupid my sport was instead of what do for it. Saw a foot podiatrist on Tuesday who checked things out and said I will make a full recovery assuming I take it easy this month (no climbing or high impact stuff like box jumps or running).

 

Also got a lot of good beta from some of the posters on this board who've had some form before (thanks guys and gals!)

 

All in all I think I got off easy at least compared to some of the other stories I have heard... havent gotten a hold of Bryan yet though... I know he was looking @ frost nip at least when I saw him on Sunday. Bryan: what up?

 

Looks like I have to spring for a pair of double boots though as singles might be out of the question this winter

[kevino]

I think me and my roommate got frostnip perhaps? His toe is blackish/redish and is still numb, but no blister. I have two finger tips that still have that 'asleep' feeling but no discoloration.

 

This happened last saturday, so its only been five days. I guess we'll wait a couple weeks and see what happens.

 

John, sorry to hear about your fall/losing screws/non summit. Good story now that you're out of it! Hopefully I'll still see you out at Hyalite some time this year.

[John Frieh]

If either of you have access to HC you dont have to pay for go get checked out. Also loose loose shoes + keep them super warm (I've been doing 2x pair of socks). If it is the hands then wear gloves every where. What you do after the damage is done dictates how quickly/well you recover!

 

Hyalite: I'm still planning on the festival this year. Email me if you want to hit that up or want to plan a different trip. Also based on the posts on gravsports so far it looks like the rockies are going to be epic this year...

[mtn_mouse]

I lost all my toenails from frost nip, and the big ones never grew back well. I went to a doctor, but it was useless, they will recover on their own in a couple of weeks. My feet were fine after that.

I did not use the same footwear combination again.

[Dane]

Had to look in an old journal to be specific. Fall alpine climbing seems to be the time most will get bit. Oct for me as well and in single boots. Ended up walking out in socks after the bivy and my feet unthawed. Sounds worse than it was for the most part.

 

A little over a month later I was in the Valley doing some of the hardest stuff I had been on.

 

It was a long time however before I didn't notice the cold and seldom alpine climbed in the Rockies again without a dbl boot.

Slipstream in early Jan. was a rare exception. That ended single boots as a "winter" alpine option for me outside ice fall cragging

[billbob]

Several years ago I read about a Korean on Denali that got frostbite on his penis... Always wondered how the hell he did that and how he explained it to the wife.

[danhelmstadter]

i got some - worst on my big toe - a couple years ago while standing around a snow pit - taking tempratures grain size, etc... at 12k in a storm on the c. divide. - hanous ski down a foggy windscoured couly, then found my toe frozen back at the parking lot. it blistered up, i grew a new nail. it healed just fine, but i tossed the thrift store liners for some intuitions.

frostbites a scary thing, people who play in the hills in the winter are used to expecting cold and numbed extremeites, you just have to ignore the numbness to some extent, but how far do you let it go, for how long etc...?

these are difficult questions. My WFR instructor said he used to "score chicks" by carrying a tent and a sleeping bag in cold winter group outing situations, then offer to warm them up in the tent... it was somthing like that anyway.

 

that penis story is especially scary, indeed it seems like many of the snow pants - underwear are lacking in incorperating added insulation in that area.

Edited October 22, 2008 by danhelmstadter

[Jens]

I had it on two of my toes on my left foot. They are definitely more sensitive to cold now but they are fully functional. You should be able to make a full recovery.

 

As for the Korean...yikes!

 

Whatever happened to that Stacey Moon guy from around here that lost all of his toes on Stuart?