Tricouni is the brand name of a metal nail used on
mountain climbing shoes. Widely used in the past by
mountain climbers
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
and soldiers, it offers improved gripping on various surfaces. The Tricouni nail was invented in 1912 by a jeweler from
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, Félix-Valentin Genecand, alias "Tricouni" (1878-1957). Genecand was also a well known
alpinist (several mountains were named after him:
Mount Genecand
Mount Genecand () is a mountain at the head of Barilari Bay between Lawrie Glacier and Weir Glacier, on the west coast of Graham Land, Antarctica. It was photographed by Hunting Aerosurveys Ltd in 1955–57, and mapped from these photos by the ...
in
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
,
Tricouni Peak in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
). Tricouni nails are also referred to as hobnails, boot nails, cleats and shoe studs.
See also
*
Crampons
*
Cleats
References
External links
* {{in lang, fr}
Tricouni's brief biography In ''Le Messager:'' Genevois, 16 January 2014, p. 24.
Mountaineering equipment