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Do I suck at climbing cracks because I pull on plastic too much?

Original Post
Andy P. · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 190

But seriously though,

I have got to be the worst crack climber out there who owns a rack and climbs trad. My gym even has a crack to practice on, can't get to the top...

People explain the technique but I just can't seem to avoid pulling up with my arms, every damn crack feels like an endless V2 to me with crappy feet, yet youtube if filled with videos of people easily cruising and resting their way up cracks... why can't I, WHY DAMMIT?

Yes, I know how to jam, but it's pissing me off, does anyone know the feeling; how did YOU actually learn to crack climb...? I need advice.

Yes it's finals week and I will do anything to procrastinate...

chuffnugget · · Bolder, CO · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 0

are you wearing a thong PAS?

Jeff G · · Colorado · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,098
David Sahalie wrote:are you wearing a thong PAS?
^^^^^^
haha!!
Jon Clark · · Planet Earth · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 1,153

I'd start with less internet moaning and more real life crack climbing.

Ryan Nevius · · Perchtoldsdorf, AT · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 1,837

First, let go of the idea that you know how to jam. Assume you know nothing.

Honestly, I didn't "get it" until I started working hard, vertical or overhung cracks on TR (fingers, hands, fists). The easy stuff did nothing for me but keep me using poor technique. While it may be easy to lieback a 5.6 crack, there's no way you're going to do it on 5.10+; you'll be forced to jam properly. Hangdog the hell out of routes. Figure out one move at a time. Learn how to hang and rest off of a hand jam or finger lock. Focus on initiating movement with your feet.

Also, have a look at these:

lackhead.org/jamming/
wildcountry.com/videos-and-…

Ron L Long · · Out yonder in Wisco. · Joined Oct 2006 · Points: 90

Short answer? Yes, but perhaps not for the reason you think. One of the best things you can do to work on your crack technique is to get out of Wisco for your climbing. Places like The Lake just do not have many great pure crack climbs. Crimping and edging are generally far more important.

ChefMattThaner · · Lakewood, co · Joined May 2013 · Points: 246

While I am by no means the most elegant crack climber out there, I do enjoy them quite a bit. To me cracks have always required a certain amount of flailing and struggling. Like others have said there is not unfortunately one silver bullet to fix your technique. All cracks climb completely different for different people. Perfect hands for me is no where near perfect hands for my girlfriend so she ends up climbing that crack completely different then I do.

Indoor cracks really don't do the real stuff justice, at least not in my experience. Definitely get out on rock more and top rope hang dogging is probably the easiest/fastest/safest way to work out different techniques. Find a move or two that's particularly hard and try to complete it as many different ways as possible. With different jams, different angles, different feet. Try a few different jams and try hanging off them to see how it works best. You will quickly find a few moves that work really well for you and certain jams that are more stable for you. You really need to try not to pull yourself up with your arms as much as possible.

Woodchuck ATC · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 3,280
Jeff G. wrote: ^^^^^^ haha!!
And doctors do say your level of strength can go down a bit if you waste all your inner energy by pulling on your plastic every night. Try to only pull it maybe once a week, and not before a climbing outing.
Sam Lightner, Jr. · · Lander, WY · Joined Apr 2006 · Points: 2,732

You don't suck at crack climbing because you climb plastic too much. You suck at crack climbing because you DON'T climb cracks enough. Its a technique. Strength from plastic will eventually help, but you have to have the technique to begin with.

Matt N · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 415

I suck at pulling on plastic because I climb cracks too much.

chris vultaggio · · The Gunks · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 535
Matt N wrote:I suck at pulling on plastic because I climb cracks too much.
Same here - I have a lot of trouble motivating to fix the problem.
Mitch Musci · · Estes Park, CO · Joined Apr 2002 · Points: 665

I have thought long and hard on this topic, and after hundreds of hours of equations and problem solving I have arrived at this solution...

mountainproject.com/v/india…

Jason Halladay · · Los Alamos, NM · Joined Oct 2005 · Points: 15,153
Andy P. wrote:...every damn crack feels like an endless V2 to me with crappy feet...
Make sure you're not trying to foot jam cracks with the same shoes you're using in the gym. Shoes that are more comfortable to jam in make a big difference in your enjoyment, and thus proficiency, with crack climbing. Get on a crack route that forces you to jam both hands and feet and TR it as much as possible. Let expectations and pride go and focus solely on the technique and what works/doesn't work. Relax your mind and body too.
Johnny Y · · California · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 1,383
Matt N wrote:I suck at pulling on plastic because I climb cracks too much.
Ok good I am not the only one.

Saw this post a while back and thought it was good
supertopo.com/climbers-foru…

Now go and send some offwidths!
Lou Hibbard · · Eagan, MN · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 410

How good indoor cracks are is very gym dependent. Vertical Endeavors in St. Paul, MN has a great variety of cracks with 5.8 hand, 10a wide hands, 10b wide hands roof, 11a/b fingers lieback, 11b/c thin hands , 12a wide fingers.
Back before I got hurt I climbed outside a ton but I always did all the cracks in the gym before I took a trip out west. Helped me a ton on both maintaining technique and helping to deaden the pain sensors and keep the skin tough.
Make sure you work the crack in the gym until you have it wired. It took me a while to get the 12a in the gym but once I did the learnings really translated to outside.

JCM · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2008 · Points: 115
Sam Lightner, Jr. wrote:You don't suck at crack climbing because you climb plastic too much. You suck at crack climbing because you DON'T climb cracks enough.
This. Living in Wisconsin probably contributes to the issue.
doligo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 264

To get good at crack climbing, you gotta embrace the pain first. Everything hurts if you don't do it enough: backs of your hands hurt, your ankles hurt, your pinky and ring toes hurt, your fingers hurt... And these are just the body parts for more user-friendly and less painful hand and finger cracks!

You just have to accept that it's going to hurt a lot in the beginning - once you kill those nerve endings, you may have developed those thumb muscles and gotten the ankles flexible enough for you to cruise at least the hand cracks.

Ralph Swansen · · Boulder CO · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 761

Yes.

Go to Indian Creek and you will have no choice. All you have to do is keep trying and embrace the pain. Learn your hand size ( #2 - #3) whatever and get good at it. The pain will go away and you will get very strong.

Climbing everything else other than your perfect hand size is like starting all over again but will most likely take longer.

It seems to feel impossible at first and sandbagged but it is not.

Then try a Yosemite 5.10 chimney and die.

Andy P. · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 190

Thanks for the great suggestions in this thread so far, it's the feet that really get me. I know I am supposed to somehow tweak my leg upright when my foot is sideways in the crack, it always feels like my knee is about to explode so I take pressure off of it and then use my arms... surely I am doing it wrong, but I haven't learned the right way to use my legs in cracks.

Ryan Nevius · · Perchtoldsdorf, AT · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 1,837

Watch those videos I posted. They're a good intro to feet.

Ralph Swansen · · Boulder CO · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 761

Well.

It is simply big toe up and little toe down, as high up as possible on the crack with the knee out to the side so that your lower part of your leg (between the knee and the ankle) are parallel to the floor or close to parallel. jamming the toes/foot in as much a possible then bringing the knee up so that the lower leg is as near vertical as possible. This cams your foot in allowing for you to stand on that foot.

When done correctly on sizes 2-3 it will eventually feel like a ledge you are stepping on, with minimal pain.

you must keep trying and the pain will go away in the toes.

As far as the knee goes, perhaps paying attention to how far your torso is from the wall and adjusting it may help. I think that keeping your ass out may cause more pain while bringing your body close to the wall would be better but that may be different for you. also the height that you initially bring the foot up into the crack may have to be adjusted.

Or maybe you have a knee problem?

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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