Entering Crack Climbing

I used to wax philosophical about cracks. I later learned it was simply a matter of practice. Put your miles in or all the advice, including that book, won't help.

To plug that book though, the author has an almost aspergers like devotion to the kinesiology of cracks. It will be more informative than the rest of the books and clinics on the subject combined.

You still need to climb a lot though.

Also, about the book, does anyone know where it can be purchased and not have to wait on shipping?

nicelegs wrote:To plug that book though, the author has an almost aspergers like devotion to the kinesiology of cracks. It will be more informative than the rest of the books and clinics on the subject combined. You still need to climb a lot though.

^^^ agreed. Just in the sample pages it does a better job of explaining thumb stacks than I've seen in written form before. But ditto on mileage

Hand size is also a big factor in crack climbing. Some sizes feel like jug hauls.

It's all about practice. Being able to look at a crack and know how to use it only comes with practice. Although face/sport climbing does take technique, you can get progress through the grades pretty quickly by just getting stronger. Crack climbing takes an extra dose of technique.

Strength is similar to other types of climbing except that it takes more core strength and the little chunk of meat by your thumb will need some endurance for hand cracks.

To the downclimbing thread drift above: Down climbing is absolutely, by far, no competition, the best way to practice your foot work!

^ +1 Down climb! I down climb and I've even onsighted a crack before ;)

Levi,

I'm near Celo/Burnsville/Spruce Pine. I work nights, typically Thursday-Tuesday. Then I'm off Thu-Wed, alternating a week on week off. I'd be happy to meet up at some point and try to help as well as I can. I'm far from an expert, but I've done a bunch of the classic crack-laden routes in NC. I usually climb with my wife, but she has an art show opening May 1, and I'll probably be looking for someone to climb with in April.

FWIW, most of the cracks in NC are not pure crack climbs. Even some of the classics regarded as crack routes (Cornflake Crack comes to mind) climb like face climbs a lot of the time. Rarely is the crack or crack technique the sole means of progression for more than a couple moves.

Brian

P2 of the Cornflake is the one I had in mind...

Levi, Mike posted this earlier, but I think our upcoming book, The Crack Climber's Technique Manual, will be a huge help for you: fixedpin.com/collections/cl…
Unfortunately, it's brand new and isn't even available yet. But you can pre-order it...

My 5 cents.

To read a manual, even a beginners manual, one should have a basic knowledge and skill set. It is almost impossible to understand manual's statements without a basic knoweldge on the topic. That's why we still have schools, colleges, universities, metors, tutors, teachers, etc.

Learning process always begins with student's evaluation. Than goal setting, theoretical base, exercises, feedback, reevaluation, goal (re)setting, theory, exercises, feedback, reevaluation, etc. The very first step is sometimes extremely hard without proper tutoring - when one has no knowledge they has no chance to self-evaluate, thus a goal setting phase is gonna be random, theory is gonna be misunderstud, exercises are to develop bad habbits, the final destination is most likely a frustration and loss of motivation (or even injury).

My idea is to invest in an instructor and/or class/crack clinic, not in manual to misread and misunderstand it.

Sorry for jumping into someone else's thread. I have a particular problem with cracks: my feet. I often get them stuck. Part of this is that I sometimes put them too far into the crack. However, I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong with my heal.

I've watched the standard climbing videos, and even the crack ones spend 99% of the time filming hands not feet. So I haven't been able to see what the God's do.

So, in general, when PLACING the foot, do those good at crack keep the heal high, or low? I'm wondering if I'm placing the foot with the heal too high, and hence once weighted the heal drops below the horizontal and is forcefully jammed. Which sure is a solid placement, but makes it hard to retrieve the foot.

Or, should I place the foot with heal low, then the only movement will be the twist of the ankle/knee. Or horizontal.

you know that 9+ is a special grade, right?

You would likely find it easier to climb a 10a crack.

But as someone else said upthread, you're best off to climb lots of easy cracks first. Just like you wouldn't learn the movement of sport climbing by starting on a 12a sport climb. Pure strength probably isn't an issue, but technique is. And that comes with miles of practice at all levels.

Just be wary of grades with a + or especially with a ++. It usually connotes that there is something triky or hidden. Or in the case of 9+, the climb might have existed before 5.10 existed. By all means, climb the routes with a +, but don't be dismayed if you can't make it up a 9+ especailly if new to crack.

the key to moderate hand crack climb is the feet ... specifically the knee

place the foot in the crack sideways, and as twist it from out to in ... focus on straightening the knee to get the full extension ...

next place the other foot in the same way and do the same thing

if you arent straightening out your knee at the end yr relying on you hands (or yr "frogging" the crack which works as well) ... when yr knee is straight yr weight is over the crack, when its bent yr azz is sticking out

if your foot gets stuck, dont panic, just turn the foot slightly back and itll come out just fine

focusing on straightening the knee is they key to all moderate climbing ... cracks, slabs, easy sport, etc ...

theres a saying out here "feet are for climbing, knees are for praying" (theres a durtier version as well) ... so dont climb with bent knees and focus on straightening them out with every move

the other key is to think opposing hands/feet ... if its your right hand lower in the crack then get the left foot in and stand up on that ... reaching up with the left hand ... and vice versa ... similar to opposing holds in sport climbing

using opposing hands/feet gives you more torquing action, similar to a slight layback

;)

David Coley wrote:Sorry for jumping into someone else's thread. I have a particular problem with cracks: my feet. I often get them stuck.

Shoes that are too wide can lead to stuck feet. I've had the experience that wide shoes (relative to my feet) that work fine on face will get stuck on crack climbs. Does not happen for me in my narrower shoes.

r.c

David Coley wrote:Sorry for jumping into someone else's thread. I have a particular problem with cracks: my feet. I often get them stuck.

Diagnostics over Internet is not the best idea :)

Anyway I had the same issue and in my case (*in my case*) it was too much extension in my core - once placed a good footjam I tried to reach with my hand as high as possible and got stuck in a next to perfect isometric hell. In that extended position it is nearly impossible to release the jammed foot. I was advised to make baby steps - in general it is OK to make several foot steps each hand move but it not that often one needs to make several hand moves per foot step.

Pavel Burov wrote: Anyway I had the same issue and in my case (*in my case*) it was too much extension in my core - once placed a good footjam I tried to reach with my hand as high as possible and got stuck in a next to perfect isometric hell. In that extended position it is nearly impossible to release the jammed foot. I was advised to make baby steps - in general it is OK to make several foot steps each hand move but it not that often one needs to make several hand moves per foot step.

Thanks, that is something I tend to do too. I will try and correct.

I've found that efficient crack climbing is a lot like efficient ice climbing: move your feet a lot, move your hands rarely.
The big difference is that with crack climbing, the higher you can stably move each foot, the more efficient you will be (whereas with ice climbing, its the higher you move *both* feet relative to your tools, the more efficient you'll be). Still, baby steps.

The crack "exercises" that I would do to get better amounted to the following:
Climb the pitch
Climb the pitch focusing on getting perfect hand/finger/fist jams
Climb the pitch focusing on getting perfect foot/toe jams/rand smears
Climb the pitch using as few hand movements as possible
Climb the pitch using as few foot movements as possible

Each exercise would build on the previous one, so that by the time I got to the final one, I was trying to make really big moves, each with perfect hand and foot jams. By the end of it, you feel like a super hero when you're doing 10 moves over the course of 40 feet.

I'm new to pure cracks too. My technique sucks. I find that my hands get pretty sore/bruised after much jamming (with or without tape), is that normal or just my crappy technique?

FoxBurgess wrote:I'm new to pure cracks too. My technique sucks. I find that my hands get pretty sore/bruised after much jamming (with or without tape), is that normal or just my crappy technique?

What kind of rock are you climbing?

Sandstone or granite. Smooth or rough.