The only book on crack technique worth reading:

Can anyone tell me the rough dimensions of the book? I am currently in the UK and can order to a friend, who will then ship it out to me but the size seems to be a limiting factor.

Thanks!

10" X 7.5" X 1/2"

It is the width of a tips crack....

(I bought the book and I've been studying it over and over. I'm hoping it will finally make a crack climber out of me, but it is too soon to tell. Early signs are promising-- on a gym crack yesterday I was able to do some thin hand jams, which may count as a minor miracle.)

Hi everyone,
As the publisher of this book I want to thank everyone for all the enthusiastic and positive reviews and comments. Kent really poured his heart and soul into this project and worked extremely hard to make sure it was comprehensive, easy to understand, and useful. We also think Samantha did a great job with the illustrations, so it's great to hear how many of you like those as well! Enjoy the book and let me know if you have any questions!

^

Yes, the illustrations were awesome as well--nice work all around.

Got my copy. What an excellent book!

While I cringe at some replies posted here on MP when noobs ask how to climb cracks, now there is a simple definitive answer to newbies and old dogs how to improve their crack climbing! Buy this book!

I have had the pleasure of climbing with Kent fairly regularly over the last few years, and have been grateful to learn some new tricks from him, but this book spills ALL the beans! This old dog is learning even many more new tricks than I thought existed! Thanks Kent for taking the time and effort to share this encyclopedic knowledge. What a project!

Good stuff about this book:
-Excellent layout, organization of material
-Excellent illustrations
-Excellent coverage of basic concepts from a thoughtful engineer's perspective. I especially like the breakdown of mechanical concepts: wedging (chocks), friction, levers and camming. A few of the diagrams showing this woke me up as to how my own application of the techniques were not really doing the job as they could. That slight shift in perspective and how to apply it makes a world of difference.
-Really thorough OW (wide) technique coverage. While I do OK on some OW, this will open up a new level for me! There's enough info in the OW section to keep me busy for a long while.
-Really thorough coverage of foot technique and body position. I don't think I have ever seen any instructional material that even begins to cover these aspects of crack, wide and corner climbing as completely.
-There's a huge amount of info that transfers to your climbing in general, not just cracks.

Thanks Kent!

I picked a copy of this up a few days back. I've got a pretty strong crack game but I figured I would read this as I recover from surgery, looks great! Gunks Jesse was kind enough to throw a thread up on Supertopo as well where I saw the link. Thanks for the crack bible

so i picked one up with my devalued maple syrup dollahs ...

its a fine book ... basically its the "self coached climber" for cracks

however it doesnt spend a lot of time on the fingers and tips and much more of the space on wider cracks ... which is fine as thats what im weakest at ...

theres are also techniques that arent in the book, that are in other sources ... i highly recommend watching the wideboyz free videos in crack climbing

overall its a good resource to have, but i feel its been a bit overhyped on da intrawebz

now all they need to do is come out with one for slab/thin face ... at least out in squamish thin crack climbing is integral with your slab technique

;)

bearbreeder wrote:...now all they need to do is come out with one for slab/thin face ...;)

A penchant for it is your biggest asset. You just gotta get bitten.

bearbreeder wrote:however it doesnt spend a lot of time on the fingers and tips and much more of the space on wider cracks

Maybe because there really isn't much to fingers and tips cracks as far as crack climbing goes? You can take most sport climbers that have never crack climbed & get them proficient in those sizes in 2 hours.

bearbreeder wrote:now all they need to do is come out with one for slab/thin face

Again, how many pages do you think that thing will be (without going into general climbing techniques)? I can't see it being more than a very thin pamphlet.

reboot wrote: Maybe because there really isn't much to fingers and tips cracks as far as crack climbing goes? You can take most sport climbers that have never crack climbed & get them proficient in those sizes in 2 hours. Again, how many pages do you think that thing will be (without going into general climbing techniques)? I can't see it being more than a very thin pamphlet.

Thin tips and fingers will definately take more than 2 hours for most NORMAL sport weenies

As to friction slab slab/thin face its a very integral part of cracks up here

And i suspect itll be a bit more than a thin pamphlet ... Certainly as much as the "semi thin" section in the book of 13 pages

Heres THE classic climb where the footwork at the crux is all slab

Exasperator 10c, squamish chief

;)

bearbreeder wrote: Thin tips and fingers will definately take more than 2 hours for most NORMAL sport weenies

With respect, finger locks and tips locks are more a question of maintaining the body position and committing to a lock that doesn't feel secure than any real technique. If you're proficient with slopers or shallow pockets, the true jamming portion will take you 20 minutes to learn.

It took me a LOT longer to get the basics of baggy fingers down than to master tips locks.

Unless you're calling sport climbers stupid. In which case, [removed for violating rule #1]

bearbreeder wrote: Thin tips and fingers will definately take more than 2 hours for most NORMAL sport weenies

There's no point arguing w/ you about the duration. But time & time again, I've seen sport climbers taking the shortest amount of time able to climb close to their sport grades on those crack sizes. Not so much w/ other (especially the in-between technique) sizes.

Anyways, what did your fellow Canadian say about the cobra crack? Something to the effect of taking strong sport (weenies) & give them a crash course on jamming.

Brian Scoggins wrote: With respect, finger locks and tips locks are more a question of maintaining the body position and committing to a lock that doesn't feel secure than any real technique. If you're proficient with slopers or shallow pockets, the true jamming portion will take you 20 minutes to learn. It took me a LOT longer to get the basics of baggy fingers down than to master tips locks. Unless you're calling sport climbers stupid. In which case, [removed for violating rule #1]

it definitely takes more than 20 min ... for most NORMAL sport climbers ... and out here its also a matter of slab/face footwork, or getting the very tip of the shoe in the crack

reboot wrote: There's no point arguing w/ you about the duration. But time & time again, I've seen sport climbers taking the shortest amount of time able to climb close to their sport grades on those crack sizes. Not so much w/ other (especially the in-between technique) sizes. Anyways, what did your fellow Canadian say about the cobra crack? Something to the effect of taking strong sport (weenies) & give them a crash course on jamming.

im not arguing that it isnt easier for folks to learn finger locks ... yet i see folks flail on em all the time as much as hand jams ... especially with poor footwork

part of it is likely a generational thing ... some older climbers can walk up fists/slab/offwidth but has issues with thin fingers/tips

im simply saying theres much more to it than "20 min" or even "2 hours" ... and could use a bit more in the book

as to "cobra crack" ... remember that dem wide boyz who had never climbed serious offwidth trained in their basement and basically crushed all offwidth including the hardest one to date ... then they went and trained fingers and sent cobra ....

each has their own differences and demands technique ... more than a few minutes worth !!!

of course if u watch their vids youll be an expert in a few minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W99gN54wLQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIdE-Dzzvlk

;)

hmmm, i have to agree with reboot and brian. the off sizes warrant a lot more attention than fingers/tips.

as for the exasperator crack, i don't really remember needing any specialized slab foot technique. it's pretty straight forward.

slim wrote:hmmm, i have to agree with reboot and brian. the off sizes warrant a lot more attention than fingers/tips. as for the exasperator crack, i don't really remember needing any specialized slab foot technique. it's pretty straight forward.

it requires you to smear the slab and trust those smears unless you just want to muscle through the crux ... which i saw some climber try the other day and their feet kept popping

in theory one can also walk the crux crack, however i have yet to see anyone do that on lead

as i said its a good book, however i dont feel its "comprehensive" ... and focuses on the mid- larger sizes generally

i probably should come on here and say its the greatest thing since sliced bread, and everybody here will sagely nod ...

but then this is a review section, not a RAH-RAH one i thought

;)

bearbreeder wrote: yet i see folks flail on em all the time as much as hand jams ... especially with poor footwork part of it is likely a generational thing ... some older climbers can walk up fists/slab/offwidth but has issues with thin fingers/tips im simply saying theres much more to it than "20 min" or even "2 hours" ... and could use a bit more in the book

Much of the footwork you describe for finger/tips cracks are general face climbing footwork. Someone who is versed w/ slab/thin face (not crack) climbing isn't going to have a lot of issues with them. As for your comment about older climbers, it's mostly because fingers/tips are usually harder (climbing grade wise), which really means it's not an issue of technique, but rather strength.

bearbreeder wrote: as to "cobra crack" ... remember that dem wide boyz who had never climbed serious offwidth trained in their basement and basically crushed all offwidth including the hardest one to date ... then they went and trained fingers and sent cobra ...

And went thru a rough patch in Vedauwoo but thought the cobra crack experience was way more chill.

Look, it's ok if the trad climbing you like do doesn't actually involve that much crack climbing techniques...I climb at eldo all the time.

reboot wrote: Much of the footwork you describe for finger/tips cracks are general face climbing footwork. Someone who is versed w/ slab/thin face (not crack) climbing isn't going to have a lot of issues with them. As for your comment about older climbers, it's mostly because fingers/tips are usually harder (climbing grade wise), which really means it's not an issue of technique, but rather strength. And went thru a rough patch in Vedauwoo but thought the cobra crack experience was way more chill. Look, it's ok if the trad climbing you like do doesn't actually involve that much crack climbing techniques...I climb at eldo all the time.

and here i thought all the REAL cracks where in yosemite and the creek !!!

actually for the same grad out here tips and fingers are usually lower angle ... a 5.10- hand crack here is often closer to vertical, however a 5.10- finger crack is often lower angle ... ie less "physical'

the issue with some older climbers is that they learned on wider cracks, not in the gym or sport climbing ... which is why they can runnout chimneys that will make many of us puke ... its what they are used to

look its OK if you dont think anything less than an absolutely perfect glowing review of the book is acceptable

squamish has no crack climbs anyways

Mercy street, 10-, squamish chief

as to the "cobra experience" being more chill ... one of them sent it by the skin of his teeth the last burn on the last day ... didnt look too "chill" ... but then neither you or i has tried to free it so its all moot

;)

bearbreeder wrote: look its OK if you dont think anything less than an absolutely perfect glowing review of the book is acceptable

I'm just saying this as an absolute rubbish face climber. I climbed mostly hands and bigger during the 10 years I spent at Vedauwoo. My aptitude for thinner-than-perfect-fingers crack sizes came from what little sport and face climbing ability I had. Baggy fingers and bigger, that insight came from actually climbing cracks.

So, based on my experience, I would argue that expanding the section dedicated to perfect fingers, when that technique is pretty intuitive provided you're a competent face climber (e.g. one how knows how to smear), is a waste of paper. You can offer that criticism, sure, but I don't think its a meaningful criticism. Meanwhile, the observation upthread that there are some really useful wide techniques curiously neglected, that's a meaningful criticism.

I haven't read the book. I intend to pick it up next time I get paid. Then I'll have a more robust critique of my own.

Brian Scoggins wrote: I'm just saying this as an absolute rubbish face climber. I climbed mostly hands and bigger during the 10 years I spent at Vedauwoo. My aptitude for thinner-than-perfect-fingers crack sizes came from what little sport and face climbing ability I had. Baggy fingers and bigger, that insight came from actually climbing cracks. So, based on my experience, I would argue that expanding the section dedicated to perfect fingers, when that technique is pretty intuitive provided you're a competent face climber (e.g. one how knows how to smear), is a waste of paper. You can offer that criticism, sure, but I don't think its a meaningful criticism. Meanwhile, the observation upthread that there are some really useful wide techniques curiously neglected, that's a meaningful criticism. I haven't read the book. I intend to pick it up next time I get paid. Then I'll have a more robust critique of my own.

well remember there is nothing called "perfect fingers" for everyone ... for some green alien is tips, for others its sinker locks, etc ...

i know plenty of folks who can smear just fine up slab, they have no problem doing slabby apron runs and face climbs, who get shut down by cracks that would be "perfect fingers" for myself ... but because they have large hands is tips for em

of course they are laughing all the way to the bank on fist and offwidths ...

im simply pointing out that there isnt too much on fingers and below in the book ... probably something to consider if one was expecting a "comprehensive" book ... and as other reviews say the "best book ever on crack climbing"

its a fine book ... but perhaps not absolutely comprehensive and perhaps not the ONLY book worth reading

;)