Hand Care for Crack Climbing

I’ve been climbing the crack at my gym pretty consistently for about two weeks now, and by now I’ve built up some pretty bad bruises on the backs of my hands. As a disclaimer, I have extremely bony hands so I’m basically just shoving my hand bones against the side of the crack. My skin has held up really well; it’s just trying to deal with the constant bruises while continuing to practice climbing crack. Does the bruising eventually go away and your hand builds up some padding? If so, is there a way to speed up this process? Is it a technique issue on my part and I’m just over camming my hands because of nerves? Let me know if y’all have experience with this.

Are you taping or using crack gloves?  Ocun makes crack gloves that have a little extra padding, so that may help.

Sounds like you may be overjamming. Try focusing on your footwork and putting as little pressure as possible on your hands. Ideally, your feet should generate the upward propulsion and your hands should mostly be providing balance, unless you’re in a roof.

Are you taping? My first crack dealer didn’t tape, so I didn’t either, and I have permanent scar tissue from my first gobies due to my poor beginner technique back then. There’s no shame in using tape or hand jammies.
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My perma-gobies, which burst open at the slightest provocation.

At night, take your hands out of the crack.

Climbing crack is a masochistic endeavor. The sooner you accept this, the faster you will improve.

The Ocun gloves are nice for the gym, easy to get on and off and will protect your skin during the learning period, where it's normal to tear your skin up.  

Matt Himmelstein wrote: Are you taping or using crack gloves?  Ocun makes crack gloves that have a little extra padding, so that may help.

I’ve been taping on and off, but I may end up trying some gloves eventually. Thanks for the glove recommendation, I’ll be sure to check those out first.

Fritz Nuffer wrote: Sounds like you may be overjamming. Try focusing on your footwork and putting as little pressure as possible on your hands. Ideally, your feet should generate the upward propulsion and your hands should mostly be providing balance, unless you’re in a roof.

The crack I’ve been working on recently is slightly overhung, so that may be the killer for me. Gonna be climbing tonight, so I’ll be sure to focus on my footwork and see if I can relieve some of the pressure on my hands. 

Please use tape or gloves for others' sake at the gym. No one wants to touch your blood or dead skin in the gym crack.

abandon moderation wrote:

The scar tissue won't go away.

And it’s weaker than undamaged skin. I have to tape up for everything now. That’s what I get for climbing my first-ever crack climb tapeless (5.10+ splitter #3’s, and I have #1.5 hands). 

Tape up or wear commercial crack climbing gloves, hydrate extremely well, and use ClimbSkin (or a salve of choice, but I love that one).

A lot of people who have only crack climbed on granite or lovely New River Gorge sandstone don't quite understand the glove game, so there are a lot of people who swear up and down you don't need gloves (and, in the case of one of my long term partners, then show up at the Creek for a day to turn their hands into ground beef)

Pat Light wrote: Tape up or wear commercial crack climbing gloves, hydrate extremely well, and use ClimbSkin (or a salve of choice, but I love that one).

A lot of people who have only crack climbed on granite or lovely New River Gorge sandstone don't quite understand the glove game, so there are a lot of people who swear up and down you don't need gloves (and, in the case of one of my long term partners, then show up at the Creek for a day to turn their hands into ground beef)

You don't need crack gloves if you know how to crack climb, well I take half that back, I use take for anything bigger than #3 camlots. whatevs

OP - wear crack gloves of whatever material you choose until you figure out the technique, then take them off as they will only hold you back.

You wouldn't believe it but bull semen works best. Applied the hands daily.

Nicole Yu wrote: Please use tape or gloves for others' sake at the gym. No one wants to touch your blood or dead skin in the gym crack.

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