Entering Crack Climbing

Hey guys, so I have been climbing for a few years and have progressed into the 5.11 range sport/ trad climbing. Like a lot of people in my generation, I began climbing in a gym and thankfully was able to take things outdoors pretty quickly. However, on one of my recent outings to Rumbling Bald, NC I got shut down by a popular climb, Frosted Flake which is a 5.9+. Upon reaching the ground I made the comment that "crack climbs aren't my favorite" at which an older man kind of scoffed and told me that I better learn to love them if I wanted to keep climbing outside. Anyway, I think bridging the gap between gym-style face climbing and outdoor crack-climbing is a real problem for me and I was wondering if you guys had any tips on learning the technique and strength needed for these style of climbs. Thanks!

These videos are a good start:

Wild Country Crack School

Crack climbs aren't sport climbs, I've seen many cocky 5.12 sport climbers get shut down on 5.8 cracks. Levi, you are headed in the right direction. Keep crushing and getting shut down. It all helps.
1) try to place at your waist (not above your head)
2) try bringing your elbows in towards your ribs after securing a jam
3) practice down climbing
4) 5.11 sport does not = 5.11 trad/crack
5) listen to the old guys but take it with a grain of salt (they're sandbaggerz)

What was your technique for Frosted Flake--lieback or jam?

Here's part of your answer:

fixedpin.com/collections/cl…

Read, then practice, practice, practice.

LeviWalters wrote:Hey guys, so I have been climbing for a few years and have progressed into the 5.11 range sport/ trad climbing. Like a lot of people in my generation, I began climbing in a gym and thankfully was able to take things outdoors pretty quickly. However, on one of my recent outings to Rumbling Bald, NC I got shut down by a popular climb, Frosted Flake which is a 5.9+. Upon reaching the ground I made the comment that "crack climbs aren't my favorite" at which an older man kind of scoffed and told me that I better learn to love them if I wanted to keep climbing outside. Anyway, I think bridging the gap between gym-style face climbing and outdoor crack-climbing is a real problem for me and I was wondering if you guys had any tips on learning the technique and strength needed for these style of climbs. Thanks!

Thanks for the replies guys. I have actually seen those videos, it's kind of just a matter of finding a good place to practice those techniques. DoNstamos, how does down climbing help with crack climbing? And I tried jamming it, which I did get through after several attempts. The run out through the crux seemed a bit too much (even though it's what my partner did and it seemed way easier.)

Levi, I think down climbing is an essential and often overlooked skill in all aspects of climbing. Don't take my word for it though, ever read any Honnold interviews of his first days of free soloing? Practice down climbing at the gym or on a non crowded route. Oh man I forgot to ask, have you taken a whipper on gear yet? That one is huge, so go out and take practice whippers if need be.

Taking practice falls on gear and down climbing in the gym will do absolutely nothing to improve your crack climbing ability. Though they do have value in the broader sense of general climbing skills. I'd caution against trying to work on too many things at once. You want to get better at climbing cracks? Seek out some cracks and go climb them.

Got $1,200?

Steph Davis Crack Clinic.

Levi.....

Cracks are the natural line up a Mountain... because that's where you get your protection.

Placing this protection takes skill, one must be able to climb up and if the pro is weird or you cant find it, you must be able to down climb back to a safe spot.....without hanging on your marginal gear.

Many of the accidents happen when people hang on crummy gear and it pulls.

If you want to get good at this... stop sport climbing and get out and only climb Trad (god I hate that word).... bring the grade down a bunch, get really good at climbing moderate climbs quickly and efficiently.

Go to Yosemite for about 6- 12 weeks and have at it.

seek out Donni.....

There is very little in NC (that's legal to climb at anyway) that will prepare you for real crack climbing. Sure there are some cracks around NC, but they often have face holds or the crack section is short enough that you can power your way through it without any good crack technique. Go to the New or T-wall and seek out cracks.

Frosted Flake is really a better lie-back than a jamming crack, so it is also not the best example of a true crack climb IMO. For me it's too wide for good jams and it is an easy lie-back as long as you have the endurance to not stop until after the crux. I usually climb up a bit from the first good stance and place a cam high (#3) and then downclimb back to the good stance. Then I fire through the crux until I hit the good hold as the crack turn back up.

I see a lot of beginner crack climbers stretching out way too far.

you dont want your hands too far above your head.,and you dont want your legs fully extended either.

In a vertical hand crack you dont need to use your arms to make upward progress. Use your feet to propel you up, while your hands just keep you in.

this is different than a face climb, where you are taught to hang of your arms with the fully outstrectched.

christoph benells wrote:I see a lot of beginner crack climbers stretching out way too far. you dont want your hands too far above your head.,and you dont want your legs fully extended either. In a vertical hand crack you dont need to use your arms to make upward progress. Use your feet to propel you up, while your hands just keep you in. this is different than a face climb, where you are taught to hang of your arms with the fully outstrectched.

I would suggest to take an hour or two crack climbing class/instructor.

The thing is it is hard to self evaluate in the very beginning phase. One could try really hard to fix a small mistake while making several huge ones. Something like to try hard to release a clutch really smooth and still fail to start a car because, first, you forget to start an engine and, second, didn't release a hand brake. An instructor has a knowledge how to evaluate climber's shortcomings, how to sort and prioritize 'em, and how to fix 'em *in the right order*.

You guys have been really helpful, so thanks. I should have clarified that I am actually more of a trad climber than sport. I am just used to places like linville gorge, ship rock, obed, looking glass, etc. I have looked into T-wall and from what I understand that is the best place that has crack climbing close by. So, from what I have gathered getting into crack climbing is just one of those, read a bit and then get out there and apply sort of things?

Not sure where you are located, but T Wall has much more of, as well as a higher concentration of purer crack climbs than does the New. The New has short sections of crack on entry level crack (5.8 to 10-) routes. A bunch of the harder stuff is the same. Face climbing with crack protection with a lock here a body length of jams there. Jake's suggestion of Fantasy is a bit of an exception though and it is a good one.

It helps a lot to have somebody give you a bit of instruction/feedback. You can figure this stuff out on your own, just like you could probably learn to waterski by yourself, but it's going to be a lot faster with good beta and your being receptive to learning.

The T-Wall is probably your best bet as far as semi-local crack meccas go where you might walk up on a nice weekend and find some folks who really know what they're doing at a stacked crag with a solid handful of splitters within a couple hundred feet of cliff line. There will also be a bunch of gumbies belt-sanding the backs of their hands off so assess carefully…

That Shredded Wheat rig is probably the closest thing to a sport crack in your neighborhood- finger cracks resemble face climbing more intuitively than any other kind, the pro is usually easy to figure out, etc. Once the old guy gets over his ego-trip scoffing etc. he might be a good source of beta if you can show a bit of genuine interest and humility. Appealing to people's sense of knowledge and experience is usually an easy avenue. Avoid displaying huffy, entitled frustration (i hate cracks! why can't I DO this??? OMG etc) as that sort of thing really grates on your older, self-reliant hardman types.

Bear in mind that crack climbing grades assume that you know what you're doing, and don't get too hung up on them. Just pay attention and focus on methodically getting your jams to stick.

It's not a real intuitive form of climbing and so you need to put the mileage in to build good muscle memory. Doing laps helps. Get a rope up on some classic (like a 200' TR on the Cornflake) and work it until you can climb up and down easily and in control.

Try not to flail. This is related to what Jake is talking about with his beta about 'don't move up until your jams are good'. Move one limb at a time. Wiggle your hand/finger/foot around until it locks into place. This is an acquired sense. Where you see people going wrong is when they're bicycling all four limbs in the crack, burning rubber and going nowhere. You watch the folks who know what they're doing, it's a very precise movement of one hand, 'til it sets, then the other, move the feet up, reach high again…they're patient.

Tape up, and don't let anyone give you a hard time about it. Stiff, supportive shoes help as well- leave those Solutions in your gym bag. Consider pants.

As far as training the strength/muscles….the consensus seems to be that you pretty much gotta do it a lot. Hardcore trainer types will build crack machines; the rest just try and climb a bunch. No one has really been able to replicate for crack climbing the kind of muscle-isolation exercises that help bodybuilders develop giant ripped trapezoids. Ray Jardine (look him up) did a lot of training on little sections of cracks, doing many reps of certain moves or training for laybacks by hanging off hard layback stances to develop endurance. Won't hurt you none and it's good for your technique too.

Have fun! See you out there.

Forget about grades. Start at where you might've started with sport 5.6/5.7 etc.
Learn the basic jamming techniques via book, video, or demonstration.
Practice, practice, practice. it will come with experience

Thanks all for the replies and being genuine with the advice. On a somewhat related note, if any of you guys are local and would be willing to take a crack climbing newbie out there; I have a full rack and will bring the beer/be your belay slave for a weekend of lessons!