Crack Climbing! (How To Climb Series)

Has anybody read the new book by Gnade & Petro? I realize the best way to get better at crack climbing is to practice, but some technique tips would be great too. I think I have hand jams dialed, but off-hands, fists, off-fingers, off-width are a bit elusive. Maybe my pain threshold is just too low? Or maybe the technique tips offered in this book would be the ticket? Just curious what other peoples experience has been. Thanks!

What about your feet?

Jeremy Franz wrote: I realize the best way to get better at crack climbing is to practice, but some technique tips would be great too. I think I have hand jams dialed, but off-hands, fists, off-fingers, off-width are a bit elusive. Maybe my pain threshold is just too low? Just curious what other peoples experience has been. Thanks!

from experienced crack climbers.

You've asked...

England wrote:What about your feet?

And let's not go there. Sheesh...

Just do what John L. said.

Gigette, that's so funny. The first thing I thought of in regards to "practicing crack" was that forum you posted the link to.

Langston's advice might be more what you're looking for Jeremy.

I think "learning crack climbing technique" is way over-rated. For example, Alex Huber came to the US having never climbed a crack. He spent a couple weeks at JTree, then he freed the Salathe...

I don't know, but I suspect he was able to do this because:
-He's really strong
-He has really good CLIMBING technique (footwork, balance)
-He had no reason to think he couldn't...to him it was just a 13b. He climbs 13b all the time, so what's the big deal? Where as here in America in 1995... OMG! Its El Cap! Its a 5.13 CRACK! IMPOSSIBLE!

I think its mostly the last two, since once he did it, suddenly everyone was able to accomplish the once-impossible feat.

I don't see how you could write an entire book on crack climbing when there have been probably a dozen articles in the mags over the years that all recycle the same five or six things.

Tips you don't see in these articles (no comment on the validity of these):

Aspirin. Tick marks. Taping for size. Stiff approach shoes for wide cracks.

Let's see if these images will link, Bard was giving you all the lowdown a long time ago(if they don't show, see a copy of the article here:

widefetish.com/pages/how_to…

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I think taking a drug before you climb for the sole purpose of enhancing your climbing performance is pretty poor style.

What about resin?....all those el cap roots are now invalidated?

John Langston wrote:Taping for size or Tick marks, those invalidate a send.

Other things that invalidate sends:
~Wearing climbing shoes
~Glasses or contact lenses
~Weed
~Practice

JulianM wrote: Other things that invalidate sends: ~Wearing climbing shoes ~Glasses or contact lenses ~Weed ~Practice

Practice or training are the worst offenses. Training of any kind is definitely cheating.

John Langston wrote: Taping for size or Tick marks, those invalidate a send.

If a send is "invalidated", does that mean you never climbed the rock? And as an extension of that, if you come back and do it the next day without taping for size or tick marks, does that mean it's now an onsight?

If you are not completely naked and going on three days without food, water or sleep, it doesn't count. Oh, and ropes are for sissies.

Oh jeez, don't get so sensitive. Of course tape and shoes are necessary. Rocks are a lot tougher and more bad ass than all y'all, gotta give ourselves some advantage. The idea is simply to climb as freely as possible while not foolishly risking our lives or serious injury. If someone wants to use a little "aid" to get up something, that is their choice. If you can climb it with less, good for you.

WHOA! Didn't mean to start an ethics war here... Pretty soon, we're going to have an international sanctioning body performing doping tests at each crag. I'm surprised nobody recommended hand jammies yet... LOL. The bottom line is WHO CARES??? As long as you are out there having a good time and not infringing on other's right to do the same. Trying to impose your 'opinion' of what you consider 'good form' is 'bad form' IMHO.

Ahem... To bring us back on topic...

I agree that John Langston's advice is the best offered so far.

Will's link to widefetish.com is great too. Seems like every crack has a little off-width in it!

Still no reviews of the Book??? I'd like a preview before shelling out the cash (which I could buy lots of tape and aspirin with), but nobody around here carries it. At least not that I've found.

Maybe my skin isn't thick enough as I end up bleeding profusely without tape. Here's a

after about five days of healing. You should see the looks I get around the office... This means I'm slipping and don't have the technique dialed. Any recommendations to toughen up your skin?

The spring trip to Indian Creek is rapidly approaching!!! Dreaming of Crack...

Jeremy Franz wrote:Has anybody read the new book by Gnade & Petro? I realize the best way to get better at crack climbing is to practice, but some technique tips would be great too. I think I have hand jams dialed, but off-hands, fists, off-fingers, off-width are a bit elusive. Maybe my pain threshold is just too low? Or maybe the technique tips offered in this book would be the ticket? Just curious what other peoples experience has been. Thanks!

Your best bet is to climb a lot of cracks with somebody who climbs crack well. Mileage is the most critical bit though. After that, some little tips are all that will really help. For instance, ring locks don't feel really secure until you weight them. The more experienced you become, the more you'll be able to feel a secure ringlock before you weight it. Similarly, handstacks will feel most secure initially if you can cross your arms. Sometimes, the crack doesn't allow for that. You just have to experiment.

Also, taping for size is totally cheating. I'd say use as as thin a tape glove as possible, so your hand is the most flexible and will fit into the maximum range of sizes. But that could just be me. 12 layers of tape on your fingers to turn Coyne Crack into 5.9 is aid climbing, pure and simple.

Tick marks, or "rookie stripes" can be a necessary evil if you need to not block critical jams with gear, or there are considerable face features that make the route go, but if you're not scrubbing them off after the send (or before a long furlough), it is bullshit.

The only really specific advice I can offer is that you can reach farther and pull through more of your range of motion if you jam both hands thumbs up. It also engages more of your large muscle groups, so it will feel easier. However, thumbs down jams will initially feel more secure, and your hands will jam into wider cracks in a thumbs down configuration.

so, as a response to the original question...

i looked through it the other day and thought it was pretty nice. the photos are excellent. i didn't really read too much of the text, but if there are 2 people that have done some crack climbing petro and gnade are right up there. if somebody bought if for xmas for me, i think i would be pretty psyched, if just for the pictures alone. there is a picture of a climbing gym in sandy utah that looks like the crack climber's dream gym.

Jeremy Franz wrote:WHOA! Didn't mean to start an ethics war here...

You didn't. They are arguing about different styles, not ethics. Although chalk tick marks do delve into that area, they can still be washed off.

Yeah, we all get a little distracted sometimes. As far as training for cracks goes, I have found that walking up to a crack, jamming your hands in and hanging all your weight back for as long as you can has really helped my endurance. As well, ankle strength and flexibility was a huge obstacle for me, it hurts to basically stand on a rolled ankle until you are used to it. Technique is obviously critical, but strength in the right areas is just as important (my nickname is captain obvious, just so you know). I still suck horribly, but no one said this sport was easy. If it was, would it be fun? Can you tell how bored I am at work today?

I like ethics/style/nonsense debates.

Brian Scoggins wrote: Also, taping for size is totally cheating. I'd say use as as thin a tape glove as possible, so your hand is the most flexible and will fit into the maximum range of sizes. But that could just be me. 12 layers of tape on your fingers to turn Coyne Crack into 5.9 is aid climbing, pure and simple.

You're going to have to work really hard explaining why taping for one reason is cheating but not for a different reason. I get the size bit, but please.

John Langston wrote: Not to bash you dude but that's total horseshit.

Sure, that's why I put the "no comment on the validity of these" in there. It's not bashing me, cause I basically agree with you. But people do use 'em, maybe even all at once.

It is what's happening in the real world when alot of these superhero sponsored folks are sending stuff at their limit. And it's not exactly new. How about Woodward with gloves on Trench Warfare, or Long with similar on Paisano.

Richard Radcliffe wrote:I like ethics/style/nonsense debates. You're going to have to work really hard explaining why taping for one reason is cheating but not for a different reason. I get the size bit, but please.

I don't know, Richard. Seems like the intuitive line is pretty clear between protecting your skin, whatever your hand's dimensions, and applying surplus material purposely to change those dimensions.

The commonality of increased friction--a byproduct of taping--doesn't hide the mechanical difference between natural size and artificial size.

EDIT: Guess I'd disagree if anyone suggests taping for size equates to standing in aiders. But it still shifts the game away from traditional free climbing, where progress comes from greater effort and better technique, to engineering, where mechanical ingenuity magically reduces the grade.