How long should I expect to suck at climbing cracks?

Carl Martin wrote:Old thread but good info. I just had my first day doing true crack climbing at Zion and my feet killed me. I wear Mythos but my toes are a bit curled. Guess I need shoes a bit bigger. I feel like I'm learning to climb all over again.

I totally remember how that felt. A few years ago I was climbing hard 5.11 easy 5.12 on sport routes and started to dable on 5.8-5.9 "trad" routes in Jtree. Went to Indian Creek for the first time and climbed true crack climbs and got totally spanked. Couldn't lead Chocolate Corner 5.9, gave up 10 feet up the route, and practice learning. I feet KILLED me and finally started to get the hang of crack climbing on my last day there.

Jan Tarculas wrote: I totally remember how that felt. A few years ago I was climbing hard 5.11 easy 5.12 on sport routes and started to dable on 5.8-5.9 "trad" routes in Jtree. Went to Indian Creek for the first time and climbed true crack climbs and got totally spanked. Couldn't lead Chocolate Corner 5.9, gave up 10 feet up the route, and practice learning. I feet KILLED me and finally started to get the hang of crack climbing on my last day there.

I too was in that exact same boat. The first splitter I tried was so painful. Switching shoes helped. More experience climbing splitters helped more.

20 kN wrote: I too was in that exact same boat. The first splitter I tried was so painful. Switching shoes helped. More experience climbing splitters helped more.

Switching shoes definitely helped me too. More comfy the better. But more experience on the splitters was the biggest help. I think anyone that was to get good at crack climbing to get stronger at traditional routes should definitely hit up Indian Creek. Just be patient. It will take days to finally realize it shouldn't be THAT painful

Yeah. Enchanted Rock in Texas is a good place for it as well for those of us who can't get to the Creek. You just have to lead a few low angle, good sized cracks that DON'T have a ton of face features and force you to learn to actually trust the crack. My first pure crack lead was terrifying, my second was a blast. I've also noticed that the pain does get better as your tolerance/technique improves. When I first started, some cracks hurt even in comfy TC Pros, whereas the last crack I led in my performance-fit Pinks and they felt fine. It's one of those skills that gets exponentially easier with mileage, but the learning curve is quite steep.

I didn't read this whole thread, but I'll still weigh in. I love the Creek, but climbing sandstone cracks is a different sport compared to climbing granite cracks. Granite uses way more features, irregular jams, footwork is totally different, generally smaller gear, etc., etc. The best way to prepare for the alpine is definitely climbing granite cracks. Hit up Squamish for a season and you'll figure that shit out (at least well enough to tick off alpine goal routes).

As far as doing the same move over and over at the Creek... True to a certain extent. However, it's more strategy than you think if you actually want to send. Sometimes you have to decide on the fly whether you want to stop and place and most likely pump out, or punch it to the chains and actually send. I love that game. Lots of other people love that game. Some people don't. It's all good.

For foot pain, insert your foot into the crack with your leg totally horizontal to the ground, maximizing contact with the top of your foot. That avoids that pressure point near your pinky toe. Or just keep doing it and you will make micro-adjustments over time and one day it just clicks.

Climb granite cracks for alpine prep and don't go to the Creek. Buy TC Pro's for pain.

Forever, stick to sport climbing.

climbing friend,

yes, it will always hurt your footsies excessively and forever. no, it is not fun. if you hate yourself badly enough and do not enjoy the fun times, you may excel at it. the foot jam it is painful, but it is even more painful i say if you cannot get foot jam but instead only toesies and not quite whole ball of foot into crack.

another sissy stuck up sporty...

Even the biggest sissies can climb cracks in TC Pros. I've pretty much stopped taping unless I'm indoors (or maybe desert sandstone. Eldo and RRG were fine without). I think new crack climbers end up needing to tape excessively because they try to pull too much with their hands rather than stepping up with their feet.

Ted Pinson wrote:Even the biggest sissies can climb cracks in TC Pros. I've pretty much stopped taping unless I'm indoors (or maybe desert sandstone. Eldo and RRG were fine without). I think new crack climbers end up needing to tape excessively because they try to pull too much with their hands rather than stepping up with their feet.

I wouldn't judge to quickly regarding taping hands. I usually always tape because I work with my hands in the medical field. I'm constantly handling bodily fluids like blood, urine, drains from all over and also constantly washing my hands and use alcohol hand sanitizers. I prefer taping to keep my skin intact.

My friends that also climb at the creek prefer to tape up if they plan to stay there for multiple days.

Vedauwoo is different than most crack climbing! Go to Lumpy.

Everyone goes through this. I thought it would never go away for me but it definitely became tolerable with more experience. Over-torquing was definitely a factor for me and I think it also has to do with the position/angle of your foot. Just try making adjustments with that and it should get better.

As others have mentioned, climbing in the creek is not like the alpine, BUT IMO if you can climb in the creek, you can climb cracks anywhere.