|
|
|
|
scallywag
Oct 9, 2003, 4:16 AM
Post #1 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 13, 2003
Posts: 324
|
Ok, so i feel a little stupid :oops: about this injury (more a close call than actual injury), but it was definitely one of the scarier moments of my climbing career....
I was at Boulder Canyon, Cob Rock, leading Huston crack, 5.8, and i got my arm stuck in the crack after doing a fist jam. At first i thought it was funny - but no matter what i did it was not budging at all, and the arm bar that i had above was slipping and i didn't have good feet. My last piece of gear was a foot below the stuck arm. Luckily i wasn't too far off the ground and, while on the verge of totally freaking out :shock: , i managed to lower myself to stand on my belayers shoulders, without weighting my arm. (would have looked pretty damn stupid, but was my saving grace!)
I have no doubt in my mind that i would have broken my arm if i had fallen on it, as it was jammed at my hand and both sides of my wrist, just past the joint, and was in the crack up to halfway between my wrist and elbow. I managed to manipulate it out of the crack with my left hand while standing on my belayers shoulders, then grab the hex i had in the crack just below with my left hand, weight it, and lower myself until my belayer could grab me and lower me the rest of the way.
I was left with a very sore, swollen wrist and back of my hand and very shaken up. it could have been serious, i was very lucky.
Apart from wanting to share with you my brush with climbing accidents that are not foreseeable, i also wanted peoples opinions on wether you think wearing tape gloves would have made a difference in a situation like this.
My take is that it would have, as the indentations (didn't go away for over 30minutes!) in my skin were where the tape would have been, therefore making my hand less likely to slip lower into the crack (tape is a lot less giving/slippery than skin), and also easier to wrench out if it does get stuck, as you are not going to be ripping flesh in the process.
any thoughts?
I am also pretty new to crack climbing, so realise that technique may be a factor in this occurring as well, but I'm sure i am not the first for this to happen to!
|
|
|
|
|
braon
Oct 9, 2003, 5:29 AM
Post #2 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 4, 2003
Posts: 154
|
Glad to hear that you didn't get hurt. That would definately have caused problems for your extended climbing trip.
I'm going to vote that technique is more a factor in what happened than lack of tape. Unless I'm planning on climbing miles of cracks for days on end, I usually don't tape at all. I prefer the feel of having free hands. In my experience, tape has saved my hands from being rubbed raw from repeated friction on the same spots. If you like the feel of taping, do it. If not, don't. Just be sure to practice different jams. That's what'll keep you from getting your hands stuck.
|
|
|
|
|
squish
Oct 9, 2003, 5:57 AM
Post #3 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 2, 2003
Posts: 470
|
In reply to: I'm going to vote that technique is more a factor in what happened than lack of tape.
Tape isn't going to prevent you from getting stuck. On the contrary, I can see it getting snagged on rock crystals and being a more sticky problem than bare skin. Mostly tape is for protection and comfort on abrasive rock.
|
|
|
|
|
jsj42
Oct 9, 2003, 6:54 AM
Post #4 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 24, 2002
Posts: 374
|
In reply to: I was at Boulder Canyon, Cob Rock, leading Huston crack, 5.8, and i got my arm stuck in the crack ... no matter what i did it was not budging at all
Tee hee! That IS funny!
You should have tried taking your shoe off and throwing it at your belayer. That usually works for me in situations like these. :shock:
|
|
|
|
|
dymondbak37
Oct 9, 2003, 12:08 PM
Post #5 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 212
|
"Brandon
"To start press any key ... hey ... where's the anykey???" Homer Simpson"
I'm sorry but I have to. The quote is "to begin, press any key...hmm...where's the any key, I see esc, ctrl pgup. There doesn't seem to be any anykey!"
|
|
|
|
|
scallywag
Oct 9, 2003, 6:11 PM
Post #6 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 13, 2003
Posts: 324
|
In reply to: Tee hee! That IS funny! You should have tried taking your shoe off and throwing it at your belayer. That usually works for me in situations like these. :shock:
:P well maybe i would have if it was you Josh!
Ok, so i have bad technique. thanx.
:cry:
no really, i think this is all true, i just hope i don't have any more close calls while improving! - or else I'll head back to australia where there are no cracks! hahaha!
|
|
|
|
|
bxt
Oct 9, 2003, 6:47 PM
Post #7 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 10, 2003
Posts: 33
|
I agree that it's more a function of technique than tape. One way to think of this is that it's similar to over-caming a SLCD-- if you slot your hand, fist, etc in a crack that doesn't require some form of a caming action of your hand/etc you're more likely to get it stuck.
The other alternative is to have a more passive jam (like a nut placement) which are more likely to get stuck (not that it always will). Fist jams seem the hardest to deal with since its difficult to create any sort of caming action.
In general, it's important to consider how you're going to remove a jam when you put it in to begin with.... yes more to think about.
Well, just my 0.02- I'm sure others are different.
|
|
|
|
|
jsj42
Oct 9, 2003, 11:17 PM
Post #8 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 24, 2002
Posts: 374
|
[quote="scallywag"]In reply to: well maybe i would have if it was you Josh! i just hope i don't have any more close calls while improving!
Remind me to tell you the story of my, oh, fifth attempt at Country Club Crack in Boulder Canyon. I had a similar problem that was only solved by much cussing and a projectile climbing shoe.
I learned to crack climb by watching every one of Jared Ogden's video clips on www.climbingmotion.com. I highly recommend it, but the truth is, no amount of theory or explanation will replace just getting out there and putting in mileage.
I was talking about you to a friend of mine this week and I don't think you have anything to worry about in terms of improving. You're a really talented and solid climber, and I would not at all be surprised if you were conducting clinics on how to crack climb before long.
And don't worry, Huston is known to be a big sandbag :wink:
|
|
|
|
|
braon
Oct 9, 2003, 11:25 PM
Post #9 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 4, 2003
Posts: 154
|
In reply to: "Brandon "To start press any key ... hey ... where's the anykey???" Homer Simpson" I'm sorry but I have to. The quote is "to begin, press any key...hmm...where's the any key, I see esc, ctrl pgup. There doesn't seem to be any anykey!"
Yeah, but I had to paraphrase to fit it as a signature. Good to know there are other Simpsons fans out there though. :D
|
|
|
|
|
takeme
Oct 10, 2003, 1:12 AM
Post #10 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 7, 2003
Posts: 367
|
[quote="jsj42"]In reply to: In reply to: well maybe i would have if it was you Josh! i just hope i don't have any more close calls while improving! Remind me to tell you the story of my, oh, fifth attempt at Country Club Crack in Boulder Canyon. I had a similar problem that was only solved by much cussing and a projectile climbing shoe.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm........
|
|
|
|
|
scallywag
Oct 28, 2003, 9:33 PM
Post #11 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 13, 2003
Posts: 324
|
Woo Hoo, just spent a week at J Tree and feel like i have really improved my crack climbing. it is definitely an art!
I must admit, i was a little nervous about it (i STILL have a mark on my wrist!) but i made sure i didn't sink my fists too deep and they were not mega jammed, just enough to hold, and not only did they come straight out, but they hurt a lot less too!
thanxs guys! :D
Actually, my first 5.9 trad (i have ever) attempted was Room to Shroom - fist crack. no worries. :D
verdict - Its best to get as many pointers as possible while learning how to crack climb or else be prepared to get into some 'tight' situations by being over zealous with your efforts.
|
|
|
|
|
climb_plastic
Oct 29, 2003, 7:34 AM
Post #12 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 24, 2003
Posts: 706
|
I think using tape is equivalent to using those Madrock finger thingys.
|
|
|
|
|
overlord
Oct 29, 2003, 12:59 PM
Post #13 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14120
|
In reply to: I think using tape is equivalent to using those Madrock finger thingys.
nope it isnt. the tape has less traction than skin, so you actually lower your ability and it has less feel. the only reason people use tape gloves is baceuse when climbing craks it help in not getting your hans all messe up. not to meniton taping nasty flappers.
|
|
|
|
|
camhead
Oct 29, 2003, 3:12 PM
Post #14 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 10, 2001
Posts: 20939
|
yup, once your technique gets better, you won't get stuck so much.
proper jamming is not about brutally torquing your appendages, grinning at the pain, and dabbing your chalkball onto the bleeding wound after the climb. it is about finding the bare minimum amount of force necessary to keep you on the rock– just a tiny little tweak or flex in your hand as you lightly dance up the crack.
that said, once you have the basic concept of jamming down, get rid of the tape. as overlord said, it only decreases your sensitivity, encouraging you to overtorque your hands and get stuck even more. With the exception of really rough granite like Vedawou's, I never tape up.
|
|
|
|
|
climb_plastic
Oct 29, 2003, 4:25 PM
Post #15 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 24, 2003
Posts: 706
|
In reply to: the tape has less traction than skin, so you actually lower your ability and it has less feel. the only reason people use tape gloves is baceuse when climbing craks it help in not getting your hans all messe up. not to meniton taping nasty flappers.
I don't think so. Some people can't climb cracks unless they use tape, it sure helps me alot. There are cracks that I couldn't do and when I taped up I did them.
|
|
|
|
|
overlord
Oct 29, 2003, 4:28 PM
Post #16 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 14120
|
i mean physical ability of skin to stick to rock. offcourse you can climb better when you tape up because the psychological dimension of fear of tearing up your skin is removed.
|
|
|
|
|
climb_plastic
Oct 29, 2003, 5:01 PM
Post #17 of 17
(2537 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 24, 2003
Posts: 706
|
In reply to: i mean physical ability of skin to stick to rock. offcourse you can climb better when you tape up because the psychological dimension of fear of tearing up your skin is removed.
Yeah, I guess it does that. I think it does more though because you can jam your hand harder. When I first tried it I couldn't do it very well but after I taped up it felt much easier. It really felt like I was cheating and I even asked the guy if it was OK he said it's OK because it's accepted. Then he said, "actually it accepted because people say they use it only to prevent skin injury." I thought, "uh huh, so it doesn't help them climb, cause it's sure helping me".
|
|
|
|
|
|
