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exposeur
Dec 9, 2004, 6:40 AM
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first off, pretty new to crack climbing. now, when i am working on torquing my fingers in a finger jam (usually thumb down), i find that my hand simply continues to twist, with the knuckles (the ones in both fingers and the hand itself) rolling over each other, such that i cannot get enough torque/friction in order to get a solid jam. this "knuckle stacking" also seems to arise in small fist jams. and it's pretty durn painful if i try to keep twisting/scrunching the knuckles. it seems as though my hands are too flexible, probably due to a weak tendon/ligament condition thing i have.
has anyone else had this problem? does taping help give lateral support? and if so, any beefy taping tips?
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dirtineye
Dec 9, 2004, 6:28 PM
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Sounds like the spots you are trying to finger jam or lock in are too big for your fingers to do that.
You know what a ring jam is? How about a thumb cam? What about opposing thumb and fingers in a push/pull cinfiguration?
All the things I mentioned above basically use squeezing to hold you in the crack, and they are all more comfortable and stable than a standard figner lock if the circumstances allow for them.
One other point that has been made over and over about crack climbing is that you depend largely on your feet to hold your weight. Be sure you are using your feet well, that will take some stress off your hands.
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thegreytradster
Dec 9, 2004, 10:01 PM
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Elementary crack climbing is a kenesthetic mechanical aptitude test, not a test of specific hand strength.
The feet are most important. Many climbers make the error of only using the edge of the crack or nearby face holds in a conventional manner. Learn to jam and cam your toes as well.
At first you will probably have more trouble with geting you feet stuck than geting good jams. (A good reason to practice on a TR or seconding. Backwards falls with a stuck foot can be life changing!). Jam one foot, stem the other, etc. be creative with your footwork.
Practice, practice, practice!
Be patient, feel around and work out what hangs weight from bone and not muscle. Sometimes only fraction of an inch higher or lower / deeper or shallower turns a jam from tenious to bomber. After a while it becomes automatic.
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crackmd
Dec 9, 2004, 10:19 PM
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As stated, footwork is as important to the crackclimber as any other type of climber. Bad jams can often me made usable simply by using good footwork in the crack. It takes tons of mileage on cracks to develop this footwork.
I have found jamming in the thumbs-up position to be less strenuous and more conducive to making upward progress. Thumbs-down jams of any size often feel more solid because of the torque created from twisting into the crack. Thumbs-down is more difficult to climb past and can be more taxing to the forearms. A solid thumbs-up jam can be locked off at the hip greatly increasing one's ability to span past difficult or blank sections of crack. Often times the most tenuous jams must be jammed thumbs-down, but you will be amazed at how much more natural it is if you incorporate more thumbs up jams into your climbing. I remember an old video of Croft soloing the crux 5.11 fingers pitch on the Rostrum exclusively thumbs-up and vowed at that point to incorporate it into my climbing style.
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harihari
Dec 11, 2004, 5:35 PM
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"The thumbs-up hand jam is the Volvo station wagon of crack climbing."
-- Peter Croft
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crackmd
Dec 12, 2004, 6:13 AM
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In reply to: "The thumbs-up hand jam is the Volvo station wagon of crack climbing." -- Peter Croft
I guess I agree with Croft, but Volvo station wagon?
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harihari
Dec 12, 2004, 8:03 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: "The thumbs-up hand jam is the Volvo station wagon of crack climbing." -- Peter Croft I guess I agree with Croft, but Volvo station wagon?
I think he was trying to say solid, reliable etc. Which has been *my* experience with Volvos and thumbs-up handjams. The video of Croft freesolong the Rostrum is called "The Painted Bird", and it has some pretty cool stuff on it-- there's a woman doing a 5.12+ trad route, and she makes it look like 5.2. And Croft, ropeless on an overhanging tips crack 400 meters off the deck, feet smeared onto nothing, is simply astonishing.
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angry
Dec 12, 2004, 8:12 PM
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Everything said above is true, plus, as you do it more, it will hurt less.
Think about this, can you feel your socks when you first put them on? Of course. How about an hour later? Not unless you wiggle your toes. The nerves just stop firing, otherwise you'd have sensory overload. Crack climbing is similar, the nerves just stop sending so many pain impulses.
That's my theory, don't steal it.
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exposeur
Dec 12, 2004, 9:03 PM
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Registered: Nov 10, 2004
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thanks for the tips, guys. i guess there's more finger technique that i just haven't been exposed to yet. and feet, yes, feet. i'm beginning to think that i should just try and get out there with some old rock flea and get some real practice in instead of bitching and trying to figure it out on my own.
i guess i also need to buy an old volvo?
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crackmd
Dec 12, 2004, 10:32 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: In reply to: "The thumbs-up hand jam is the Volvo station wagon of crack climbing." -- Peter Croft I guess I agree with Croft, but Volvo station wagon? I think he was trying to say solid, reliable etc. Which has been *my* experience with Volvos and thumbs-up handjams. The video of Croft freesolong the Rostrum is called "The Painted Bird", and it has some pretty cool stuff on it-- there's a woman doing a 5.12+ trad route, and she makes it look like 5.2. And Croft, ropeless on an overhanging tips crack 400 meters off the deck, feet smeared onto nothing, is simply astonishing.
A couple corrections. The video is called "The Painted Spider". There are two women climbing Astroman which is rated 11c. One of the women actually whips out of the entry moves to the Harding Slot. The crack Croft is soloing is the 5th pitch of the Rostrum which takes most sized fingers very well (i.e. not tips) and is rated 11c; still an astonishing feat! One of the better videos I have seen without the monotonous techno music to detract from the awesome climbing.
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