How to climb finger cracks reddit. So I thought I'd see if anyone else had the same problem.
How to climb finger cracks reddit When you're a crack climber you find yourself looking at cracks all the time, they're everywhere once your eyes are opened! There's a cool finger crack in my car, between the dashboard and the closed door. Sorry for the delay! The surgery was a quick scope - I was fully put out but it took like 20 mins only. I'm planning to start open handing as much as possible when I start climbing again. I don't know how long you've been climbing, but it's always good to try to climb very slowly and statically. But on the other hand (literally and figurativelylol), another one of my fingers was caused from bouldering. It means apply opposing pressure which in climbing mostly translates to body positioning. Ringlock If you have some basic crack climbing technique but are ready to step it up to the next level, you’re ready to learn how to climb a finger crack. Occasionally when I crimp I feel like my fingers are not capable and feel like they are locked up. Super glue kind of works, but you'll have a hard time doing any difficult climbing (fingertip crimps will separate the skin/nail further (tearing the superglue connection), and slopers/pinches will put pressure on the superglue seal (like squeezing a grape). I bet you your crack game would benefit most from standard gym climbing over this next year. the stemming on Grand Illusion or Book of Hate, crazy undercling traversing on Pyromania, etc. The leather welding gloves tend to dry you hands out, and during winter the air gets drier, so it makes the cracking and dry skin worse. I was out of climbing for 7 weeks, and did rehab both before surgery for prep and after surgery. Taping your fingers is not generally considered to take away from the send. somethings better than nothing BUT literally almost no one on this sub needs to be hangboarding as much as they are. Background: I have been bouldering exclusively for a year now, around 3 times a week, 3 hour sessions each. 75 (green) bd cam, where the crack is too wide to just find a constriction to jam a finger or knuckle into but too narrow to get near to a hand jam (can’t get the palm in at all). Crack climbing is climbing the spaces between and inside the rock. The home of Climbing on reddit. Oct 27, 2021 · Look for cracks between buildings and in facades, in your town or city. Using the hangboard with my feet on the ground helps prep my fingers before some easy warm up climbing. I incorporated the 3 finger drag into my climbing as much as possible. Tape will generally reduce friction and make the climb harder (but slightly more comfortable). 20-25 min was the suggested amount of time. 11 and sometimes even 5. Remember your footwork a finger crack with good facial features can be ~5. Focus on hanging/ strengthening your fingers and building up some callouses. It might be helpful to know what particular finger crack it is. 10 votes, 17 comments. Still other holds like slopers and pinches will work that thumb pad and the pads on the palm proper. They make a small incision and work around the tendon. Rule 1: Fill the space efficiently. I also know some people cant do it physiologically but maybe that helps. Try exercises such as light indoor climbing and hangs. Start open handing immediately is my advice, crimp only when you absolutely have to, I fell into the trap of crimping my way through things my first 3 years of climbing and my open hand was absolute garbage, this lead me into a lot of DIP and some PIP issues. For me, a true finger-lock situation is somewhere between a . Hurt to bend my finger for a bit but it's totally fine now. I don't use any kind of tape or lotion or climb on!. Crack climbing is much more technique and pain tolerance, so likely watching and learning more about crack technique would be more beneficial if you dont often climb cracks. If you want specific advice about fist jams and crack climbing in general, this article might be helpful. It’s insane how many bewildered posts people make along the lines of “I listened to you guys and did max hangs and I have v11 fingers now but I still can’t really climb any harder” and sweaty try hard nerds are too egotistical to just acknowledge that hangboarding can Some contexts, this was my second time training crack climbing. I find them ok. I did a particularly tough climbing session once and my forearm tendons were sore the next day. If I'm on a longer trip I am more likely to tape on moderate climbs to save the skin on the back of my hands so I can climb the whole trip pain free. ), so the training for these would likely be different than a technical jamming Finger cracks: When you finger jam in finger cracks, flip your hands over so your index finger is on the bottom. Climbing slopers or crimps won't do this). Personally I use my Skwamas, but there are loads of shoes that work well for finger cracks, air tommies just aren't among them. I was climbing this really crimpy problem yesterday, when I was locking off two-fingers and my fingers cracked/popped. Your knuckles act like nuts, wedging into constrictions. The mythos are well known. . This is a hard skill to master and can feel somewhat tenuous but will be vital when trying a size that climbers call “rattly fingers”. com To get your index and middle finger into the crack try placing your fingers in with your hand in a thumb-down position. The muscle and dexterity of my finger is nonexistent, it hurts to flex my fingers even slightly. Gym cracks are generally miserable, slimy (chalk + sweat), and full of MRSA, avoid them if possible. Over the course of a long day they stretch too much on me. Use your fingers more and leave your palm out of the equation, unless it’s a push/ outward compression move. I taped up my finger tips this weekend while working an outdoor climb on razor sharp incut crimps. At 5. And besides, hard crack routes demand similar movement and strength as difficult sport routes. 10 (like the top of this climb) or less, but an overhung finger crack with poor feet can be 5. 2. 4M subscribers in the climbing community. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. I know it’s a lot to learn, but you may find that crack climbing is your jam! Jamming. Super thin cracks are often difficult to protect as well as climb. If I'm crack climbing in The New I am way less likely to tape than if I am crack climbing in The Red. Made the climb harder but gave me more attempts. Left hand thumbs down in the crack, made a dynamic move with my right hand to a jug and missed. I’ve also heard of people sandpapering their fingers, but have no idea what the utility of that is, or what the biology behind any of this is. The first time I could hardly get above 6-7ft and was really stoked about getting as far as I did. Put lotion on, then nitrile exam gloves, then welding gloves. I find hard, thin cracks and steep face climbing in the Valley difficult with them. The toe box is too thick. See full list on climbing. Active recovery: Don't rest for too long because that will weaken your fingers when you get back to climb. EDIT: I've been talking to other climbers and they say that this type of injury is common. I fell and over-torqued my left index finger. Keep it slow, do a couple each climbing sesh, don't go too fast. For cracks that are slightly wider than your fingers, a technique called the ring-lock can be used. Here's my recommendation but firstly don't climb until your hands are very close to be healed: Practice not moving your hands around so much when you're on a hold. If the crack is too small to fit those fingers, turn your hand thumb up and insert your pinkie and ring finger. You'll see pros wear TCs on 5. Kind of hurts to clench my hand. I also think it has to do with climbing technique. I have found that sometimes my fingers are stiff without popping them when climbing or hanging. In this vid These cracks accept only the tips of your fingers. I hurt myself in a finger lock once by falling on it. But I climb around the same volume/intensity as you, and even though I just send my hardest outdoor climb ever, until I'm fully warmed up recently my fingers feel a little tweaky. Just recently I was bouldering, my arms gave up on a difficult course, and I slipped, with that my calluses on my palms got caught and ripped off. You can toe jam in blank corners, with proper footwear. I go climbing twice a week which I feel is the sweet spot. It swelled up for a few weeks and I joked I now had a finger perfect for 0. Look out for constrictions that you may be able to slot a pinky finger in and smear or edge your feet off the crack. It’s definitely removable. Apr 13, 2022 · The cake of finger cracks; put your fingers straight in and drop them down, slotting them in the crack so they sink in to the second or third knuckles. A lot of people climb with pinkies on bottom when first finger crack climbing. I've been climbing 2-3 times a week in 1. People saying that crack climbing is harder than sport climbing at a given grade generally just aren't good crack climbers. Another tip is just to not over climb. However, I’d (personally) put bouldering on hold for a while. It takes time to learn this though Most cracks have ripples or constrictions, even subtle ones, that make jams and feet a lot easier than two planks of wood. Take them off every few hours, wash and dry you hands, then do it again. My advice is to climb more often for shorter periods of time and just wait it out, even if it doesn't seem to improve at all. It does go away once I start climbing, but I don't feel great that its there at all. 5s. Despite the fact that you mention sport climbing > bouldering in terms of safety, sport climbing actually led to one of my aggravated fingers. I just held off climbing for a week and a half, and then limited myself from climbing anything above 5. When you feel skin starting to wear down, stop before the flapper, at switch to crimpy climbs or stuff where you can climb with a lot of control and not swing around on (it's the repositioning or swinging on juggy holds that usually rips flappers. Suck at smearing. On the other hand, climbing things like pockety limestone will expose different hand areas to the rock. 2) Climbing open hand (3 finger drag): This is probably the second breakthrough I had with my synovitis and really helped me understand WHY I had it in the first place. Crack Climbing. I also like to keep my climbing days spread apart so my hands have time to recover. Now, it's gone, I don't think about how many fingers I have on, etc. I compulsively crack every joint in my fingers when I'm nervous, even the tips, which I do with sideways torque. Finger cracks are sick, amazing, and some of the best cracks to climb. I’ve also been doing finger rolls after every session, 5 sets of 20 reps. 11a) on the Wingate Sandstone at Indian Creek, Utah. At the level you're climbing at now and looking to climb, technique is 95% of your success so don't worry about training, worry about getting better at reading and climbing cracks of all sizes. I do, and I overdo it. 13 or harder. (they don't cover fingers, but I imagine if they work for fist/hand cracks, they'll help you solve the puzzle for fingers. People climb and whip on finger cracks everyday around the world and statistically the rate of that happening is 0%. I pop my knuckles every 5-10 minutes, in three places per fingers. if you start slowly, take good and easy holds on the handboard and start with 70% of your bodyweight (your feed wont even loose grip to the floor in the whole session), then it will boost your climbing even as a newbie! Feb 9, 2020 · RING-LOCKS. I always thought it was okay but one day I started to get pulley pain without even climbing. They edge well, great for cracks, and are comfy enough for long days. Sometimes you will use the crack purely for protection and climb on face holds around it. Oct 18, 2024 · How to start crack climbing. This dude is climbing a crack, which requires its own particular set of techniques where you jam your hands, fingers and toes into the crack and then squeeze or twist them to generate outwards force on the rock to hold you in place. Reply reply In all seriousness, like all climbing, time and technique will assist to reduce the damage of crack/off-width climbing. And the more you climb cracks, the better you'll get at them, so I wouldn't worry too much about it yet. Hi all, firstly, I am aware that it is better to consult a physiotherapist but it's quite hard to find one who specialises in finger/climbing-related injuries. Had my left hand in a finger crack while I was reaching for a crimp with the right and I miss my next foot, putting most of my weight on the left jam. Rhino skin repair is brilliant, haven't had splits in my finger cracks since using. Crack is mostly a matter of technique, which you have - now you have the opportunity to address the physical side of things. This way you're getting the most solid jam with your largest and strongest fingers. This happened to me on my first time too. So I figured, better stop it - it doesn't seem to have any advantages, so worst case stopping It does nothing. Also don't crack your knuckles, lol. A good way to do this is by not making any noise with your feet. When jamming, climbers position their hands, feet, fingers, and sometimes entire body inside crack features to scale routes. More than often you don’t need your palm on the hold. I heard David McLeod saying something about 3 finger drag being nice on finger joints or something (can't quite remember now), but I decided to try it. At week 7 I was a bit stiffer than the doc wanted, but I was able to go back to climbing and was fully back probably by week 12 or so. The crack is a on vertical wall, starts out with thin hands then slowly widens to about perfect hands and at the top is fairly wide. Now my two fingers are really sore, most likely cannot climb. What is the process of learning crack… ocun crack gloves. The 3rd pad gets more action, and 2-3 finger pockets will wear or cut the sides of your fingers, between them, even. Additionally, there are a million different products (climb on, rhino skin, all the half empty lotion bottles under my sink) that you can use. Rotate your hand so that your fingers press against one wall while your thumb presses against the other. This isn't a 100% of the time thing, either, but most of the time. And yes we are scared of falling. Had this happen in August while at the City of Rocks. 5 (purple) bd cam and a . Then, after the gym, make sure you really wash the chalk out from your nail beds and under your nails - that shit really dries out your nails and skin. If I am climbing a hard crack that is bigger than fingers I'm more likely to tape. Photo by Mike Hutton. How to do it: Slide your fingers into the crack, reaching the second or third knuckle. At least till your month post op appointment. While crack machines do exist, I dont think they're quite as common in small finger sizes, but still probably doable. Reply reply More replies More replies hey all, last month i built a crack machine to facilitate some kind of training at home. I suspect it will be some combination of dryfit and leather punched with airholes. It takes very little muscle engagement, and you feel like you could hang on forever. This is good climbing form anyway and will help you conserve energy. 9 trad for the next month. What to do when you get a flapper from rock climbing. Also, I roll the dry on my tips the day before I go outside. the problem with hangboard and newbies is: you can do pretty bad stuff easily. To begin your crack climbing journey, you must first learn the different techniques. LS does not make the Tradmasters anymore, but I like them quite a bit. 13 around here (California), many finger cracks aren't "pure" crack climbing and involve more face moves (Broken Arrow) or other "circus tricks" (i. Then, when I got to the point where I knew I'd need to do 3 finger drag holds, I started using the biggest campus board edge, feet on, doing 3 finger drags, and slowly lowering more and more weight onto that hand. I don't know anything about crack climbing, but I can boulder most V5's at my gym. I’ve used superglue to help heal deep splits on my fingers, cracked nails or sometimes if I’ve cracked off part of my nail. Used for thin cracks (under an inch wide), finger jamming requires precise placement and finger strength. moisturize after climbing wrap open wounds on your fingers with medical tape while climbing practice strong, well placed initial grips so you don't move your hands around much on the holds. It was located on the base joint of my middle finger. I don’t really want to stop climbing, unless there’s a consensus that this is an actual injury that will actually heal over time if I stop climbing. Even if there is no pain now, it will likely develop into pain if you keep climbing hard on slopers. Small things like feeling how to spread your fingers, layering your palms and fists correctly during jams, the right angle and amount of torque so your shoes take as much of the brunt as possible during laybacks. this is both because in the future i plan to focus more on trad than sport climbing, and because i don't have the money nor space nor time for a woody and a bunch of holds like apparently the rest of the world does, but did have $100 to buy some 2x12's, a couple 2x6's, and some sandpaper and lags lol. Wild country produced a well made video series that goes into a some of the techniques for the different sized cracks out there: Finger Cracks; Hand Cracks; Fist Cracks; Offwidth Cracks; Gear Placement Strategies; Making a Tape Glove; A poster on SummitPost created a guide to crack climbing size strategy and protection sizes Now I can climb all day and not have any lasting fingertip pain. and thats bad for your fingers. I’ve found that superglue usually lasts longer than liquid bandaids and is less expensive. Also, for goodness sake, don't go climbing the day before a rehearsal. I started incorporating a slow warm up. etc. My superglue tip: you can apply a layer, let it dry and then sand it so it’s smooth. i sometimes put my thumb ontop of my index which helps me put more pressure on it. 5-2h minutes long sessions, pretty much completely obliterating my fingertips during each session and at some point it just stopped being a problem at all. 8 sport and 5. In terms of fingers, if it hurts to crack your middle knuckles, especially pressing your finger against your palm, you should be weary about crimping hard. Friction has felt better on rock and also I've been able to climb longer without wearing down my skin so much. Finger Jamming. Way better than tape, and do not rely on adhesive, and reusable. It was super weak at first. Do not bend the finger from side to side. So I thought I'd see if anyone else had the same problem. It provides temporary comfort but will worsen it long-term Warm-up thoroughly before you climb. After I pop my fingers they loosen up and I’m able to crimp again. I always put moisturizer on my hands 2 hours before I climb, gives them time to soak it up, get some stretch and elasticity in them without my hands being too sweaty and balmy. 1. So, with all jams, you should try to fill those spaces as efficiently as possible. ClimbingJunkie Posted by u/Unique_Positive1705 - 1,078 votes and 67 comments Jan 22, 2020 · Martin Kocsis climbing the immaculate thin hands and finger crack of Scarface (5. not a crack like some people here but i think i fairly good finger strenght. When a finger crack starts to get a little wider, try what's called a ringlock to make a secure jam. It was hurting me and I still continued to climb for a total of something like 4/5 hours. e. 12 finger cracks, but watch them climb finger cracks that are hard for them and they never wear TCs, but usually some thin toe sport shoe. dawtm sllw wydo aovqzqs vlje rewycs izmhc beqpelw eojlqw ecnb