Crack technique?

[cracked]

After flailing my way up the N. ridge of Stuart Sat, Sun, and Mon, I've got a question. I lead both pitches of the Gendarme. The second pitch has a 'fist' section that took a bomber #3.5 Camalot. I tried to fist jam it, but my fists are too large. So the crack was too small for fists, but too big for hands. How the hell do you jam something like this? I ended up laybacking, but I'm really curious what kind of techniques work in this situation.

[thelawgoddess]

was it too big for cupped hands? could you reach in farther and get a jam that way? (i've never climbed it so i wouldn't know.)

[Dru]

cracked said:

After flailing my way up the N. ridge of Stuart Sat, Sun, and Mon, I've got a question. I lead both pitches of the Gendarme. The second pitch has a 'fist' section that took a bomber #3.5 Camalot. I tried to fist jam it, but my fists are too large. So the crack was too small for fists, but too big for hands. How the hell do you jam something like this? I ended up laybacking, but I'm really curious what kind of techniques work in this situation.

 

how dare you call laybacking a "technique"

more like the LACK OF TECHNIQUE

 

[thelawgoddess]

geez, dru! then wtf are all those wannabe "climbers" doing laybacking apron strings?

[Gary_Yngve]

Cupped hands as tlg suggested, or instead of a fistjam where the thumb and pinky are left-right (i.e. equal depth in the crack), rotate the fist so the thumb is closer and the pinky is further. Raise your index and middle fingers out of the way so that your hand can arch, making the fist narrower.

 

Check out the cracks on the slightly-overhanging S-facing wall on the UW Rock. The left one for me goes from good hands to cupped hands, and the one on the right goes from small fists to large fists for me, I believe.

 

Many of the .10a handcracks at Index widen to a fist-jam (at least for me) towards the top.

 

But damn, you must have huge hands! A blue camelot for me is usually where hands end and fists start.

[Bill_Simpkins]

Use a whole role of tape on each hand.

 

Actually, like she said, cup your hands. Cammed hands can work good too. Check out "Advanced Rock Climbing" by Long. A close-finger hand jam(which can hury a bit) could help you, it is a fist jam, but sideways. Or maybe try your forearms.

 

Personally, when it gets that big I use the cammed hands.

[E-rock]

You must have some serious meat-clubs for hands if a 3.5 camalot is tight fists or cups. For most people it would be a crunched down #3 or an open #2.

[cracked]

E-rock said:

You must have some serious meat-clubs for hands if a 3.5 camalot is tight fists or cups. For most people it would be a crunched down #3 or an open #2.

A good #3 is excellent hands for me. A #2 is tight, but still good hands. #3.5 is goes from cups to fists for me.

[E-rock]

I take it you don't like finger cracks!

[eric8]

cracked said:

I ended up laybacking, .

 

sporto

[sk]

Bill_Simpkins said:

Use a whole role of tape on each hand.

 

Actually, like she said, cup your hands. Cammed hands can work good too. Check out "Advanced Rock Climbing" by Long. A close-finger hand jam(which can hury a bit) could help you, it is a fist jam, but sideways. Or maybe try your forearms.

 

Personally, when it gets that big I use the cammed hands.

Me too

[cracked]

eric8 said:

cracked said:

I ended up laybacking, .

 

sporto

Let's see you jam it. You're just jealous, that's all.

[fleblebleb]

He's slapped so many V5 slopers at the gym dynoing from 8 feet beneath, his hands now are the size of ping-pong paddles. It's true, I've seen it!

 

Sporto.

[JayB]

cracked said:

After flailing my way up the N. ridge of Stuart Sat, Sun, and Mon, I've got a question. I lead both pitches of the Gendarme. The second pitch has a 'fist' section that took a bomber #3.5 Camalot. I tried to fist jam it, but my fists are too large. So the crack was too small for fists, but too big for hands. How the hell do you jam something like this? I ended up laybacking, but I'm really curious what kind of techniques work in this situation.

 

Thrutching, swearing, and bleeding.

[iain]

glad to see other people found that section difficult, seemed tenuous to me at times

[thelawgoddess]

tenuous = good.

[glassgowkiss]

glass-pipe and hold your breath as long as you can

[matt_warfield]

Dru said:

 

how dare you call laybacking a "technique"

more like the LACK OF TECHNIQUE

 

haha, like TLG said, some climbs just insist.....try jamming Perry's Layback on Grand Wall.....

 

As far as technique, the good thing about the narrow profile fist jam where knuckles are up and the hand is

arched, is that squeezing the hand gives a very secure jam whereas a cupped hand jam with knuckles and

fingers against the sides of the crack is generally very insecure. Also, jamming deep in the crack can allow a lot

of forarm/elbow contact which gives extra security.

 

 

[cracked]

glassgowkiss said:

glass-pipe and hold your breath as long as you can

 

Um, yeah, I'll try that next time. Thanks.

[thelawgoddess]

matt_warfield said:

whereas a cupped hand jam with knuckles and

fingers against the sides of the crack is generally very insecure.

 

i guess that depends on how cupped! i often find this technique to feel fairly secure. knuckles ... ouch. pain ... good.

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

Leavittation!

 

[fleblebleb]

thelawgoddess said:

knuckles ... ouch. pain ... good.

 

Kaia ... hardass.

[thelawgoddess]

i wish. it's actually kind of soft.

[Dru]

thelawgoddess said:

i wish. it's actually kind of soft.

 

altho kind of scraped up from the sunshine chimney

[bunglehead]

Hand cams: Arm bars: Leavittation: OUCH! But it'll work when nothing else will. Still, ouchies.