In this video we review crack climbing techniques. At first crack climbing can be a painful experience, but as you start to hone in on certain techniques, you’ll find that it can actually be quite fluid and enjoyable.

Below are a few considerations for crack climbing technique:

1. Make sure your shoes are big enough, allowing your toes to be relatively flat—not scrunched and curled as many sport climbers and boulderers advocate.

2. As you place each hand or toe jam, try not to move it from its original position once you have weighted it. New crack climbers scrape lots of skin off the backs of their hands by moving a jam after it is set and weighted—then they get turned off of the discipline because they think it just hurts too much.

3. For toe jams, try to keep your heel low to save your calf muscles. And for hand jams, try to keep your hands angled with fingers higher than the palms. The rest of your body should be lined up as it would be for sport climbing or bouldering—just the hand and foot positions are different.

We hope you found this video helpful. Feel free to comment below with questions or thoughts!

Please remember, climbing is inherently dangerous. Climb at your own risk.