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bbjammin23
Nov 28, 2006, 5:04 AM
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I grew up a sport climber and a boulderer in Austin, TX. Recently I tried crack climbing and found it hard to enjoy. What is it that you crack climbers love so much about it?? I guess I find one of the most enjoyable parts of sport and bouldering to be the freedom and feeling of movement the styles provide, which I found non existent in the grovel fests of cracks. Fill me in crack dudes...
(This post was edited by bbjammin23 on Nov 28, 2006, 5:05 AM)
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carabiner96
Nov 28, 2006, 6:36 PM
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I look damn sexy doing it.
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remi
Nov 28, 2006, 6:40 PM
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Once you get the technique dialled in it's luvly! At first it sucks and hurts but eventually you'll love that feeling of a bomber hand jam. Keep at 'er..
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schveety
Nov 28, 2006, 6:54 PM
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The more you practice crack climbing, the more the feeling will become flowing - but don't expect it to ever feel like sport climbing - they're just different. I personally really love crack climbing, and slab and face too, but don't enjoy the pumpy nature of most sport routes - just something I'm not used to - and I hardly find sport or bouldering flowing or fun when I'm falling and flaming out all the time........ I think it's to each his own here, but it makes you a better all around climber if you can do all styles. I watched a sport climber this weekend in Red Rock unable to get up a 12c sport route that would have been downgraded had he actually jammed the crack right in front of his face instead of trying to pinch around it...........
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iamthewallress
Nov 28, 2006, 7:24 PM
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Nothing gives you the same redundant attachment to the rock as crack climbing. There's a reason why most of the harder solos that you hear about tend to be crack routes. Once you've got your technique and strenght pretty dialed, you can get more into the climbing and spend less time worrying about when and where to protect as having all points of attachment fail without warning is less likely than, for example, on a steep slab.
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themadmilkman
Nov 28, 2006, 7:32 PM
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What do I love about my style? Eating a giant greasy hamburger after climbing 2 or 3 VERY easy sport routes. I still can't think of a better way to climb.
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chanceboarder
Nov 28, 2006, 7:37 PM
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Little crimps hurt my fingers more then a finger lock or a hand jam. Plus, if I'm climbing a face route with no crack around me then where can I place my protection? Just say yes to crack! Jason
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matttt
Nov 28, 2006, 7:49 PM
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ever since i started crack climbing i can't get enough. i love the feeling of climbing the most natural weakness on a hunk of rock, nothing is contrived.
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stagg54
Nov 28, 2006, 7:59 PM
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The thing I like about crack climbing is that it is not finger strength intensive, its more about technique, which sticks with you a little longer. If you're forced to take a few weeks off, you can still come back and be fairly close to where you were.
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iamthewallress
Nov 28, 2006, 8:10 PM
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stagg54 wrote: The thing I like about crack climbing is that it is not finger strength intensive, its more about technique, which sticks with you a little longer. If you're forced to take a few weeks off, you can still come back and be fairly close to where you were. Assuming that where you were was on less than vertical cracks that take good feet.
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rico511
Nov 28, 2006, 8:14 PM
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I like the technique of crack climbing but what i enjoy most is being way above your last piece and knowing that if you fall it will hold
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edl
Nov 29, 2006, 7:15 PM
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When you begin to understand crack climbing I think the movement is in fact fun. It is a different feeling, more akin to pulling hard static face moves in that it is body position specific. I find crack climbing to be absorbing and interesting, especially when the cracks are flared and overhanging. In situations where I am not being slapped around, I find crack climbing to flow very nicely. Plus I like the purity of line that few things besides cracks provide. I also like the fact that on crack climbs with walk off descents and gear anchors you are leaving the rock fairly untouched. Keep working on the cracks. They will do things for you that face climbing can't, and the same could be said about face climbing.
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pylonhead
Nov 29, 2006, 8:01 PM
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themadmilkman wrote: What do I love about my style? Eating a giant greasy hamburger after climbing 2 or 3 VERY easy sport routes. I still can't think of a better way to climb. Man, I wish we could still give out trophies.
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al_piner
Nov 30, 2006, 5:15 PM
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Climbing in my banana hammock is what style is all about .
(This post was edited by al_piner on Nov 30, 2006, 5:19 PM)
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organic
Nov 30, 2006, 5:50 PM
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Wow no one for bouldering and sport climbing? I enjoy the strength aspect as well as the gymnastic aspect of bouldering and sport climbing. I have trad climbed plenty and taken my fair share of huge whippers and all it does for me is scare the tar out of me. Sport climbing and bouldering I feel allow me to focus on the climbing and the subtleties of the movements I make.
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gochubug
Nov 30, 2006, 10:35 PM
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I'm not a specialist and like it that way. It means I'll never be as good at any one style as those that specialize in it, but I will be more versatile and I can go have fun on more different types of climbs than those who specialize in cracks or face or boulders. Then there are those wonder climbers who excel at everything..."sigh!"
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ozoneclimber
Nov 30, 2006, 11:43 PM
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To me it's just the difference between running cross country and sprinting 100 meters. Crack climbing is more of a meditative aspect of the sport.
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tallmark515
Dec 1, 2006, 12:17 AM
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i have to try hard to keep myself from making childish jokes each time I hear someone refer to "crack climbing".
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blueeyedclimber
Dec 2, 2006, 4:26 PM
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To climb is to climb all styles. I love crack and I love face, but as someone said before, at least with cracks, you usually have good protection. Some of my favorite climbs are climbs that combine styles.
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angry
Dec 2, 2006, 6:17 PM
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>>I tried crack climbing and found it hard to enjoy. Crack climbing is pointless >> What is it that you crack climbers love so much about it?? Crack climbers are kidding themselves. It's worse than being a garbage man. >>I guess I find one of the most enjoyable parts of sport and bouldering to be the freedom and feeling of movement the styles provide Totally right, there is no freedom here. You are so bound into such tight confines of movement. It's more structured than assembly line work. >>which I found non existent in the grovel fests of cracks. Word >>Fill me in crack dudes... Better yet, lets fill in the cracks.
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david_smithrock
Dec 3, 2006, 1:17 AM
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Being able to climb cracks opens up a huge amount of terrain (alpine, big wall, backcountry, etc.). It's hard to find a true adventure in climbing without climbing cracks, or at least throwing in gear and making a few jams here and there. Also, you have the freedom to see a nice line, get an FA, and go on with the day without too much work. Sport is great too! But if I had to choose one style over the other, it wouldn't be a hard choice.
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crshbrn84
Dec 3, 2006, 3:33 AM
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I have fun thats all that matters to me
(This post was edited by crshbrn84 on Dec 3, 2006, 3:33 AM)
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