UKC

Crack climbs for small hands

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 dinodinosaur 16 Jun 2021

I've been discussing this a lot recently and hand size does make a difference on jamming routes. Especially some of the classic grit ones.

We were trying to come up with a list of routes that girly/slight hands can jam and whillans meat fists can't. I find that gold dragons/camalots are perfect hands for me (and my hands aren't that large) whereas my girlfriend gets bomber jams on red to greens. 

The crack in the corner of Laugh Not (HVS 5b) seems to take hand jams for little hands, as does the back of the groove of Mean Feat (HVS 5a) and I've wondered about the initial crack of Valkyrie (HVS 5a) as its red and green cams in the back.

Any thoughts or suggestions? 

 Jon Greengrass 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

20 Foot Crack (S 4b) Is too narrow to get my thumb, climbing it as pure crack rather than using all the face holds is a nice challenge.

 Droyd 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

As someone firmly in the green-red camp, I really enjoyed Beeline (HVS 5b) - even moreso when it came to my partner that day seconding it. 

 MischaHY 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Mad how variable hand jams are. Greens for me is full on ringlocks unless on very steep terrain. 

 C Witter 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

I seem to remember that for me Laugh Not (HVS 5b) went from hand jams to finger jams to laybacking and back to hand jams. I'm not entirely convinced it wouldn't require a mix of techniques for most people, even those with slimmer hands.

Cracked Actor (E2 5c) is definitely one where slimmer fingers would have been useful. Much of the crack is green Alien size. I got a few good finger locks, but for most of it I couldn't get my fingers in the crack and had to climb it as though it were face climbing (crimping the edge of the crack).

One of my greatest (and for onlookers, perhaps most hilarious) defeats was Tufted Crack (E1 5c). I couldn't work out if my hands were too big or too small, but one way or another I just couldn't get a convincing jam! Meanwhile, my (smaller handed) friends swam up it. It is entirely likely, however, that my technique was just not as good as theirs... A rematch will have to be had, one day!

And then, Monolith Crack (HS) is a kind of chimney system that I had to give up on because I was too wide to get into it...!

 tehmarks 16 Jun 2021
In reply to MischaHY:

Do your hands get smaller as the crag gets steeper?

 Becky E 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Bilberry Crack at Bamford is Bilberry Crack (VS 5a)great if you have small fingers. I really enjoyed it, my climbing partner with "sausage fingers" really struggled!

Tufted Crack at Ilkley is also good for small handsTufted Crack (E1 5c)

 MischaHY 16 Jun 2021
In reply to tehmarks:

Nope, just the family jewels...! 

Beyond a certain steepness in a parallel crack, ringlocks are much harder to use especially if they're  a bit baggy. In that situation I'm more likely to go thin hands style thumbs first, or paddle hand style if it's really desperate.

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OP dinodinosaur 16 Jun 2021
In reply to C Witter:

It was the laybacking section we were talking about mostly that she could jam up but you are correct that it does vary in size quite a bit! 

 HannahC 16 Jun 2021
In reply to C Witter:

I definitely jammed the whole of Laugh Not - possibly a mixture of fingers and hands, although it the hand jams are most memorable. But not a layback in sight! It highlight a weakness of mine I hate laybacking on lead... 

 PaulJepson 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

> I've wondered about the initial crack of Valkyrie (HVS 5a) as its red and green cams in the back.

Valkyrie varies in size but I think the crux (the first 4m) would be harder for small hands.

I've not come across many cracks in the UK where they are parallel enough for handsize to change the grade, though cruxes can be easier or harder.  

1
 HannahC 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

The bottom moves of Mascon (E1 5b) were also easier for me as got a sinker hand jam, followed by a green cam where my hand had been rather than using the face holds around crack.  

 C Witter 16 Jun 2021
In reply to HannahC:

> I definitely jammed the whole of Laugh Not - possibly a mixture of fingers and hands, although it the hand jams are most memorable. But not a layback in sight! It highlight a weakness of mine I hate laybacking on lead... 


I bow to your greater jamming technique! I jammed up to the crux, but couldn't find convincing feet/jams to continue through the crux, so ended up laybacking that bit both on lead and then whilst seconding it a second time. I also find it a bit exciting to commit to a section of laybacking - much harder to stop and place gear than if you're jamming!

 HannahC 16 Jun 2021
In reply to C Witter:

Not sure it's entirely good technique the full story is... I got to the crux went to layback and then thought it felt super insecure so promptly reversed back into the jam I had, my feet were skating around but the jam held. At which point I figured that I should really commit to continue jamming up it as they were clearly bomber.      

 janegallwey 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Deadbay Crack (E1 5b) is reds most of the way, very continuous crack climbing on the first half, not many options but to jam it.

 C Witter 16 Jun 2021
In reply to HannahC:

Ha! Sounds like a typical Laugh Not experience! The rock in that corner is amazingly smooth in places. Still sounds like you've better jamming skills than me: I'm not sure I've ever caught myself on a single hand jam!

 Root1 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Thin Hand Special at Kyloe in The Woods fits the bill. It used to be called Thin Finger Special which I prefer. It was mistakenly put in the guide as TFS. It gos at E1.

In reply to dinodinosaur:

I had no idea that Donald Trump was a climber !

2
 Michael Hood 16 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Not jamming, but Millwheel Wall (E1 5b) is finger size dependent in the horizontal breaks - great for small fingers - not so good for those with larger digits ☹

1
 Michael Gordon 17 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

In the latest Climber issue, Mark Reeves mentions GBH (E2 5c) and Neb Direct (E4 6a) in this category.

 Bulls Crack 17 Jun 2021
In reply to C Witter:

I was just thinking of Tufted Crack! I have very narrow hands and had to knuckle jam at one point I dimly remember 

 Ian Parsons 17 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

The crux section of Behemoth in W-c-J involves jamming a rattly fingers crack that might just occasionally accommodate a very slim hand.

Removed User 17 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Laugh Not is more laybacking isn't it?

 laurenzo 17 Jun 2021
In reply to dinodinosaur:

Dexterity (E1 5b) is a good one for me - I can get bomber hand jams in the crux section because of smaller hands, but someone with meatier hands might struggle!

In reply to Removed User:

I certainly don't remember much jamming of any intensity on Laugh Not – more that it was mostly bridging and laying away. Admittedly very hazy memory. All I really remember was quite a tricky traverse right at the top, the trick not being immediately obvious.

Removed User 17 Jun 2021
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

I'm not sure I jammed once on it! |I remember the traverse feeling exciting and requiring some commitment.

I have a fairly good memory of the route as I was cracking to Alan Hinkes who was on the E1 to the left. He had some good banter but was faffing so much I did wonder how he managed get all the 8000ers done!

Post edited at 11:48

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