UKC

Hi, 

I've been climbing regularly two years but as im weak on steeps ive been upping the angle, but can only hold the jugs. Iwant to train endurance but my hand skin pinches and gets sore before I've been on the wall long enough. Every session I get new callouses at the top of my palm, and the pads between the knuckle and lower finger joint. Tips are fine.

The obvious solution would be open handed / smaller holds to change the grip but I'm not strong enough to stay on the wall for more than a few moves. I'm working on careful hand placement and pushing through feet/pulling with feet/core, and using body position to save energy but still hurts. I avoid dynos for the same reason. 

Any other suggestions for the pain of pinched pads? Is this a right of passage learning to pass vertical? Should i stop worrying abiut length of time on the wall and do 3 or 4 moves of the crimpy circuit instead? I'm at a bit of a loss how to train endurance if its the jugs / steepness combo that's causing this. 

Thanks! 

If you're trying to get better on steep stuff after being primarily a vertical/slabby climber, I'd think the major weakness at first is going to be strength, rather than endurance. You need to be able to hold onto the wall before you can endure anything!

(Unless you're specifically training for a route which is a very long steep jug-haul, I guess.)

Basically, yup! Steep bouldering is your friend. But it'll make more demands on your finger strength (and tendons), so maybe avoid the all-crimps stuff, and look for problems that aren't juggy but have a range of hold types.

Thanks! Yes love a slab!

I guess you always hear strength isn't everything and so ive been prioritising technique and endurance but strength enough to actually hold the wall is prob necessary!

Any advice for training strength on steeps? my local boulder centre the only past-vertical problems are all waaaay past my ability unless jug hauls, i can't hold the first move so just bouldering more doesnt really work? 

To an extent it is a right of passage, I suppose that hanging all my weight on one hand is little different to someone of a similar weight to me standing on my fingers, I don' t know anyone that would do that voluntarily.. 

I also find climbing on juggy holds painful, more so than half pad crimps. I use a nail file or sandpaper to thin my callouses and also a lanolin based cream to keep the soft which helps avoid cracks, splits and pinching.

When climbing steep terrain on jugs I concentrate on  avoiding overgripping and avoiding a fully closed grip that can cause pinching, whenever possible I prefer to  use a more open hand grip on 1st and 2nd pads.

Training is all about specificity, If I wanted  to improve my endurance for swinging around on steep terrain using jugs  then I would do lots of swinging around on jugs on steep terrain. But I much prefer technically difficult style climbing so I just accept that I am not able climb on such steep terrain and focus my time on  climbing problems that are challenging enough on a lesser angle when climbed on slopers and small edges.

Are you a member of a gym or does your bouldering centre have one?  There are exercises you can do in there that won’t knacker your hands but help you build that stamina and strength you’re looking for.

Either speak to a personal trainer (a climbing one would be best) or there’s plenty of info online about what is beneficial. 
 

Although I always say that the best training for climbing is to do more climbing, if you’re limited by the state of your hands maybe a bit of gym work on the days when you wouldn’t be able to climb would be beneficial.

Thanks for the tips guys, appreciate it. I want to be a better all round climber, the outdoor stuff near me is long, steep and crimpy - and my strengths lie in balancey, slabby shouldery routes! Determined to break past 6a this year!

I'll try all the tips above. Cant afford a gym membership but will youtube some finger strengthening exercises! 

I think a lot of this issue (specifically tearing and/or pinching the skin at the top of the palm) for inexperienced climbers is moving too dynamically.  essentially what you are probably doing is griping the hold, and then rotating your grip on the edge of the jugs as your feet cut free etc. (Some of this is inevitable as you move past the holds, but I think a lot of it is down to core strength and technique)

I think concentrating on trying to be more static in your movements, try  "hovering a hand near a hold for a few seconds before grabbing it" exercises to get you to think more about balance etc. You shouldn't need to snatch for holds. think also about making one hand placement and keeping it there (rather than adjusting as you move) again not always possible, but something to think about (same for feet)