800m solo on Kjerag: My biggest technique takeaway

As I was once again reminded on my trip up Kjerag, the way you orientate your hand in a jam on wet rock is absolutely crucial to success. I will always try and place my palm on the driest side of the crack, or if the whole crack is wet, against the least slimy side. The reason for this is that your palm against the rock in a hand jam (thin hand / paddle) is where you get the most friction. I will often orientate my hand so that the palm is against the driest side, even if the crack shape suits the hand being placed the other way around.

For example, if I’m placing my right hand in the crack and the left inside wall is the driest, I will place a thumb-up hand jam (even if the crack shape suits a thumb-down jam better). Often, I find that a dry palm in a jam with the "incorrect" orientation will trump a wet palm in a jam with the "correct" orientation!

Like I said, this principle can be used in your everyday jamming whether the rock is dry or wet. Look at the surface of the crack's inner walls: Is one side rougher or more grippy? Is one side slicker? Look to place your palm against the friction and the back of your hand against the slicker side. If you are wearing crack gloves (which you should to protect your skin), you will find that the rubber on the crack gloves often sticks better to slick rock than your skin. And if you want the stickiest rubber on a pair of Crack Gloves, then check out our Master Jam Crack Gloves on our website!

Now, on cracks that aren’t wet, I wouldn’t say this is a hard-and-fast rule—it's more of a consideration. When the crack is dry, reading the crack's shape and orientating your hand to best match the fit will often trump the crack's frictional properties. However, it’s always worth looking and considering

A few other tips for climbing wet, mossy rock:

1. Climb considerably slower than you normally would. Take care to look around for the best possibilities, even if the terrain is easy for you.

2. Climb securely. If there are corners, chimneys, or irregularities in the rock's features to get more body contact (think shoulder, hip, back, head), use them! The climbing might feel harder than the intended sequence of just grabbing and pulling on holds, but slipping is far less likely.

3.Don't shuffle your feet. Try not to take your foot on and off footholds continuously—once it’s placed, keep it firmly on there. Removing it and putting it back always makes it feel worse. This is also why climbing a bit slower really helps (you get foot placements right the first time).

4. Push into the hold. When you stand on a foothold, push into the hold rather than pressing too hard straight down on it. A lot of this comes down to subtle body positioning.

5. Distribute your weight. We’re always told to put as much weight through our feet as possible when climbing. However, when climbing wet rock, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes a foothold might not be good enough to take your full weight, so you have to consciously distribute it elsewhere. The same goes for handholds—if it isn't solid enough to put full force through, find another way to balance the load (either more weight through the feet, or other body parts).

A quick disclaimer: Please don’t climb wet rock on rock types that can suffer permanent damage (like sandstone and other softer rocks). When I talk about climbing wet rock, I’m talking about times and situations when it is appropriate and unavoidable.. Think Norway (where it's impossible to climb anything big without finding some kind of seepage ) or Patagonia, where ice melts directly into cracks.

Anyway, I hope you are jamming comfortably! Don’t forget those shop discounts (the T-shirt sale ends in 1 week).

Happy jamming,

Pete