The Secret to Crack Climbing Mindset

Hey Cracksters,

Ever wondered why a climber who can crush f8a suddenly feels like a total beginner the moment they stick their hand in a crack? It’s a phenomenon we see all the time, and it usually leads to a lot of frustration (and some sore skin).

Today, I want to talk about the "Mindset Gap" and how your expectations might be the very thing holding you back.

When you first started ‘normal’ climbing, you probably accepted the "suffering." Your skin was thin, you potentially got flappers (gobies) on your finger pads, and your forearms gave out after three moves. You didn't mind because you were a beginner—it was part of the process and expected

The problem starts when you’ve been climbing for a few years and then decide to try cracks.

You expect your body to have the same tolerance it has for crimps, pinches or a 2 hour bouldering session. Wrong. Crack climbing is a completely different skill set requiring different ways to twist, move, and load your body. Your body is going to hurt in places you didn't know existed.

It’s not necessarily that crack climbing is "more painful" than your first year of climbing; it’s just that your expectations have shifted. You think you should be able to last two hours, but in reality, your "crack fitness" is back at zero.

Even the Best Feel It

I saw this firsthand when I coached Janja Garnbret—literally one of the strongest and fittest climbers on the planet. Even though we didn't do a massive volume of crack climbing in our coaching session together, she was completely exhausted afterward. Why? Because it was a new stimulus.

If I haven’t been in Tom’s cellar for a few months, my first session back is a wake-up call. My feet lose their tolerance for jamming and I fatigue way quicker. Just the other day, I had a go on a concrete bridge and the skin on my palms couldn’t handle more than two laps—simply because my body wasn't "warmed into" that specific friction.

It doesn’t mean bridge jamming is inherently more painful than "normal" climbing; it just means my skin had adapted to pulling on crimps recently. My fingertips were tough, but my palms were soft. We are specialized machines, and when you change the input, you have to expect a period of recalibration.

My Advice

1. Lower the Volume: When you start (or restart) crack climbing, keep the sessions short.

2. Stop Before You Break: Don't wait until your skin is gone or your feet are throbbing.

3. Adjust Your Ego: Remember those first-ever sessions at the climbing gym? That’s where you are with cracks. Embrace being a beginner again.

Crack climbing isn't about being tough and battling through pain—it's about understanding that your perception of what you should be able to manage is just a mental hurdle. Lower the expectations, and the progress will come much faster.

Happy Jamming

Pete