Newsletter Archive

Find all our past newsletters with crack climbing knowledge, insights and stories, all in one place

The Biggest Mistake With The Easiest Fix

I was teaching a class at The Castle in London recently, and it reminded me of the single biggest mistake I see almost everyone make when they start crack climbing. It’s an easy mistake and easy to fix, so don’t worry. The Fundamental Mistake Right, that mistake… You know the concept of mak...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

One Mistake Killing Your Ring Locks

Ring locks, eh? They can be frustrating. That small difference in hand position can make a jam go from bomber to completely useless in a split second. But trust me, the frustration you feel when you're trying to get a ring lock is likely down to a simple mistake that almost everyone makes at ...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

What Santa Taught Me About Chimneys

Hello Cracksters Squeeze chimneys… those really really tight ones where you think you’re stuck… they're a whole different animal, aren't they? Today I’m going to tell you: 1. the one thing almost everyone gets wrong at the beginning of their squeeze chimney journey, 2. how to make sure you d...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

Climbing with Janja Garnbret. One thing I learnt

Hello Cracksters A couple of weekends ago, I was invited to the 24-hour climbing marathon by Janja Garnbret. The event was organized to raise money for charity and build community within the climbing space. It was a fantastic couple of days and, from my experience, a great success! I’m luck...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

I Stopped Fearing Offwidths. This Is How.

Hello Cracksters Offwidths…They can feel like a whole different beast. Awkward, grunty, and sometimes just perplexing! Honestly I used to fear them, but that’s purely because I didn’t know how to climb them.Trust me, once I’d (and many of the people that I have taught over the years) mastered...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

I learnt THIS from soloing a big wall

Hello Cracksters A few weeks ago I made a solo ascent (all free) of Blåmann, a wall in the North of Norway. Today I want to give you a few things I learnt (or was reminded of) from completing the project. 1. Crack climbing is your friend in the mountains.This is something I always tell peop...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

The Crucial Element for Your Thin Hand Jams

Hello Cracksters Thin cracks, they can feel impossible, right? But unlocking those narrow features is a total game-changer for your climbing. When I mastered thin hands and paddle hands, it gave me the opportunity to rest in places where that thin part was the crux. It seriously changed my cr...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

3 Secret Weapons for Finger Cracks (You’re Missing One)

Hello Cracksters Feet in fingers cracks…desperate right? But there are 3 techniques I use regularly with my feet in finger cracks that act as secret weapons. They are: 1. Toe Jam 2. Front-On Smearing 3. and the Frogged Position. Here are the key takeaways for making your feet stick like glue ...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

DON’T Be a Crack Climber!!!

Hello Cracksters Crack Climbing and Jamming We use the terms interchangeably, but they are two different things: Crack Climbing: the art of climbing cracks Jamming: The techniques we use to squeeze, expand, twist and rotate body parts in to different features (notice I say ‘differ...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

What the best climbers do that makes them so good?

Hello Cracksters I’m currently on a climbing trip in Norway at Jøssingfjord. For those knowledgeable Cracksters out there, you will know this is where the famous crack climb Recovery Drink is. And also my route Crown Royale, which I did a few years ago. I have been on this trip wi...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

3 game changers I learnt last week

Hello Cracksters I’ve just been on a climbing trip with Tom, to Switzerland (Tom says hi by the way), trying an 8b+ trad line. We’ve had around 5-6 climbing days to get the route done, which for me, at this level on trad is quite tight… So today I’m going to give you 3 things I’ve...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

I struggled with offwidths, until I fixed this!

Hello Cracksters It’s really common to find offwidthing hard. So today I’m going to tell you: The reason for this Why I used to struggle How I fixed it 1. The Reason Let's think of it this way: you wouldn't expect to hop into a car and drive...

by Pete Whittaker — Dec 30, 2025

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