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Six Basic Finger Grips for Face Climbing

Rock climbing is technically not an easy task for beginners, it needs a lot of training and prior preparation. Beginners are often asked to use grips that are strong and easy for them to move up the wall. Climbing is not just a fact of core strength; it is also associated with multiple techniques to
climb the rock safely and efficiently. There are different types of rock edges available on the climbing wall including rounded, cracks, slopes, sharp edges, pockets, rounded, underlings, and jugs. To overcome a variety of rock edges a climber has to use different grips at different times. He has to take care of his fingers and palms from injuries due to the presence of sharp edges of rock and cracks. Thus, we earlier said rock climbing is not an easy task, it demands prior training. Here we would mention a total of six types of basic finger grips for face climbing. To learn more read this article till the end.

Six Easy and Effective Finger Grips for Rock Climbing
Crimping

Crimping is a kind of grip for an area just big enough to behold with the tip of the fingers. There are a total of three types of crimping that are commonly used by climbers.
 Open Crimp: 

This is a comfortable position for your finger joints to keep them straight. Open crimp grips are used when fingers get enough surface area for contact in slope edges. Open crimp is a position when you hold on a rock and your finger closest to the phalange is kept aligned in a relaxed way. Closed Crimp: It is just like an open crimp but the only difference is that it requires more tension on grasping onto the wall feature. The climber needs to pull his fingers towards the base of the palm to maintain a tighter grip on the wall. You can better use closed hand grips on the smaller surface areas where an open grip does not provide good balance or support.

Full crimp:

Full crimp is the grasping position when you keep your thumb over your index finger. Here the thumb functions as a lock and the extra contact point to boost the pulling power. Full crimp grip is the safest option among all three crimps. A trained climber uses a full crimp grip on tiny cuts, ledges, or incisions on the wall.

Pinch Grip
Pinch A pinching grasp could be applied in an open or closed grip. The thumb is utilized to squeeze the opposite side of the hold. Creases can likewise be utilized when the component is excessively enormous or awkward for you to squeeze. Squeeze grasps are utilized at the ribs of a stone when traveling sideways utilizing side pulls.
 
Pocket Grip
Professional rock climbers use pocket grips with one or more fingers. Fingers need to be placed inside the pocket hole. They generally used middle fingers as it is the strongest among all. But sometimes they use the middle finger, index, and ring fingers for better support. Climbers use pocket grip when there is a small pocket hole in the rock wall. You may use either 1-3 fingers to hold onto the hole as a contact point.

Fist lock or hand jams

Climber secures his hand into the crack and holds it tightly by making a fist to stabilize the position. He does not move after wedging his hand on the opposite surface of the crack because both sides of his hands generate friction with the wall. Fist lock is one of the easiest methods one can use for
some routes which are awkward to grasp or hold. Here you just have to make your hand fist and jam the fist into the wall crack.


Palming or push on the surface
Palming can be a good approach to relax your fingers and use the palm area ( The larger surface area of the hand) to firm up and push yourself up. Palming should be executed on the flat surface of the wall. It is quite similar to step up but with hands not by foot.

Friction Grips
Friction grip is very similar to an open hand grip as it involves draping the open palm over a handhold and using the friction of the palm to hang onto the hold. Climbers generally use friction grips on slab routes. Every climber must learn the friction grip because this approach is essential while climbing dihedrals, bouldering, and aretes. The climber puts his palm on the opposite wall to drive with hands-on one wall and with feet on the opposite wall. It is one of the crucial but underrated finger grips in climbing.
Conclusion
Here we have discussed the basic hand and finger grip techniques that are essential for a rock climber to know before climbing. We hope this information makes you one step closer to mastering the various kinds of climbing finger grips and professional climbing techniques. But before that, we would suggest beginners improve their grip strength with a handgrip strength trainer because each of the climbing techniques requires adequate hand and finger strength. Do not forget to practice injury prevention. If you follow the correct steps, your journey will be safe and joyful.