Tweaking training plan for August crack climbing goals

[stahax]

I completed my first RCTM training cycle in late March this year. It resulted in significant gains, peaking in 10b/10c redpoints at Owens River Gorge. That's good for me, as I got back into climbing in mid-2017 or so, after a long (15 year?) hiatus.

I'm looking ahead now to climbing in Squamish in August this year, with a goal of redpointing a couple 10+ trad crack climbs there, particularly Exasperator Crack (10c). I'd like to get input on adding additional (finger/ringlock) crack-specific training tips to incorporate into all phases of my upcoming training cycle, which I'm starting at the end of this week, 16 weeks out from my trip.

I know the RCTM is skeptical about differences between trad and sport climbing, at least at harder grades, and to some extent minimizes tweaking training plans to address crack-specific goals. However, I'm not there yet - 10c doesn't qualify as a harder grade, and I need all the crack-specific help I can get. So I'm looking to the group for input.

I plan to add the crack-specific workouts below to the standard RCTM workouts:

For Base Fitness, I can add some crack ARCing. I've built a handcrack in my backyard, and I'll add cracks that are fingerlock and finger-size shortly, along with foot jibs for the latter 2 to make them less strenuous and more of an ARC workout. All the cracks are/will be dead vertical, and they're 12 feet tall.

For Strength, I built a crack hangboard a while ago, and I plan to add finger and fingerlock hangboarding to my regular hangboard routine.

For Power, I don't have great ideas yet. I could adjust foot jibs on my backyard cracks to make them more strenuous, and just crank on them to add a crack limit boulder workout (?) Not sure about the best option here.

For Power Endurance, same idea - I can adjust difficulty on my backyard cracks (by changing foot jibs) to approximate a 4 x 4 workout or linked bouldering circuit. It'll be klugey, but better than nothing. I think.

Any ideas about how to optimize this plan to maximize crack strength and endurance? I'm open to suggestions on all facets - the existing plan, how to integrate with the rest of my workout (as I said, I'll still be doing the regular RCTM workouts), and any additional workouts that might be helpful.

[erick]

I am no trad expert but I have spend enough time climbing hard granite to at least know how I would approach it. Others will have much better ideas than me.

I think your on the right track with your crack simulators. In the grade range your talking about my experience is that crack climbing is much more skills than strength dependent. I often find 5.10 cracks to be harder than 5.11 because there is a lot more wide stuff so be prepared for that. No one ever wants to have 3 #4 camalots on their harness so get real comfy climbing that size so you can run it out when you need to. Since I think the 5.10 range is so skill dependent I would not want to use the crack hang board. If your learning the movement on your simulators I think that would be best.

On the HB I would just train your standard grips used in your previous cycles cause the finger strength will translate the same. Also I think there is a lot of experience out there that says hanging from crack grips puts way too much stress on fingers and makes them prone to injury. 

For power, follow the standard model. All the hard trad routes on granite I have done (in the 11+ range so really not that far off from you) tend to be mellow with fun endurance crack systems that lead to a distinct boulder problem, usually at a roof or moving between two crack systems. So Limit Bouldering will actually still suit you very well here.

For PE, if you can get desperately pumped on your simulators then go for it.

[Charlie S]

I'm mostly a trad climber. I've gone through 110 hangboard workouts (so far). I've played with crack simulators, and have spent multiple weeks each year down at Indian Creek. I've climbed (though not cleanly) up to 5.13 cracks.

Crack climbing is a heavy technique style. There is an art and pain tolerance involved. The symphony of jams, gear, and footwork can take a long time to master (I still haven't).

I do zero crack hangboarding. I think you're asking for injury and a waste of time. Crack machines for technique are very useful. (Though friction and rigidity are often very hard to emulate.) I have found that hangboarding on single-to-half pad crimps provides the necessary training stimulus for crack climbing. From there, it's your technique.

Regarding power, it's going to depend on your route. I keep the power phase because I like to work other routes in conjunction with the projects.

For Power Endurance, I'd pick longer circuits on open-handed edges. Mine are usually 40-50 moves on single pad or less sized holds.

Do you have access to outdoor cracks nearby? If you have any way to get to Indian Creek a couple times with another crack guru, I think that'll serve you well.

[stahax]

Charlie and Erick, thanks for the input, it's much appreciated. I'm leaning toward a standard workout supplemented with easy (ARC) and harder (PE) crack machine workouts, along with some judicious circuit choices for PE along the lines Charlie mentioned.

And I do have real cracks nearby. J Tree and Tahquitz are each about 3.5 hours away, but I don't make it out nearly as often as I'd like.