Crack Climbing

The Definitive Guide

304 pages
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 978-1-68051-215-1
Published: Nov 26, 2019

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Description

2020 Banff Mountain Book Competition Winner - Guidebook 2020 National Outdoor Book Awards Honorable Mention - Instructional

Crack climbing is a highly technical form of movement in which climbers position their hands, feet, and even their entire body in cracks to make upward progress on rock. An advocate for the sport’s aesthetic lines, physicality, and technical know-how, author Pete Whittaker teaches more than sixty Crack School Masterclasses each year and was featured in the popular climbing film Wide Boyz. This detailed and comprehensive guide teaches step-by-step techniques and tips, including for:

Jamming (finger, hand, fist, foot, arm, leg, body)
Crack types (chimneys, liebacks, underclings, roof cracks)
How to safely lead and place protection
Efficient positioning and movement
Strength recovery while climbing

Contributors

Details

304 pages
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 978-1-68051-215-1
Published: Nov 26, 2019

Reviews

If there's ever been a definitive guide devoted to one segment of climbing technique, this is exhibit number one. Pete Whittaker is a world class crack climber and he leaves no stone unturned in this excellent instructional book.
— 2020 National Outdoor Book Awards, Instructional Honorable M
Erudite, witty, and himself a master of the medium, Whittaker brings clarity to free climbing’s most complex game. Crack Climbing is the first in its class--a definitive, comprehensive, and entertaining study of the joys and pains of ascending rock fissures in all shapes and sizes. Accompanied by excellent diagrams, inspiring images, and engaging anecdotes from current and historic masters, Crack Climbing offers insight and inspiration to beginners and experts alike.
— Pete Takeda, 2020 Banff Book Competition Jury, Guidebook Winner
Whittaker's new book makes crack climbing accessible. It provides the tools for new crack climbers to understand everything from the fundamentals to expert skills. Advanced crack climbers will likely find new skills and useful tips as well. Whittaker is a master of the subject, and it's clear he put great care into imparting his knowledge into Crack Climbing: The Definitive Guide. The result is a book that deserves a spot on every serious climber's shelf, when he or she isn't pulling it out of their pack at the base of a route.
— Climbing
Crack Climbing: The Definitive Guide lives up to its title as a "must-have"... Packed with practical advice grounded in years of experience, Crack Climbing: The Definitive Guide is thoroughly reader-friendly, easy-to-follow, and encouraging. Highly recommended.
— Midwest Book Review