Sandstone Crack-climbing

A crack is an obvious challenge. Challenge which needs lot of courage, sweat and pain. You can make it by a solid hand-jam, clenched fists, powerful off-width technique or made-of-steel fingers. Don't forget strong legs, those are very important.

For someone even one move in a crack can be equal to a bloody hell, for others it can be a paradise with naughty angels playing sweet melodies on the strung tapes.

Crimson Knuckles (VIIIc), Prachov Rocks, Czech Paradise, Czech Republic

Sandstone crack climbing paradise or hell is with no doubt Adr. Smoothly stark towers crossed by non-compromising lines of cracks look like relentless thugs. Guys who icily look you up and down keeping a stiff upper lip. But if you are too cheeky they jump at you and start beating you with their rough fists. Victims of this brutal attack – in the better case – come out of it with bleeding hands, arms, legs and time to time head. In the worse case they have to see a doctor. But every time when you manage to win you have a feeling of the merry joy in your soul. The joy of forests, wind, clouds on the sky, sand at the bottom of the rock, tired friend's hand-shake, women's curve and mostly the joy of the foamy pint of the goodness which is probably impossible to tire of.

But a path to this cheerful victory is not easy. It takes a lot of suffering, pain, blood and full commitment. Time to time it's needed to admit a loss and back out with strong language, because mangled up show-off can hardly pick up enough courage for the next try.

But after a time of discovering the right fight tactics, tricks and cunning twists the mystery of those grinning lines starts to be clear. Rough mill-wheels of the earlier infernal cracks starts more look like honey lips of gorgeous young ladies who are available only to the insistent fighters. But be careful – time to time those ladies like to suck a fresh blood of obtrusive tough guys.

Crack climbing wisdom doesn't fall from the sky onto just anybody, but theoretic crack climber falls offten. That's why in those magical rock features you need to shake, sweat, rub, swear, snort, get tired, fight as a tiger or roar as a lion.

I think that those who got discourage by the first scratch or burning pain have to feel they have deprived themselves of the large part of the climbing heaven, which is as crossed by cracks as pumped hands are by swelled veins.

It's never too late. You just need to get some courage, cope with the sight of your own blood and slowly start to dip your hands, arms and legs into the magical darkness of the crack verticals, diagonals and horizontals.