Alpinism as a discipline requires a unique kind of physical fitness and mental fortitude that typical training cannot deliver. We are not building muscles to see our mass grow and we are not training in adverse conditions so we can have a story to tell our friends at the bar. We do these things because our unique discipline requires them. At the base level of athleticism for alpinism is what I call OFF THE COUCH (OTC) fitness. It is the level we know we are capable of at any moment given our standard level of fitness, prowess and experience.
Archives for March 2017
Wear Tape Gloves
Taping the backs of your hands makes crack climbing faster, more protected, and insulates the hands from cold and wet rock. These benefits of taping up are obvious and should have you sold on using tape gloves. The only exception to them would be on a sustained thin-hands crack, where you’ll be wishing your hands were narrower. We’ve tasked CAMP athlete Blake Herrington, the human multi-tool, to create a list of other things tape is good for on big rock routes and in the alpine.
