Climbing and Tape
Mar. 2nd, 2008 07:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dagibbsA lot of climbers tape their hands/fingers for different reasons. Sometimes it is to support joints or tendons, sometimes to protect hands as a sort of glove for particular techniques (hand jams in cracks), and sometimes just to deal with skin abrasions or blisters.
I've had kind of mixed feelings about taping. I've decided, though, where my line is: I'll tape for skin protection, but not for joint/tendon support. If I'm climbing so hard that I'm having joint/tendon issues, then I haven't worked my strength up enough, and I need to back off and work up more gradually. Rest, heal, etc. But if I've got a blister or flapper and want to keep climbing, then tape to protect my skin is ok.
I've had kind of mixed feelings about taping. I've decided, though, where my line is: I'll tape for skin protection, but not for joint/tendon support. If I'm climbing so hard that I'm having joint/tendon issues, then I haven't worked my strength up enough, and I need to back off and work up more gradually. Rest, heal, etc. But if I've got a blister or flapper and want to keep climbing, then tape to protect my skin is ok.
