Reading the WallHands and holds

Palming

V2+

Also called palm press, pressing, support · Hands and holds

You press an open palm against the wall or a volume instead of gripping. The push and skin friction hold you. It is the hand version of smearing [133].

Grade It helps on easy slabs and volume problems from V2. In corners and on steep volumes it becomes necessary around V4.

How to do it

  1. Find a surface you can push into: a volume face, the wall beside you or a dimple.
  2. Chalk your whole hand. Put it flat with the fingers spread [43].
  3. Press through the heel of the hand [179].
  4. Point the fingers so your wrist stays in line with the push. For a push down, point them sideways.
  5. Keep your elbow behind your hand. Straighten the arm as you move.
  6. Push away from where you are going. To move up and left, press down and right [43].
  7. Use the push to take weight off a foot. Then move that foot [179, 180].
A climber from behind, with the right palm pressing on a big volume so the right foot can step up.
Figure 54 The right palm presses down and right on a volume. That frees the right foot to step up.

Common mistakes

  • Pressing with the fingertips instead of the whole palm.
Related
Smearing, Stemming, Volumes, Mantle, Using the thumb
Sources
[43, 133, 179–181]
Referenced from
Hand–foot match, Stemming, Mantle, Sloper, Slab technique, Volumes, Top-outs, Holds, Slab and volumes, Problem 7: Volumes