Finger load distribution in different types of climbing grips

When holding small ledges, rock climbers use different types of grips, such as the closed and open crimp grip and the open handgrip. A measurement device consisting of four tri-axial force transducers was developed in this study, which can be mounted on a climbing wall and measures the individual vertical and normal finger forces. The finger load distribution of the three grips was measured in climbers when ascending a route, and the normal and friction forces as well as the coefficient of friction were compared between the four fingers and three grips. In the closed crimp, the normal force of the index finger dominates over all other fingers, followed by the middle, ring and little fingers. In the open crimp and open handgrip, the normal force of the middle finger is the largest, followed by equal forces in index and ring fingers, and the little finger with the smallest normal force. The coefficients of friction in the index finger in closed and open crimps are similar, yet far larger compared to the open handgrip.