Warming up properly is one of thebestthings you can do to preventinjurieswhen rock climbing. Your tendons, muscles, and mind will thank you for it. But when you’re climbing outsiderather than hanging onto plastic in the gym, it can be hard to find easy climbs to ramp up on. That’s whywhenever I climb outside, I bring($75).
The Flash Board can behung from tree branches, bolts, or even hooked aroundyourfeetwith the included adjustable cord. Much like a hang board, thisboard imitates common rock holds.The cylindrical design has 13holds, ranging in size from small crimps to 20-millimeter pockets.By flipping the board upside down, you have access to a whole new set ofgrips with different sizes.When I’m first warming up, I start out with the biggest size,lightly weight the board with my body, and transitionslowly from an opento a closed crimp hand position. This gives my body a chance to get the blood flowing,used to crimping again, and psyched for what’s ahead. Once I’ve started to warm up, I move to smaller holds on the board.
At just two pounds, the board is extremely portable,easily fitting inside my Moon bouldering bag. I prefer the feel of wood holds rather than traditional plastic materials, as it’s a little easier on my skin. (Plus, wood holds are biodegradable.) EveryTension productis crafted from locally sourced American hardwoods and is processed and finished in Denver. The $75 price tag may seem steep for a warm-up tool, but your tendons willbe better for it in the long term. Looking to save a little money? Tensionalso sellsFlash Boards with cosmetic defects for $65 .