Finger Load Tracking

Monitor finger stress and prevent injuries with intelligent load tracking.

Overview

Finger load tracking helps you monitor the cumulative stress on your fingers across climbing sessions. Pulley injuries are the most common climbing injury, often caused by overtraining without adequate recovery. Chalky quantifies your finger load so you can make data-driven decisions about rest and training intensity.

Why Track Finger Load?

• Prevent injuries — Pulley injuries can take months to heal
• Optimise training — Know when you're ready for hard sessions vs. when to take it easy
• Understand patterns — See which hold types stress your fingers most
• Informed decisions — Move beyond "feeling tired" to actual data

How Load Score is Calculated

Your finger load score is calculated from several factors:

Route Difficulty

Harder grades generate more finger load. The relationship isn't linear — going from V5 to V6 adds more load than V1 to V2. This reflects how higher grades demand more from your fingers.

Hold Types

Different holds stress your fingers differently:

If you don't specify hold types, Chalky assumes a moderate mix (0.7x multiplier).

Attempts

More attempts = more load. The multiplier increases with attempts but has diminishing returns:

• 1 attempt: 1.0x
• 3 attempts: ~1.3x
• 5 attempts: ~1.6x
• 10+ attempts: ~2.35x (capped)

Self-Reported Intensity

You can optionally rate your perceived intensity (1-10) when logging routes. This adjusts the calculated load — a soft V4 on jugs might feel easier than a sandbagged V3 on crimps.

Logging Hold Types

When creating or editing a route:

1. Open the route form
2. Tap Hold Types to expand the section
3. Select the primary hold types used on the route
4. Optionally adjust the Intensity slider (1-10)

Tips for Accurate Logging

• Focus on crux holds — What did the hardest moves require?
• Consider volume — If a route is 80% jugs but the crux is a crimp, both matter
• Be honest with intensity — If it felt hard, rate it higher
• Don't overthink it — Some data is better than perfect data

Recovery Status

Based on your 7-day cumulative load, Chalky calculates your recovery status:

How Recovery is Calculated

Recovery status considers:

• Cumulative load — Total load score from the past 7 days
• Rest days — Each rest day "heals" approximately 50 points of load
• Load trend — Rapidly increasing load triggers earlier warnings

The recovery status appears on the Statistics screen and updates automatically after each session.

Weekly Load Chart

The Statistics screen shows a chart of your daily finger load over the past week. This helps you:

• Spot patterns — Are you consistently overloading certain days?
• Plan rest — See how your load accumulates through the week
• Track trends — Watch how your sustainable load capacity changes over time

Understanding the Chart

• Daily bars — Total load for that day's sessions
• Colour coding — Matches recovery status thresholds
• Rolling average — See your typical training load

Session Load Summary

After each session, the session stats show:

• Session load score — Total finger load for that session
• Load intensity level — Low, Moderate, High, or Very High
• Top hold types — Which holds dominated the session

This helps you understand how each session contributes to your weekly total.

Load Thresholds Explained

These thresholds are starting points based on typical climber tolerances:

Best Practices

Building a Baseline

When you first start tracking:

1. Log hold types for 2-3 weeks normally
2. Note how different loads feel
3. Adjust your personal thresholds based on experience

Using Load Data

• Before a session — Check recovery status to decide intensity
• During logging — Rate intensity honestly
• After a session — Review session load contribution
• Weekly — Check the load chart for patterns

Responding to Warnings

If you see "Caution" or "Rest Recommended":

• Don't panic — It's guidance, not a diagnosis
• Consider intensity — Maybe climb but avoid hard projecting
• Active recovery — Light climbing can aid recovery
• Listen to your body — Pain means stop, regardless of the score

Limitations

Finger load tracking is a tool, not a doctor:

• Individual variation — Some climbers tolerate more load than others
• Incomplete data — If you don't log hold types, calculations are less accurate
• Can't predict injuries — Helps manage risk, doesn't eliminate it
• Acute vs. chronic — Tracks cumulative load, not acute trauma

Use this data alongside how your body feels. If something hurts, rest — regardless of what the numbers say.

Tips for Injury Prevention

Beyond tracking load:

• Warm up thoroughly — Especially fingers before hard climbing
• Avoid full crimps — Half crimp is usually sufficient and safer
• Progress gradually — Don't jump to harder grades too quickly
• Rest between hard days — Allow 48+ hours between high-load sessions
• Listen to tweaks — Minor pain is a warning, not a challenge