Outdoor Research Splitter II Crack Climbing Gloves Review
If you’ve never crack climbed before, the feeling of jamming your fingers, hands, feet and other body parts between two rocks seems a little daunting. Especially when the one hand crack you tried in the gym resulted in cuts and bruises across your knuckles and little progression to show for it.
For those well-versed in the dark arts of crack climbing, there is a secret weapon – crack climbing gloves – and Outdoor Research have designed the Splitter II for durable hand protection while jamming and pulling up demanding cracks.
On a recent trip to Frog’s Buttress, we tasked trad climber and K2 team member, Geneviève with testing them out.
Here’s an outline of what’s covered in this blog post.
Jump to:
If you’ve never crack climbed before, the feeling of jamming your fingers, hands, feet and other body parts between two rocks seems a little daunting. Especially when the one hand crack you tried in the gym resulted in cuts and bruises across your knuckles and little progression to show for it.
For those well-versed in the dark arts of crack climbing, there is a secret weapon – crack climbing gloves – and Outdoor Research have designed the Splitter II for durable hand protection while jamming and pulling up demanding cracks.
On a recent trip to Frog’s Buttress, we tasked trad climber and K2 team member, Geneviève with testing them out.
Here’s an outline of what’s covered in this blog post.
Jump to:
First of all, what are crack climbing gloves?
Offering a convenient alternative to ‘tape gloves’ (layers of climbing tape wrapped across the backs of the hands and fingers for protection), crack gloves are essentially pieces of leather or rubber which cover the backs of your hands to protect from scrapes and bruises caused by the rock during hand, fist, or off width jamming techniques..
The gloves stay on with finger loops, keeping your palms and fingers exposed to grip the rock for finger locks or the occasional face climbing move. Some gloves have extra padding in the knuckles, offering additional protection for the boniest part of your hand which is especially welcomed in particularly textured rock, like granite.
Others might have an extra bit of material to protect your thumb knuckles, which is useful in fist or off width jamming.
The Outdoor Research Splitter IIs lie at the opposite end of the spectrum, offering only a thin piece of microfiber layered with even thinner synthetic suede for grip, making them ideal for tight hand jams or less crystalline rock, like the smooth rhyolite found at Frog.
While some climbers don’t use crack gloves, I’ve found them a pretty critical part of my rack on hand jam intensive routes, as my thin-skinned, bony hands tend to bruise and my knuckles swell without them, even if good technique helps me avoid scrapes from rattly jams.
Which crags and climbs did you test them out on?
On my testing day, I warmed up on Smoked Banana, a classic 17 with some interesting history. There aren’t many 17s at Frog, and this 40m gradually widening crack had represented a classic test piece for budding trad leaders for decades, thanks in large part to a couple of well-placed chockstones providing protection (by slinging them, in lieu of big cams) and perfect juggy holds from which to get established in the chimney.
Fortunately, I got to try the climb back in 2024, on my first visit to Frog, and I remember being struck by just how ideal the angle of those rocks were. Earlier this year, the chockstones mysteriously disappeared, turning the climb into a grovelly 20 and decidedly knocking off some stars for the inconsistency of the movement as the level rockets up to 20 out of nowhere.
However, thanks to a kind, hardworking soul, the chockstones were quickly replaced only weeks later. Now, while the new stones aren’t *as* perfect as the originals, I was even more impressed this time around, as they offer a remarkably similar climbing experience and would have taken an even more remarkable effort to replace. Kudos to the good climbing Samaritan!
Racking up for a pitch at Frog Buttress, QLD
Next, I hopped onto Magical Mystery Tour, another ever widening crack, this time at grade 19. This route was a very interesting onsight, offering up a full buffet of climbing techniques to be tested, from fingers, through off width (which is anything bigger than a BD #4 cam, for me), and even a cheeky escape by face climbing outside the off width crack protected by big cams within it. This face climbing felt like the crux for me, as it felt pretty full-on to pull face moves with a #6 cam around the corner and out of sight!
Jamming through the start of Magical Mystery Tour (19), Frog Butress, QLD
I finished up with an onsight of Short Order, a nice stemming number that offers bomber locks and rests all the way up at grade 20. At 30m, this pitch looks short and sweet from below, but you’ll certainly feel every one of those metres as it seems to go on forever once you’re climbing it. Bring an extra #0.5 if you have one!
Navigating between the wide and face climbing near the top of Magical Mystery Tour (19), Frog Butress, QLD
How did you find the Outdoor Research Splitter II gloves?
These gloves fit great (I wear an XS, which is my crack glove size across all other brands), offering a barely-there feeling to be unobtrusive while still protective enough on Frog’s smooth rock. This low profile was especially welcome on the ever-widening cracks I climbed, as it allowed me to get the most out of the thinnest parts of the crack and get secure hand jams in rather than more strenuous thin hands or ring locks.
Furthermore, the close fit kept the gloves from moving around while I climbed, so my jams stayed secure. Overall, I didn’t notice the gloves as I climbed, which is exactly what I want out of a crack glove.
How do the Outdoor Research Splitter II gloves compare to others you’ve used in the past?
These crack gloves are the most minimal ones I’ve tried, and I like how I can actually feel the crack while I’m climbing, which I’ve found gets dulled in beefier models like the Ocuns, with their thick sheets of cat rubber.
While the Splitter IIs don’t offer the thumb protection of a Black Diamond Crack Glove or Ocun Crack Gloves Pro, I’ve come to appreciate this more minimalist cut in other models such as G7’s Hand Jam and Ocun’s Crack Gloves Lite, as it seems to lay flatter across the back of your hand, keeps your hands cooler, is easier to take off after a pitch (I tend to keep my crack gloves on all day on multis, but take them off to belay when cragging to reduce unnecessary wear), and offers one less potential failure point (the thumb protection loop on my BD gloves eventually split open at the seam).
However, that minimalism does come at a price, showing some evidence of wear after one day of cragging and inducing some concern that the thin rubber backing could delaminate over time. While the G7 Hand Jams may offer a more durable minimalist option, being one seamless piece of nylon-reinforced suede, those gloves are also about twice the price of the Splitter IIs, and probably even more to ship out to Australia as G7 is based in Squamish, Canada.
Overall, these crack gloves offer the unobtrusive fit of tape with the convenience of a slip-on glove, all at a nice price, sitting among the most affordable on the market.
What kind of climber would best suit the Outdoor Research Splitter II gloves?
These gloves would suit a wide range of climbers for different reasons. I would recommend them to the beginner crack climber as a minimal layer of protection while getting the hang of jamming technique, as they still ebb the initial discomfort of jams while allowing you to actually feel the contours of the rock as you’re learning.
Experienced crack climbers will appreciate these gloves’ minimalism on their thin hands projects, where every millimetre of extra material can make or break a hand jam and subsequent send. They are best suited to smoother, less crystalline rock types, where extra padding is not necessary.
Finally, these gloves would be just at home on single pitch cragging days as long multis, as the thin finger loops make them easy to take off to reduce unnecessary wear while belaying on cragging days. As an added bonus, crack gloves offer sun protection for the backs of your hands, which is always welcome for climbing in Australia.
Do you have any advice on sizing for crack gloves?
These gloves fit true to size in my experience, when compared to other gloves I’ve tried. I wear an XS in them and other crack gloves, while my regular glove size is a Medium in women’s sizing and XS to Small in Men’s, depending on my desired fit.
You should be aiming for a snug, but unrestrictive fit with crack gloves, as any bagginess will translate to insecure jams, and they often tend to stretch out over time. If you can’t come in store to try them out first, I’d go with your ‘snug’ glove size, such as what you’d wear in a liner or other glove in which your aim is dexterity over warmth.
Ideal crack glove fit: not baggy, not restrictive
Key features of the Outdoor Research Splitter II crack gloves:
- Burly Back-of-Hand and Knuckle Protection: Designed for safe crack climbing on various rock types, offering substantial shielding in the crucial areas of the hands.
- Enhanced Thumb Coverage: Improved design includes additional protection in areas prone to wear and tear, including the thumb region.
- Durable Synthetic Suede: Ensures a reliable layer wrapping comfortably around the hand, providing a sturdy and comfortable grip.
- Non-Slip Synthetic Leather: Facilitates a firm grip and added control during your climb, enhancing safety and efficiency.
- Secure Finger Loops and Wrist Attachment: Keep the gloves firmly in place, adding to the user's confidence during climbs.
As someone who’s climbed in some of the top crack climbing destinations in the world (Yosemite and Squamish), what did you think of Frog’s Buttress?
While I do have a soft spot for long, clean, granite crack multis, which aren’t really found beyond Tasmania on this side of the world, Frog Buttress is no less a hidden gem in Southeast Queensland.
It doesn’t quite attract international climbers, other than Kiwis. But, as evidenced by the annual influx of Victorian and Tassie plates in the campground over the winter months, Frog is the perfect place to hone your crack climbing technique in the Tassie off-season, with cracks ranging from thin tips seams to full body chimneys and everything in between.
The rock quality is excellent – grippy yet not textured enough to be rough on your gear and dries particularly quickly after surprise showers. The grading feels fairly on-par with similar columnar crack climbing areas in Tassie such as Ben Lomond, while some older or seldom-climbed routes may feel a little sandbagged, as is customary in the trad climbing world.
The campground and parking lot offer a great vibe of shared stoke amongst climbers after a day of cragging, and running water and flushing toilets make it feel extra luxe. Add on the fact that it’s less than 90 minutes from Brisbane by car and has a downhill approach that could be done by anyone from 7 to 70 years old (I’ve seen both ends of the age spectrum climbing there). Frog easily takes the title of my favourite climbing area in Queensland.