The hand, the most sacred and important part of a climber's body. But what are we writing? In all basic climbing courses, we're taught the importance of focusing on the feet, on their use, on making them the primary drivers of our upward movement. Doesn't the evolution of indoor climbing demonstrate how the key to success lies in controlling movement through proper footwork and balance, often far more important than the brute strength of our fingers?

Of course, but that's reinventing the wheel. It's clear that in our sport, the entire body plays a fundamental role, and upper limb strength alone isn't enough to progress. However, it's equally true that, especially on rock, the famous adage "piede sta dove mano tiene" still holds true, because without finger strength, we may be fine dancers, but we'll never be complete climbers.

After all, we idolize the hand. We try to strengthen it as much as possible, keep it healthy, and pamper it. We take care of its skin, and we worry too much when a hold might cause problems for our beloved fingers. Isn't it true that practically all climbers still use the infamous fingerboard (or fingerboard for young climbers) to improve?

In this issue, we therefore want to analyze the hottest climbing topics from a hands-on perspective: pathologies, treatments, chalk, grip on holds, how to tape your hands, and jamming techniques. All this is complemented by artistic photos by Manrico Dell'Agnola.