UKH

I'm just back from a week on ice in the Écrins - reasonable conditions, short walk-ins and being used to Scotland means it's the most I've ever done on ice in such a short space of time.

After a few days I noticed a pain developing in the top of the knuckle of both middle fingers, sore to pressure applied to on the back of my hand. There is also very mild swelling on both hands.

This hurts when I close my hands around small objects (holding mugs particularly) although it didn't really seem to affect me when on the tools - this may have been adrenaline.

Interestingly, it doesn't affect 'normal' climbing (ie pulling on holds), except when holding the rope belaying!

Anyone have any experience of this? I've done a bit of searching but could not fine any ice axe-related finger issues.

Yes -

Do you use a trigger for your forefinger?  - one cause

Are your gloves too thick? - another cause.

Happened to me - first cause, comfortable at the time, and seriously  uncomfortable for a ling time afterwards.  Sometime later, fat-fingered gloves brought about a recurrence of the symptoms which disappeared quickly with different gloves.

Have you noticed any circulation problems, loss of sensitivity in fingers, etc?  Try using a hand cream - any will do.

Is there any colour change in your hands?

Did you have a spare (dry) pair of gloves ?

You've probably been hitting your knuckles against the ice when swinging your axes. The middle finger knuckle is the one that normally takes the impact. Axes with an offset grip will guard against this happening. Gloves with some protection on the knuckles will also help to a lesser extent (eg BD Punishers).

Thanks for that - I have a pair of Petzl nomics and was using the trigger. Did you experience middle finger issues after using a forefinger trigger? I'm curious about the mechanism involved. As for gloves, I climbed in thin liners so it probably wasn't that.

In reply to Pay Attention:
I have Reynaud's, which I was medicating with nifedipine (hence why I could climb in liners). No discolouration, sensitivity or anything like that, remarkably - I only got hot aches once all week, unprecedented for me. The only time I had an issue with wet gloves was on one particularly wet pitch but was able to change gloves thereafter.
 

Big Lee:
Surprisingly, that didn't occur to me - I never noticed hitting them against the ice (but of course, adrenaline) and I thought the offset grip of the nomics would've prevented that but it does go some way to explaining why the closest injuries I could find were boxing related!

Terodactyls!!? Those were the days

yes the axes in question had a trigger, but not enough support at the base of my hand so that a gap was opened between the index finger and forefinger, and my knuckles gave me gyp for ages.