Topic: Crag Snacks
V5 is a monthly piece in which we list and annotate 5 different things going on regarding 1 specific topic.
Crag Snacks are one of my favorite topics to talk about. I’m not sure how many articles we’ve written and published about food, but if anyone ever mistook theDIHEDRAL for a food site I would totally understand why. thePIEHEDRAL!
- The idea of a crag seems to have an etymology stemming from the old Irish word crec meaning rock. There is also the Scottish craigg meaning a dweller of steep rocks. A crag of course is much more than just a rock or a dweller of steep rocks. Typically, a crag amounts to a small outdoor rock-climbing area. Snack it seems, comes from the Middle Dutch or Flemish word snacken meaning to bite, snap, snatch, or chatter. As in a dog’s snap or bite. It’s just a short hop from snacken (a dog’s bite) to snack as we know it today, i.e., a small amount of food eaten between meals. Crec-Snacken turns out to be a small amount of food at a small area of rocks!
- The thing about climbing is that it really does take an incredible amount of effort and energy, and even the easiest routes will zap the calories away, causing exhaustion and dehydration. For that reason, it’s vital to replenish the body’s fuel. It’s my personal viewpoint that if you are forced to re-fuel, and you have the means, then why not enjoy it. Nutritionist Riska Platt (nutrition consultant for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York) recommends 50-100 calories of carbohydrates every half hour (after the first hour) of high-intensity vigorous workouts. Raisins, bananas, low-fat yogurt, nuts, and seeds are typical examples of what carb conscious climbers should snack on during a day out on the rocks. While seeds and raisins are pretty good, they kind of miss the mark when it comes to what I want out of a snack.
- If you’re going for a personal best, or record making climb then by all means stick to the good stuff (raisins and low-fat yogurt), but if you’re just trying to enjoy a day out on the rocks with some friends, then maybe make room for a little extra? Maybe?
- For the record my favorite crag snacks are Mangos, avocados, French bread, Nutella, animal crackers, pb&j, and ritz crackers with rolos. My favorite crag drink is cucumber Gatorade. It’s the best, if you haven’t tried it, you are seriously missing out!
- And finally, at the risk of offending Riska Platt (nutrition consultant for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York), here is a ranking of crag snacks from V0-V10 (V0 = Basic V10 = Extravagant).
| V0 | Energy Bars |
| V1 | Animal Crackers |
| V2 | Cheez-It/Goldfish |
| V3 | PB&J |
| V4 | French Bread & Nutella |
| V5 | Crackers and Rolo |
| V6 | Fresh Fruit and Nuts |
| V7 | Pickled Jalapenos |
| V8 | Pita and Hummus |
| V9 | Cucumber Sandwich |
| V10 | Charcuterie Board |
We are always looking for crag snack ideas please hit us with any favs/ideas from your adventures!
thedihedral.com 
I have a friend who is currently hiking the Camino Frances Spain. Her average day is 25K (15.5 miles), toting a 21 pound backpack. She’s finding that food isn’t sitting well, so during the hike, she’s existing on orange juice and cafe con leche. I worry that the coffee is dehydrating, so not the best choice. I’m going to pass this info along to her. Thank you for this informative post!
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That is so awesome!!! Tell her we said good luck and that we hope her tummy starts to feel better along the way!
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