Climbing video troubleshooting

Why Climbing Video Auto-Tracking Loses the Climber (and How to Fix It)

Climbing video auto-tracking can lose the climber when another person overlaps the shot, the climber disappears behind a wall feature, or the subject is too small to distinguish. First check the original video, then separate tracking errors from framing errors. Review the affected sequence before choosing a tighter crop or exporting.

Published October 24, 2026 · By the CruxCut team

Check the source before changing the edit

Tracking estimates where the climber is. A follow-cam crop chooses which part of that source video appears in the output. These are different problems: a correct track can still produce a crop that cuts off feet, while a wider crop may hide a wrong-person tracking error without correcting it.

Play the original beside the edit and find the first moment they disagree. Is the climber visible in the source? Is the crop centered on somebody else? Are only the hands or feet missing? Identify that symptom before changing several things at once.

The edit follows a belayer or another climber

A busy gym can put several people close together in the image. Overlap makes the intended subject harder to distinguish, especially when someone crosses in front of the camera. Review the moments immediately before and after the switch, not only the most obvious wrong frame.

If you use CruxCut, draw the climbing route to help the app identify the climber again and refine the tracking path. Review the result afterward; this is a correction tool, not a promise that every frame will be recovered.

For a later recording, choose an angle with a clearer view of the intended climber. Do not ask a belayer to change a safe position for the camera, or place equipment in a landing area or access route.

The climber disappears behind an overhang or volume

If a wall feature or another person fully hides the climber, the source no longer shows their position directly. No crop can reveal movement that the camera did not record. A tracking correction may help reconnect visible parts of the attempt, but it cannot reconstruct hidden hands or feet.

Check where the climber becomes visible again and review the transition carefully. For the next attempt, use a different safe camera position if it provides a less obstructed view. Keep the recording stable rather than moving the phone repeatedly during the climb.

The full route fits, but the climber looks tiny

A wide source preserves options for editing, but a distant subject leaves less visible detail. Cropping tightly does not restore detail that was never captured. Check whether the original actually shows the body and holds clearly before expecting a close follow-cam result.

When practical and safe, frame the intended problem rather than the entire gym. Keep the full body, start, and finish in view, with room for lateral movement and the top-out. If the route cannot fit clearly from your available position, a wider final edit may be more useful than a very tight crop.

Tracking is right, but hands or feet are cut off

Compare the cropped result with the source. If the missing body part is visible in the original, the problem may be framing rather than subject identification. Review a wider framing choice where your editor supports it. A vertical output does not need to fill every inch with the climber.

If the original itself cuts off the finish or feet, changing the output shape cannot bring them back. Leave extra space above the finish and around the expected movement when filming the next attempt. For camera placement basics, read our filming and editing guide.

Before exporting: a short review checklist

Watch the start, the crux, any crossing person, and the finish. Confirm that the intended climber stays in view and that the framing keeps the movement understandable. Then watch the exported file itself, rather than relying only on an editor preview.

Keep the original until you are happy with the result. If a correction still does not work, a less aggressive crop or a short section of the original can preserve useful beta. For an unresolved CruxCut issue, contact support with what went wrong and where it happened; share footage only if you choose to.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my climbing video follow the belayer instead of the climber?

Several people or overlapping bodies can make the intended subject harder to distinguish. Check where the switch starts. CruxCut lets you draw the climbing route to help identify the climber again and refine the tracking path. Review the corrected result.

Can auto-tracking recover a climber hidden behind the wall?

It cannot reveal movement missing from the source video. A correction may reconnect visible sections, but it cannot recreate hidden hands, feet, or holds. A clearer camera angle can help on a later attempt.

Why are my feet cut off when the tracking looks correct?

The crop may be too tight even when the subject is identified correctly. Compare the edit with the original. If the feet are present in the source, review wider framing where available; if they are missing from the original, a crop cannot restore them.

Should I re-record every clip with a tracking problem?

Not necessarily. Review the source first and try an available tracking correction or a wider edit. Re-recording is useful when important movement is missing from the source, but keeping the original footage may be enough for beta review.

Related guides and product reference

For help with an unresolved edit, contact support@cruxcut.com.