We talk about outdoor adventures a lot here at GoodBETA, but today we’re heading indoors to shed some light on the world of climbing holds!
Indoor climbing has come a long way since the 1970s, from the old artificial rock walls to the flashy, geometric walls and volumes we see in modern gyms and at IFSC competitions. Along with the development of walls, holds have also seen a lot of R&D, with advanced composite craft skills and playful innovation coming to the foreground, and a huge surge in the number of hold producers and the variety of holds on the market.
Early Days
At the start, climbing holds were largely made by casting concrete, carving wood, or simply drilling holes through rocks. While concrete and rock holds are a rarity nowadays, wood is still a popular material for training equipment in particular – such as system boards, spray walls, hangboards and campus boards – as it provides enough friction while still being gentle on the skin in comparison to most artificial holds.
Synthetic holds
The majority of today’s climbing holds are made from polyester resin or polyurethane (PU). The basic process of producing a hold is to (a) shape a model with high-density foam, (b) use the model to create a reusable mould and (c) add your material of choice to the mould and cast your holds.
Recently hold manufacturers have also started to investigate more environmentally friendly solutions, such as corn- and soy-based resins.
Polyester
Polyester resin is cheap, readily available, relatively easy to work with, and doesn’t require any specialised equipment to use. However, polyester holds are much more brittle than their PU counterparts, resulting in chipping over time and breakage if dropped or over-torqued.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane holds are more flexible and durable than those made from polyester or natural materials, making them less prone to chipping and breakage. PU is also a stronger material, allowing holds to be made with a process called hollow-backing, in which the hold is hollowed so just a thin outer wall and some structural supports remain, reducing the weight while still maintaining strength. Polyester holds can also be hollow-backed, but the outer wall needs to be much thicker to avoid breakage.
On the other hand, PU is more expensive than polyester, the production process is more complicated and delicate, and special equipment may be required depending on which reactants are used and the quantity of holds being produced.
Fibreglass
Fibreglass holds, a.k.a. fibres, are made by combining polyester resin and sheets of fibreglass, creating hollow holds that are impressively light and strong. Sand is usually added to the resin to provide texture, which can prove tricky for manufacturers as too much grit will damage skin, and not enough grit results in a surface that will quickly be worn down through use.
Volumes
We can’t talk about holds without mentioning volumes, which are essentially stand-alone features that can be attached to the wall whenever the route setters would like. Volumes are generally made from plywood topped with a gritty coating (such as paint mixed with sand), with t-nuts installed so that holds can be attached to the surface. More recently manufacturers have been experimenting with other materials including resin and fibreglass.
Boulder problems incorporating large, showpiece volumes have become increasingly popular in competition setting, and a huge range of volume shapes is available, from pyramids and blocks to prisms and hemispheres.
Shapers & Setters
Of course, behind the development of holds are the people responsible for making the magic happen! The artisans crafting, and sometimes creating, holds are called shapers, and they’re constantly innovating and experimenting to find fresh shapes and texture combinations that will bring something new and different to the wall.
At the same time, route setting has evolved from simply chucking a great big bunch of grips on the wall to a fully-fledged art form and industry. Beyond requiring climbing experience and a decent level of strength and fitness, route setting demands ongoing creativity and a thorough understanding of how to position holds and volumes to force particular movements and sequences.
Competition setting has also become something of a genre, with setters creating increasingly dynamic and flashy problems to entertain viewers and keep climbers on their toes, while still bearing athlete safety in mind.
Next time you’re climbing in the gym, take a closer look at those lovingly made grips and keep an eye on the changes as more developments unfold!
Michael McMicken
