Types of Rock Climbing Holds

As a new climber, you may have questions about climbing holds, especially those funky, seemingly impossible ones. Knowing the names and shapes of holds is beneficial for gaining skills, communicating with fellow climbers, and reducing the risk of injury as you attempt more challenging moves. We will discuss the general types of holds and grips for your hands and feet.

First up: hands!

Jugs

Imagine the sort of hold you'd want at the end of a long and tiring route. Got it? It's probably a reasonably big hold, curving up and out from the wall in a way that makes it easy to secure your hold hand over its edge. This sort of hold is known as a jug, though sometimes climbers will also refer to any large hold by this name. Jugs come in all shapes and sizes, but they are identified by their easily held onto, handle-like designs. Jugs also tend to have rough surfaces, allowing for extra good grippyness.

Slopers

Slopers are considered some of the most challenging holds to maneuver, though they become much more manageable once you know how to approach them. Slopers will be rounded with no good place to grab onto whatever shape they take. Instead, slopers require you to position your hands and body in a way that pulls against the hold continuously, using gravity and the friction between your hands and the hold to keep your grip. Because of their round surface, you will slip right off if you don't keep an opposing pull force between your hands and the hold. This technique requires strength and practice and is all about your feet! But with patience, your technique and comfort will build.

Pockets

Pockets are smaller holds with a little scoop missing from the middle. There's usually enough room for a couple of fingers, but more challenging pockets may only leave room for one. Because you rely on just a few fingers, these holds can be tricky until you build more strength. It's also essential to practice proper technique when utilizing pockets as you can easily injure tendons if you don't. Find a pocket low to the ground to practice your hold in 5-15 second intervals, focusing on your technique. Pro-tip: Try using your middle two fingers and keeping your forefinger and pinky extended instead of curled!

Pinches

Take a second to hold up your best crab claw hand, using four fingers for one pincher and your thumb for the other. Now picture a hold with two flat sides perfect for fitting your claw hand. These sorts of holds are pinches! The name says it all– the pads of your fingers should rest against the hold's surface as you pinch between your forefingers and thumbs. The smaller the pinch, the more finger-concentrated strength will be required. Pinches, like most holds, will vary in difficulty based on size and surface texture.

Edges

Edges, also called crimps or crimpers, look similar to pinches but with only one flat side. The flat side can be oriented in any direction and is the only place on the hold that offers a spot to place your fingers, requiring a technique called crimping to keep grip along this edge. When crimping, your fingers are bent onto their pads, your fingertips placed along the hold's edge. Depending on the shape of the hold and the specific crimping technique you are using, you may also have your thumb set. These holds and accompanying techniques are physically demanding, especially as size and surface area are usually minimal for these holds. As with the other finger-strength intensive holds, it's important to use proper form and evaluate each hold to ensure you choose the appropriate technique.

Now let's talk about feet.

Edging and smearing are two hold-related techniques that can be helpful to know for footing. These techniques are among the most common for footwork and can make a big difference in your climbing once you learn to incorporate them into your movements. We don't always think of our feet as most important when we think of climbing, but the truth is that most of us have way more strength in our legs and feet than in our upper body. Foot-foot-hand-hand is a common phrase in climbing for a reason; securing your feet in quality positioning and relying on your lower body to support you as you then search for hands offers much more stability than focusing on hands first and can make a massive difference in the amount of energy you're using during a climb.

Edging

Edging is when you place either the inside or outside edge of your shoe along a foothold, relying on the sturdiness of this placement to hold you. Edging is helpful when working with smaller, thinner foot holds. When you only have a couple of centimeters of space to find footing, using edging is often much more successful than placing the tip of your shoe along such a small surface. You are better able to control force and balance with the edges of your feet, and there is a higher amount of shoe surface area touching the hold, making it less likely for your foot to slip off.

Smearing

Smearing is used when there are no footholds available for a move. Instead of placing your foot on a hold, you will use the friction between your shoe and the wall to create your own footing. Like with edging, the more contact your shoe has with the wall's surface, the more friction there will be and the better grip you will have.

The next time you're at the gym, practice identifying the different types of holds along your routes, or try to spot at least one of each kind somewhere on the wall! You can also practice identifying the type of footholds ideal for edging and moving along routes that might require smearing (likely on the slab!). As you grow more familiar with climbing holds, practicing proper techniques for each type is critical. It's helpful to train on holds while not on a route– locate different kinds of holds closer to the ground and take time to place your hands intentionally on these holds. Then, in either dangling or flexed position, lift your feet and try holding your weight for a few seconds. That will be easy for some types of holds but much more difficult for others. As your strength and skill build, you will notice your ability to maintain a grip on various holds grow with you!