At first glance, climbing to most appears as a simple sport starting on the ground and the end goal being to reach the top. However, a message that Rocksport continuously urges people to remember is that climbing is an inherently dangerous sport and there are a number of factors climbers must account for to keep themselves prepared and safe; How high is ‘the top’, what type of holds will you encounter on the route, what is the rate of climb, are there over-hangs, etc. This blog applies to less experienced climbers to help explain how a climber can properly position their weight on every type of hold and its placement on the wall. These tips will help improve your climbing strategy as well as show you how to better facilitate your muscle function and reserve your strength.
The easiest to grab and rest on of all the holds is called a jug, or a finger bucket. This type of hold generally faces upward with a positive angle from the wall and has a good depression inside the hold. This allows your hand to support much of your body weight without struggle since the grip of a jug has a wider surface area than most and allows you to rest your body weight in the same direction that gravity pullds so the climber is only forcing their weight upward rather than outward and up or diagonal and up.
Now if the jug had an alter-ego, its name would be the sloper. Slopers can be bigger than most other holds but they are open-handed holds. The way to grip a sloper is similar to the way one might try to grab a basketball with one hand. The grip on these type of holds depends a great deal on the friction between your hand and the hold as well as the direction the climber is facing while grabbing the hold. A general rule of thumb with slopers is that a climber should try to hang their body at the same angle the hold is set at, for example, if a climber is ascending vertically and a sloper is set 45 degrees left, a climber will hang their body down and to the right 45 degrees to counteract the hold and create more sufrace area and therefore more friction for their hands on the hold. These may take some time to get the ‘hang’ of.
Another basic hold climbers will come across early in their careers is the pocket. Pockets are shaped just like they sound and protrude from the wall with an inward depression that creates a space just big enough for a couple of fingers to comfortably fit into. Because a pocket has a concave shape the weight proportion is similar to that of a jug, however because of the smaller surface area this hold does require more strength from all of your muscles.
Between crimps and pinches these are the holds that require the most finger strength and this may also take a little time for new climbers to develope so they should not be easily discouraged from becoming familiar with these holds. Crimps are holds that may face any direction and protrude from the wall with only a slight depression or no depression. This forces the climber to grab the hold with finger tips facing the same direction and your thumb resting either on top of your index or resting beside it. Although there is a little more freedom on the direction the body can pull it is again easier for the body to be parallel with the direction of the hold so there is more friction for your fingertips.
Pinches can be the smalleset holds in the gym because they merely rely on as little as one finger pinching with the thumb or up to four (Thank goodness for opposable thumbs!). These holds are very versatile in shape and size but are all dependant on fingertip strength so the best thing to remember with pinches is actually to remember the feet. The placement of the feet determines how much weight the fingers will support in proportion. The more points of cantact there are on the wall the less the climber will have to rely on fingertips alone, even if it is just flagging a foot out against the wall.
Do not forget that these are only the very very basic categories of holds and considering outside climbing as well there are a great number of other categories and sub-categories to be aware of like crack climbing, big holds, different types of crimps and incuts etc. However with a basic knowledge and practice of these particular holds climbers can increase their skill and with expeirence be able to navigate other holds as they progress. Experience and familiarity are the best way to apply your knowledge so, go climb a wall!
Donner Summit’s bountiful routes and gorgeous views make it a frequent destination for locals. It’s also a great place to learn how to trad climb especially at the Schoolhouse Wall. Green Phantom (just below the bridge/vista point) is another excellent top roping area. The approaches to the many walls vary from just off the road to a 20 minute hike. The amount of routes is enough to last any climber a handful of dedicated seasons. In addition to its easier routes, there are also many tough routes ranging up to 5.13a such as Warp Factor (4 stars, sport). Donner Lake’s proximity makes for an excellent post-climb cool down. As a side note, there is also a Sani-Hut just off the road at Snowshed Wall.
My personal favorite, Big Chief is the area’s premier sport climbing crag. The drive on the fire roads and the hike through the woods are long but well worth it. The area features over 50 routes, some of which are multi-pitch. New routes are also springing up each season. The continuous lines on the main face make moving from route to route easy and the climbs range from slabs to long roof climbing. The route grades hover around 5.10 for the most part and there are a few harder climbs in the cave that go up to 5.13a. Despite not being as accessible for beginners as other areas, the majority of routes are incredibly fun and worth repeating many times.
RockSport Reno- Indoor Climbing Center 