Rock climbing terminology is often the most confusing, intimidating part of the sport for a new climber. Hearing unfamiliar words fly from the mouths of climbers when you have no idea what they are referring to can feel isolating. Fortunately, a large chunk of the vocabulary revolves around the types of climbing holds and their names. It’s common for climbers to exchange beta, or the sequence of moves used to complete a climb. But, within the beta exchange, they’ll name-drop various hold types and techniques. While we’ll save the technical jargon for another day, explaining the various hold types will clear up a lot of confusion and help boost your confidence walking up to the climbing wall.
This guide categorizes climbing holds into three comprehensive groups: the Basic 5, the Fancy 5, and the Comp 5. By the end, you’ll have a thorough understanding of the most common climbing holds and their unique features, equipping you with the knowledge to tackle any climb.
The Basic 5
Jug
A jug is any hold you can grab with your whole hand (think of a jug handle). Jugs require less finger strength to use but will still tax the forearms.
Crimp
Defined by small edges, crimps will vary in size/depth. Generally, you can fit anywhere from ½ a finger pad to 2 finger pads but nothing more. Using crimps requires strong fingers.
Pinch
A hold that requires you to squeeze with your thumb on one side and fingers on the other. Often, they look blocky or semi-rectangular. Clamp down hard to stay on!
Sloper
Rounded (or sloped) edges make slopers tricky to navigate. Any hold that requires you to keep an open-hand position can fall under the category of a sloper.
Pockets are climbing holds with small, rounded openings that limit you to using two or three fingers. You may hear climbers specify two-finger pocket or three-finger when describing a climb. These will test your tendons, so use them with caution!
The Fancy 5
Side-pull
Side-pulls get their name from their orientation and how the climber grabs them. They are usually a jug or crimp set at an angle, with the best place to grab facing right or left rather than up. As a result, you may hear a climber refer to the ‘side-pull crimp’ or the ‘side-pull jug’ when talking.
Undercling
Similarly, an undercling is often a jug but receives a special naming convention due to its orientation. The best part of the hold faces downward, forcing the climber to pull up into the hold rather than down.
Mono
A mono is a specific type of pocket. It only allows room for the climber to use one finger. Be careful using monos if you are new to climbing or haven’t trained to climb on them!
Arete
Sometimes called a feature rather than a climbing hold, the arete is a grabbable wall corner. They are very common outside and often used as handholds by climbers. Many indoor climbing gyms also have walls with aretes that route setters intentionally incorporate into their boulders and routes.
Dual-tex
Any of the basic holds can be a dual-tex hold. Short for dual-texture, these holds contain a combo of friction and frictionless material. The frictionless material gives them a shiny appearance. You’ll only find dual-tex holds in indoor rock climbing facilities.
The Comp 5
Macro
Macro climbing holds are massive climbing holds that come in various shapes. If you watch World Cup climbing or the Olympics, many of the holds used on boulders would fall under this category. Macros may have features of other holds, such as slopey sides or a screw-on crimp.
Volume
Volumes can vary in size and are considered extensions of the climbing wall. They can act as hand or foot holds or as a medium for affixing other climbing holds.
No-tex
The big brother of dual-tex holds, no-tex (no texture) holds are smooth and slippy, making them challenging to use. Some climbing hold designers have created entirely no-text holds, while other times, a dual-tex hold is in a position where the textured face is unusable.
Jib (Screw-on)
Jibs are tiny climbing holds. They range from slightly larger than the bolt to so small they need screws instead of bolts. It’s common to see jibs screwed onto larger holds like slopers or macros, but sometimes they stand alone.
Speed Climbing Holds
These are speed-specific holds with a uniform design. Every regulation speed wall worldwide has these red/orange colored holds. You won’t see them on any other climbing wall, so if you’re curious about their look, search for ‘speed climbing’ on YouTube!
Between the Basic 5, the Fancy 5, and the Comp 5, you are familiar with 95% of the climbing holds and terminology you’ll hear among rock climbers. Exceptions and hybrids always teeter the line between multiple hold types, but recognizing the 15 hold types outlined here will make it easy to name those exceptions. Next time a fellow climber approaches you to exchange ‘beta,’ we hope you feel confident name-dropping, whether it’s crimps, slopers, or underlings! Drop a comment below if you still have questions about the types of climbing holds.