No Holds Barred - A Sneak Peak At Hold Shaping

I decided to write this article for you, the climber, the routesetter, the gym owner, the artist. You deserve to know a little bit more about how shaping takes place, what it takes to make a great shape, and who is responsible for some of the best sh

   I decided to write this article for you, the climber, the routesetter, the gym owner, the artist. You deserve to know a little bit more about how shaping takes place, what it takes to make a great shape, and who is responsible for some of the best shapes out there. You spend sometimes hours sifting through climbing hold companies' websites, and can quickly pick out some of the sexier shapes, but are you really able to pick the best tools for setting a route? Pictures can only provide so much information. Climbing hold companies need to put forth a little more effort into painting the picture of what a climbing hold is designed to do...or not to do.

Routesetting has quickly become a popular topic and profession in the climbing industry, but how many people stop to think about the technicalities of the shapes themselves. Routesetters are artists in a way; if their tools are no good, it makes their creation that much harder to, well, create! The climbing hold company is responsible for knowing how to provide a product that makes the routesetter's job more straightforward, while expanding their ability to let create juices flow.

The Shapes

Let's start with the basics. First, more and more routesetters are voicing their preferences, and one major preference is setting with themed climbing holds. This could mean color or shape type (ie. jug, crimp, sloper, edge, pinch, etc.), but more often it means mimicking real rock type. How sweet is it when you go into the gym one last time before your upcoming trip to Hueco, and there stands out a beautifully set Hueco-esque flake sequence with a gorgeous double 'Wonderhole' jug half-way through? Or, since you've promised yourself you'd stay off crimps before departure, you decide to hop on that 'Nobody Gets Out of Here Alive' jug haul coming out of the bouldering cave. You know what I'm talking about. Maybe you head into the gym on your regular night, and everyone is already lined up and rotating in on some wicked Fontainebleau slope-fest. You know you're getting on that.

So, what exactly is my point? The idea of themed climbing holds is a great tool for routesetters, and Project Holds has embraced this concept. Our Live series of holds is broken up by rock type, given a characteristic name, and each category is developed into a full line of climbing holds over time. For example, our Shellshocked series is a new take on the much-overdone brain texture of Font-like holds. We have everything from small shapes to a 7XL feature, including slopers, pinches, crimps, and even jugs. We've repeated this series idea with our Tankers (Hueco Tanks holds), Kreases (climbing holds with scarred edges, very crimpy), and Landslides (blocky limestone shapes). We have more series, and the ones that have been tested and true will be expanded upon as well.

The idea of themed climbing holds doesn't stop at real rock grips. Indoor rock climbing is a sport all its own anymore, and the idea of breaking out of the 'all climbing holds should feel like real rock' mindset is in full swing. With that knowledge, Project Holds has created three other series in addition to the Live series of real rock climbing holds. The Play series includes the very basic shapes that every climbing wall really needs to have - the bread and butter, if you will. Smooth shapes with very little distraction is primarily what you will find in this series. The series is divided up by hold type categories, with only the occasional tricky name: Jugs, Pinches, Euclids (geometrics), Moons, and Nixons, for example. The Dream series is made up of more abstract shapes and designs, allowing for a meld between artistry and functionality. Finally, the Work series is a grouping of training tools, including hangboards, campus systems, and swinging grips.

The Details

Yes, Virginia, there are left- and right-handed climbing holds. Project Holds has enforced some of the most often overlooked climbing hold features into our grips to ensure the best possible use as a tool and as part of a routesetter's finished product. Climbing holds can be left-handed, right-handed, and ambidextrous. You know when you're gripping a left-handed hold with the wrong hand when your index finger is closer to the wall than your little finger...or when your wrist is tweaked out of alignment. Proper routesetting will take this detail into account.

Another large complaint with climbing holds is the infamous bolt hole. Not only do most bolt holes feature sharp edges, but some climbers feel they have a better chance of sending their long-standing project by jamming one tiny digit into the bolt hole instead of balancing on the slippery sloper. Brilliant. Or, really, not. Project Holds makes sure that all its climbing holds' bolts sit flush against the surface of a nicely rounded bolt hole. Yes, sometimes this means using a longer bolt; but we feel it's worth it, and we think most routesetters would agree.

One other major point to consider in the design of a climbing hold is versatility. Yes, some holds are created to force a move or a particular angle, but versatility is more often a key to good design. Basic shapes can become extra functional just by adding a thumb placement or additional angle. The Project Holds Moons-Half Large 01 are an excellent example of multi-angled surfaces, and the Pinches Medium 01 have multiple thumb placements for varied angles.

Lastly, aesthetic appeal, though technically less functional, is a major component of climbing hold use. When a routesetter is sifting through a two-foot deep bucket of holds trying to find that perfect crimp, and it comes down to a small selection of the right grips, it will undoubtedly be the sexiest looking one that gets picked. That being said, it's' important not to let artistry or visual appeal be the primary focus of a climbing hold, overlooking the gripping functionality.

The Artists

Some of the best climbing hold shapers are not nearly as well known as their shapes, and it's high time they get the recognition they deserve. Guys like Louie Anderson, Jim Horton, Rob Mulligan, Jason Kehl, Mike Auldridge, Josh Helke, Boone Speed, Mark Russo, and several others have spent countless hours developing some of the best tools for indoor rock climbing. Project Holds is currently working on a shaper profile page for the website, www.projectholds.com, to give shapers like these the attention, credit, and prowess they so greatly deserve.

The Process

Shaping climbing holds, though extremely detailed and artistic, is very low-tech. It all starts with a simple block of foam. Carving out the basic shape takes imagination, picturing what kind of details will dress the shape when all is said and done. Once the general shape is completed, the detail work comes into play. Real rock texture, details on the gripping surface, dual texture, artistic designs, and the placement of the bolt hole and/or set screw. Spoons, clay carving utensils, sandpaper and/or sanding equipment, and rotary tools are the most common shaping tools. Not what we call the most technologically advanced process around, but no machine could ever add the detail and hand-friendliness that a shaper can ensure.

Project Holds offers a program called pH Balance, a monthly climbing hold subscription service where the month's holds are brand new never before seen shapes. Keeping up with a monthly addition of quality shapes is a task, but one well worth the effort. We typically create a group of shapes at once and release them over a three-month period of time. This ensures that we don't find ourselves rushing to fill a subscription service with mediocre quality climbing holds.

The Wrap

Project Holds manufactures the strongest and highest quality urethane rock climbing holds on the market. We back it up with amazing customer service, and keep it fresh with new, original, beautiful shapes from some of the industry's masters. Please visit www.projectholds.com and take a look around. We're confident you'll like what you see.

Article Directory: http://www.articlecube.com

Project Holds operates out of the Charlotte, North Carolina area. We have an amazing team of professionals representing engineering and operations, finance, and marketing, as well as the sport of climbing. Play. Live. Dream. Work. www.projectholds.com