Technology - Indoor Climbing Gyms Have Put an Entirely New Spin on the Sport of Rock Cli

Indoor climbing gyms have revolutionized the sport of rock climbing, offering a dynamic and accessible way to experience the thrill of the outdoors. While climbing on manufactured holds and walls isn't identical to scaling real rock, modern indoor facilities leverage innovative technology, particularly in the design of climbing holds, to closely mimic the movements, techniques, and skills essential for outdoor challenges. This blend of accessibility and realistic training makes indoor climbing a fantastic way to learn and improve, with many skills directly transferable to real rock.

How Do Indoor Climbing Gyms Replicate Outdoor Climbing?

Part of what makes the indoor rock climbing experience enjoyable is how closely it mirrors the movements, techniques, and skills required to tackle real rock climbing challenges. While outdoor rock climbing does involve a slightly different skill set than indoor climbing (for example, indoor climbers never have to do any route finding, as the holds are all clearly marked), most of what you learn while climbing indoors is immediately transferable to outdoor climbing.

The Technology Behind Climbing Holds: Shape and Design

One of the biggest components of the indoor rock climbing experience is the climbing hold itself. Climbing holds come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and for good reason: hold manufacturers strive to capture the incredible variety of grips you'll find on an average-sized crag. They come in a dizzying array of designs and shapes, many of which mirror the characteristic features of certain rock types.

For instance, you'll see climbing holds shaped to look and feel like:

• Limestone's characteristic pockets and divots.
• Granite's tiny crystal edges and flakes.

Novelty holds are also popular, especially for kids' walls or easier slabs. Depending on the manufacturer, you can find climbing holds in the shapes of alphabet letters, dinosaurs, or even people's faces. Some bolt-on cracks are available, though these tend to be quite large and bulky. Other huge holds are called "feature" holds; these can be the size of a watermelon or bigger and offer route setters and climbers a wide variety of possible grip and movement combinations.

Understanding Climbing Hold Texture and Grip

Though shape is probably the most important aspect of a climbing hold, texture is also a considerable concern. If a hold's texture is too smooth, it won't provide enough friction for good climbing; climbers will either have to over-grip the hold or risk sliding off, especially if the hold isn't very positive or in-cut.

On the other hand, if a hold's texture is too abrasive, it may be easy to grip but hard on climbers' hands. Many holds that are too abrasive out of the box tend to mellow out after a few climbing sessions, offering a more pleasing texture. Most hold manufacturers would rather err on the side of making their holds friendly but a little slippery than rough and painful to hang onto.