Hand Hold Taxonomy
From micro crimps to bomber jugs — organized by grip archetype, then scaled by size and orientation. Every hold is a hand position first.
Edge & Crimp Family
Pull / Contact
Micro Crimp
Edge · Tiny
Single pad or less. Forces open-hand or full-crimp position. Max finger recruitment.
Crimp
Edge · Small
1–2 pad depth. The workhorse of technical climbing. Orientation matters: incut vs. flat vs. sloping.
Edge
Edge · Medium
2–3 pad depth. Full finger curl possible. Orientation dramatically changes difficulty.
Rail
Edge · Extended
Long horizontal edge. Hand can traverse or match. Often used as a foot rail simultaneously.
Incut Edge
Edge · Positive
Positive lip creates mechanical advantage. Forgiving on skin, rewards straight-on pulling.
Sloping Edge
Edge · Negative
The deceptive hybrid — looks like an edge, climbs like a sloper. Body position critical.
Sloper Family
Friction / Wrap
Pure Sloper
Sloper · Round
No positive surface. Pure friction and compression. Requires low center of gravity and open hand.
Flat Sloper
Sloper · Flat
Horizontal friction surface. Palm press or open wrap. Body position under the hold is everything.
Sloper-Pinch
Sloper · Hybrid
Rounded body with squeezable sides. Can be pinched or slopey depending on orientation and setter intent.
Gaston Sloper
Sloper · Directional
Slopey surface that rewards outward elbow press. Technique-specific — punishes straight pulling.
Pinch Family
Compression / Squeeze
Micro Pinch
Pinch · Tiny
Finger-width. Requires precise opposition of thumb and first two fingers. Highly strength-dependent.
Pinch
Pinch · Standard
Full thumb opposition. Width determines difficulty. Fat pinches favor big hands — equity consideration.
Wide Pinch
Pinch · Large
Requires hand span. Significantly disadvantages smaller hands. Flag for hand-size equity.
Compression Block
Pinch · Body
Both hands pinch opposing sides of a large feature. Body tension and hip position critical.
Pocket Family
Insertion / Pull
Mono
Pocket · 1-finger
Single finger insertion. Extreme tendon load. Use judiciously — injury risk, especially in warm-ups.
2-Finger Pocket
Pocket · Duo
Middle-ring or index-middle. Depth and angle determine which combination works. Technique-selective.
3-Finger Pocket
Pocket · Full
All fingers minus pinky or plus pinky. Depth and lip angle create range from jug-like to desperate.
Incut Pocket
Pocket · Positive
Positive inner lip. More forgiving on tendons, allows greater force application. Good intermediate hold.
Jug Family
Full-Hand / Rest
Jug
Jug · Standard
Full wrap, bomber. Rest hold or power move launcher. Orientation and depth vary usability as a foot.
Mini-Jug
Jug · Small
Half-wrap. Reliable but not restful. Good for sustained powerful movement. Better for larger hands.
Bucket
Jug · Deep
Deep positive. The rest hold. Used to punctuate hard sequences or frame a route's rhythm.
Horn / Spike
Jug · Directional
Wraps in one direction only. Requires correct approach angle. Punishes off-route body positions.
Nature-Derived Shapes
Organic / Variable
Undercling
Nature · Invert
Positive surface faces down. Requires opposing body tension. Often mimics natural rock features.
Sidepull
Nature · Lateral
Positive surface faces sideways. Requires lean/flag to generate friction. Direction-specific.
Boss / Knob
Nature · Convex
Convex protrusion. Mimics natural rock knobs. Versatile — hand, foot, or knee scum.
Dish / Scoop
Nature · Concave
Concave surface. Palming or heel-toe depending on size. Often ambiguous — tests creative beta.
Flake
Nature · Thin
Thin protruding feature. Can be pinched, crimped, or used as a sidepull. Simulates crack features.
Slap / Lunge Target
Nature · Dynamic
Designed to be hit dynamically. Shape rewards controlled landing, not static setup.
Foot Hold Taxonomy
Feet are undervalued in setting. The same hold reads completely differently as a foot — and a setter who thinks in feet opens an entirely different solution space.
Precision Foot Holds
Contact Point
Chip / Nubbin
Foot · Precision
Tiny positive feature. Demands precise toe placement. High technical foot skill required. Tests and rewards footwork.
Foot Edge
Foot · Standard
Small-medium horizontal edge. Inside or outside toe. The most trainable foot placement type.
Foot Pocket
Foot · Insertion
Toe-box or toe-tip into a pocket. Can be used as toe hook depending on depth and angle.
Smear Zone
Foot · Friction
No defined feature — relies entirely on rubber-to-wall friction. Shoe quality and foot pressure matter.
Hook Holds
Body Anchor
Heel Hook Edge
Hook · Heel
Prominent edge or lip that catches the heel. Often a hand hold repurposed. Requires reading hold shape holistically.
Toe Hook Lip
Hook · Toe
Underside of a volume or jug that the toe wraps around. Requires intentional design — check underside geometry.
Knee Bar Feature
Hook · Knee
Volume or wall feature that allows knee-to-foot compression. Full leg rest possible. Highly body-size variable.
Bicycle / Toe-Heel
Hook · Dual
Toe of one foot + heel of the other on same feature or adjacent features. Squeezing creates body lock.
Volume Foot Interactions
Body Scale
Volume Stand
Volume · Platform
Flat volume top as a foot platform. Changes body height relative to hand holds. High equity impact — short vs. tall.
Volume Smear Face
Volume · Friction
Angled volume face used as friction foot. Requires lean and body positioning. Beta-reading exercise for setters.
Volume Backstep
Volume · Outside Edge
Outside edge of shoe on volume corner. Opens up hip for high-step or flag. Technique-selective movement.
Volume & Feature Taxonomy
Volumes are not holds — they are spatial events. They change wall geometry, redirect movement, and create body-scale interactions that no single hold can produce. Your entire body is the contact surface.
Geometric Volumes
Abstract Form
Wedge
Geometric · Triangle
Triangular prism. Arête-like edge, sloping faces, flat base. Versatile: arête moves, compression, sidepull surface.
Box Volume
Geometric · Cube
Rectilinear form. Flat faces, square edges. Predictable geometry — setters know exactly what each face offers.
Pyramid
Geometric · Tapered
Four sloping faces meeting at apex. Compression from multiple angles. Often used as a back-step or smear zone.
Cylinder / Barrel
Geometric · Round
Constant curved surface. No defined edge. Pure compression or friction. Knee bar friendly depending on diameter.
Arête Volume
Geometric · Edge
Creates a vertical spine. Both faces usable. Mimics outdoor arête climbing. Full body engagement.
Flat Panel
Geometric · Slab
Thin flat volume. Changes wall angle locally. Can create a micro-slab or overhang within any wall.
Organic / Sculptural Features
Nature-Derived Form
Rock Feature
Organic · Natural
Sculpted to mimic real rock formations. Multiple micro-features embedded. Beta is discovered, not prescribed.
Wave / Undulation
Organic · Flow
Flowing curved surface. Different sections read differently. Body position creates and destroys friction points.
Cave / Concave Feature
Organic · Interior
Interior curved surface. Body fits inside. Shoulder-width and height interact with usability significantly.
Prow
Organic · Projecting
Forward-projecting feature like a ship's prow. Both faces and the tip usable. Compression centerpiece.
Macro Features
Wall-Scale
Roof Transition
Macro · Angle
Where vertical meets horizontal. The volume here defines the crux character. Body-size equity hotspot.
Dihedral / Corner
Macro · Corner
Two walls meeting at an inward angle. Stemming, bridging, backstep moves. Arm-span and height variable.
Pillar / Column
Macro · Vertical
Full-height vertical feature. Hugging, compression, sidepull at multiple heights. Full body engagement.
Surface & Texture Overlay
Texture is the modifier that runs across every other wheel. The same crimp on a smooth resin surface versus an aggressive polyurethane skin is a different hold. Know the variable — set with it intentionally.
Friction Spectrum
Grip Quality
Glassy / Polished
Texture · Slick
Minimal friction. Rewards precise technique, punishes brute force. Separates refined from powerful climbers.
Moderate Texture
Texture · Standard
The industry baseline. Enough grip to reduce skin as a variable. Most holds operate here intentionally.
Aggressive / Sharp
Texture · High Friction
Maximum grip. Punishes skin. Rewards commitment. Should be used sparingly and with session-length awareness.
Wood Grain
Texture · Organic
Unique feel — directional grain affects friction. Iconic in competition setting. Different skin interaction than resin.
Surface Character
Macro Surface
Dimpled
Surface · Pocked
Regular or irregular indentations. Creates friction without sharpness. Common on competition volumes.
Grooved / Channeled
Surface · Linear
Directional channels. Grip is directional — with the groove vs. across it behaves differently.
Sand-Coated
Surface · Applied
Sand or grit applied over base material. High friction but wears over time. Monitor degradation in your hold inventory.
Paint-Modified
Surface · Applied
Texture dramatically changed by paint buildup. Old holds in high-use gyms develop a different character than new.
Setter Equity Notes — Texture
⚑ Flag
Texture × Hand Size Interaction
Equity · Critical Note
High-texture aggressive holds can disproportionately advantage larger hands that have more total surface contact. Slick holds often equalize by reducing friction as a variable and emphasizing technique. Know which direction your texture choices push.