Hand Techniques

Climbing holds come in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes and textures. There are is a name for every kind of climbing hold: bucket, crimps side-pull, jib, gaston, undercling, sloper... and the list goes on. Size, shape and texture alone do not dictate how you should grab a hold. The ORIENTATION of a hold is very important. There is often a very secure side on a hold to grab, but sometimes in order to grab the hold the most secure way, you have to grab it from the side, or underneath, and your body position will vary, too. The MOST COMMON MISTAKE that beginners make is to GRIP EVERY HOLD AS HARD AS THEY CAN. This is completely unneccesary --- hold on only as tightly as you NEED to in order to keep from slipping off the hold. If you learn to climb in a relaxed manner, keeping your grip loose, you will save enormous amounts of energy. And you can climb longer, if your hands aren't tired. Lastly, most novices keep their elbows bent as they climb, constantly flexing their arm muscles. Try climbing with your elbows straight. Your hands form the fulcrum around which your body moves. Check out my straight-arm technique in the pictures below. Below I describe some holds and how to use them.

In this picture I am grabbing a bucket that has TWO "holes" in it, one on the top and one on the side. I can grab the bucket with just one hand, but it is often necessary to grab the same hold with two hands, called "matching."

A sidepull has the most "positive" side, the side with the biggest edge or hold for you hand, oriented to the left or the right. Therefore you must sink your fingers into the hold or grip the edge, leaning your body in the OPPOSITE direction. If my palm is facing right (the most positive edge is on the left), then I must lean my body to the RIGHT in order to counterbalance. This is what is happening in the picture. I am grabbing the sidepull with my left hand and leaning right.

An undercling is perhaps the most misunderstood type of climbing hold. The most positive side, usually a fair-sized hole, is on the UNDERSIDE of the hold. You must reach underneath the hold, palm up, to grab it. Body positioning is CRITICAL in order to use an undercling. You must have your upper body, from forearm to shoulder, ABOVE the hold. Counterintuitively, you must LEAN BACKWARDS at the same time!