Climbing Holds 101: A Beginner-Friendly Guide

Wild Iris
Jan 21
2 min read

Your first time walking into the climbing gym can already be somewhat intimidating. One of the most helpful things you can learn early on is what the different climbing holds are.

Trust me, once I learned the names, asking for help became so much easier than saying, “you know… that small red hold over there.”

Knowing hold types also makes it easier to understand beta (tips on how to climb a route).

When someone says, “match the jug” or “go right hand to the sloper,” you’ll actually know what they mean!

Jugs:

Jugs are the big, deep, comfortable holds you’ll see on almost every VB–V1 climb. They’re easy to grab, easy to match hands on, and perfect for building confidence.

One thing to be aware of: jugs, especially on overhung climbs or during dynamic moves, are notorious for causing flappers. A flapper is when a piece of skin tears off, leaving raw skin underneath. My very first overhung jug climb ended with a flapper, and it definitely hurt. (I’ll go over how to properly clean and care for flappers in a future post.)

Pinches:

If you’re not using your thumb, you’re not pinching correctly.

Pinches require you to squeeze the hold between your fingers and thumb, which means they demand a lot of grip and forearm strength. These can feel tough at first, but they’re great for building hand strength over time. A common way to train your pinch strength is with a pinch block! I found mine off of ESTY!

Slopers:

Slopers are rounded holds with no clear edge and often very little friction. They rely heavily on body positioning rather than pure grip strength.

Tips for slopers:

Keep your arms as straight as possible

Stay low and engage your body

Use an open-hand grip to maximize skin contact

*May be uncomfortable for wrists *

Crimps:

Crimps are my personal favorite.

These are small edges that may only fit two or three fingers. If you have smaller hands, you might find that crimps eventually become a strength. They require precision, control, and good footwork.

Be cautious, though, crimps put a lot of strain on your fingers. If your finger strength isn’t developed yet, overusing crimps can lead to injury.

Pockets:

Unless the pocket is very large, I don’t recommend climbing on pockets unless you’re consistantly climbing V4's!

Pockets are holes in the wall that usually fit one or two fingers. They require a lot of finger strength, tension, and precision. A common movement on pockets is called a rose move, which can be especially stressful on the fingers.

I’ve been climbing for five years, have routeset, competed, and I still actively avoid pockets when I can due to a past finger injury. If it is a small pocket these take much percision, control and tension.