Help and Advice

Every climbing wall is unique. There is almost no right or wrong way to create your wall. Below is some general information and recommendations to go by:

Number of holds:
For good coverage, we recommend 1 hold for every 2 square feet of wall space. (16 per sheet of plywood) When cost is a concern, some people will go with 1 hold for every 3 square feet. Let your budget be your guide here as you can always add more at a later time! When dealing with younger climbers, beginners, or overhanging walls, be sure to focus on positive holds such as our Bucket Sets. Foot chips are small, most of them will be difficult to use without climbing shoes.

Three Basic Hold Types:

	Bucket Holds Incut design allows you to wrap your fingers over an edge and down inside of the hold. These are the easiest types of climbing holds. Great for beginners, young climbers, overhangs, and all around training.
	Crimp Holds Typically a narrow edge that only has room for half of your finger or less. The edge can be incut, flat, or sloped. More challenging to use, requires greater finger/tendon strength.
	Sloper Holds Holds with downward sloping sides where typically the finger tips do not get a positive feature to grab on to. These are the most difficult of these three basic hold types. Requires good contact strength.

Other Hold Types:
Besides the three basics shown above, there are many other catagories of climbing holds. One example is 'pinch holds' which require you to pinch the hold by grabbing both sides. Another catatory is 'foot chips' which are typically under 2" in diameter and are designed for use by the foot only.

Bolts:
Holds typically include standard alloy socket head bolts. These are rated for indoor use only. If your wall is outdoors, we highly recommend upgrading to stainless steel bolts. Select this option before adding the item to your shopping cart.

Number of t-nuts:
We recommend at least 2.25 t-nuts for every square foot of wall space. (72 per sheet of plywood) All these t-nuts t-nuts will allow for greater hold density and more freedom when selecting hold location. Unless you can easily get to the backside of your wall, be sure to do it right the first time. Some people will use over 100 t-nuts per sheet of plywood.

Wall Design:
General construction guidelines should be used when designing a climbing wall. We recommend that you seek qualified assistance if you are not experienced in construction. Studs should be placed every 16" on center on the backside of the plywood. 2x6's are commonly used for vertical and slight overhangs. The steeper the wall, the more substantial the framing should be. Studs are relatively inexpensive, so go overboard when in doubt. The standard climbing wall facing is 3/4" plywood. Do not attempt to use thinner plywood or drywall.

There are an unlimited amount of designs for climbing walls. There is no right or wrong design, so use your creativity. Below are some common profiles, as shown from the side. The are in order from easiest to hardest from a climbing perspective.

Have installation or usage questions?
Please visit our Install page for help with installing t-nuts, holds, and much more. Please contact us with with any questions.