How to Make Cheap Wood and Rock Climbing Holds

Create a Better Home Climbing Gym Using Basic Materials and Tools

Nov 30, 2008

A Doorknob with a Counter Sunk Washer and Bolt, Alli Rainey

Rock climbers looking for inexpensive climbing holds for the home climbing wall can create their own rock climbing holds out of rock and wood in a few simple steps.

Climbers wondering how to make climbing holds to improve their climbing training facility can fashion a wide diversity of holds from two of the most basic materials: wood and rock. By following a few simple steps for each medium, a climber can produce a unique new range of climbing holds to enhance their training for climbing.

Wooden Climbing Holds

Select a piece of wood. This can be of almost any size, shape, and dimension, so long as it’s not rotten. It helps to have a picture of the desired hold shape in one’s head when choosing the wood. Alternately, look at a scrap piece of wood or a previously shaped piece of wood (doorknob, railing, molding), and imagine what climbing hold shape it could be easily transformed into.
Cut the piece of wood to the rough shape of the hold. This is most easily done with a chop saw, but can also be done with a handsaw. This process can range from a simple one-angle cut on a piece of plywood to create a crimper to making multiple cuts on a big chunk of wood to craft a sloper or a pinch.
Sand any sharp edges and splintered areas of the hold.
Drill a hole perpendicularly through the center of the hold. The hole must be slightly larger than the size of the bolts used on the climbing wall. For small footholds, breakage is less likely to occur if a couple smaller screws are used in lieu of a larger bolt hole.
If the climber’s hand will potentially hit the bolt when grabbing the hold, such as on a sloper or pinch, consider counter-sinking the bolt and washer. Use a drill bit the same size as the washer, and drill in about half an inch — the depth of the screw and washer — so that they fit flush with the rest of the hold.
If desired, paint the hold with textured spray paint for added grip. Another option involves mixing washed sand with paint and spreading this on the hold.

Stone Climbing Holds

Legally gather a large selection of rocks. Look for rocks that have as close to one perfectly flat side as possible. The best candidates tend to be bigger sizes of the harder rock types (granite, river-washed rock, quartzite, limestone, hard sandstone), though there are exceptions to this. Slate, soft sandstone, shale, and thin limestone generally break while drilling.
Find, borrow, or buy an SDS hammer drill (the same type of drill used to bolt sport climbing routes, such as a Bosch Annihilator). If new to using the drill, be sure to read up on its proper usage. Use eye protection. Attempt to drill a hole through each rock perfectly perpendicular to the flattest side of the rock. Be prepared for many of the rocks to break before the hole is completed.
Carefully tap off all sharp edges and shards using a hammer until smooth enough to grab with force.
Acquire bolts that are long enough to go through the rocks’ holes and still engage completely with the T-nuts in the wall.

Safety Caveats

Wooden holds: Watch for sharp edges, splinters, and cracks that could lead to hold breakage. Always use a washer with all bolts.
Stone holds: If the bottom of the rock isn’t flat, it can rock on the wall and eventually weaken and snap the bolt. Weak rock (sandstone, limestone, etc.) can smash, shatter, or break when the climber pulls on the hold, so don’t use these rock types to make holds.

The copyright of the article How to Make Cheap Wood and Rock Climbing Holds in Indoor Climbing is owned by Alli Rainey. Permission to republish How to Make Cheap Wood and Rock Climbing Holds in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.