Hold question for home wall...

[OldMan]

Yep, it is true, I'm a newb to your forum!

 

I'm ready to install a home wall, and I've been all over the web looking at the various holds that I can use. The holds I'm interested in are from Synrock. Does anyone have any info on these holds??

 

Thanks,

The OldMan!

[willstrickland]

After 10 years of climbing on plastic, I honestly don't think it makes any difference whatsoever which brand holds you buy.

 

There's a gym in the northern burbs of Atlanta that instead of using tape to mark routes, they set routes completely out of one brand/color holds.(It's good in a way because no tape to fall off, and easier to spot the hold thats "on")

 

Climbing there you can get a good feel for specific brand or even "series" within a brand. For example, the 5.2 on the 45 wall would be listed as "yellow/blue Nicros swirls" and would consist only of those holds.

 

After climbing there, as well as many other plastic palaces, brand doesn't matter. Look for the shapes you want and the best deal. Avoid very large holds or overly long holds with only one bolt hole (they spin easily).

 

If I personally were building a home wall, the first thing I'd buy would be either some systems strips or pairs of matching holds to build a systems wall. It would end up being something like a dozen identical holds of each type (pocket, pinch, edge) with another dozen jugs if you go with individual holds instead of panels/strips.

 

Several companies make systems strips or panels that have five or six grip positions on each. Almost like a mini or half sized finger board.

 

This of course assumes you just want to get strong. If you're looking to have fun (oxymoron to me) on your home wall, a wide variety of other holds to set varied problems with would be the ticket.

[rr666]

After 10 years of climbing on plastic, I honestly don't think it makes any difference whatsoever which brand holds you buy.

I agree, plastics plastic. I feel it is better to use a wide variety, so you do not get too used to a single type.

 

There's a gym in the northern burbs of Atlanta that instead of using tape to mark routes, they set routes completely out of one brand/color holds.(It's good in a way because no tape to fall off, and easier to spot the hold thats "on")

 

LA Rock Gym (now Beach City Rocks) does this too, sometimes with the help of a can of spray paint.

[OldMan]

Thanks for the response, but the 2 holds I've referred to are either actual granite [petrogrips.com] or sandstone composite form [synrockholds.com]. Yes, I agree, plastic is plastic. I'm really looking for someone that has some experience with one or both of these particular holds.

 

The Oldman!

Edited February 6, 2004 by OldMan

[willstrickland]

Ok, let me be more specific. I've climbed on synrock's stuff.

 

Synrock's big selling point is the texture. You can refresh the texture or make it rougher by soaking the holds in muriatic acid. This is the same shizzle used to clean stone facades, fences, driveways, etc...available at the hardware store. Your local pressure-washer guy probably has a 55 gal drum of this stuff. Basically it's just a dilute acid. These holds are simply sand grains cemented together with a limestone based material. The result: you soak the hold, it dissolves some of the surface limestone bonding agent and exposes more of the sand grains giving a rougher texture, or dissolves out the caked up chalk restoring the original texture....as you wish.

 

So the question is, so what? The selling point is that it feels like real rock. To me that is NOT a good selling point. Artificial holds should be more skin friendly than real rock, not the same. Your training should be dictated by muscles, not how long your skin will hold up.

 

Real rock holds aren't really too good either. The skin friendly specimens cake with chalk and polish easily.

 

Plastic can easily be run thought the dishwasher or soaked in muriatic acid to dissolve the caked chalk. The difference is you can't restore the texture that results from the "polishing" of extensive use of plastic. This isn't really a negative to me...it takes a long time for plastic to get really polished and usually is only an issue on small footholds.

 

I guess what I'm getting at is "don't believe the hype". Just get the best deal on shapes you like.

[OldMan]

OK, that is more of what I've been looking for. Thanks.

[EWolfe]

IMO, for indoor climbing, the softer the edges on the holds the more tendon-friendly they are, as well. Real-rock holds tend to have sharper edges than most of the excellent line of artificial holds that Franklin, Pusher or Nicros puts out.

[johnny]

Oldman- I climb pretty frequently at bouldering gym put together by Jim Horton of Houndears fame here in NC and there is one constant that makes it the best indoor climbing I have ever experienced: BIG SLOPERS. no tendon unfriendly crimpers or rails, just long throws to big fat slopey holds on a steep wall. Works your core and contact strength without stressing anything else. NOTHING sucks more than injuring yourself while climbing INDOORS!!!!!! IMHO.

[Distel32]

johnny slopers are dope in the gym, but you also need to get crimp strong. go to a place like smith, bishop, joe's valley, hueco! all those places have slopers, but crimps are much more common.

 

In the gym get strong. fun outside. Pusher and soill make the best holds hands down. especially soill