Hold Technology
DESIGN
Trango's hold designs are the most artistic shapes in the world and are produced by our incredibly experienced shaping team. The designs are carved in foam with precision and detail. Creating fresh climbing hold designs is what keeps us motivated and we are constantly striving to create new sets.
Trango shapers were among the first to carve artistic elements into climbing hold designs, and many of our most recognizable styles have since become popular and widely copied throughout the industry. Our holds are also designed so that the holds will be relatively friendly to the skin after repeated climbing. Though we have many small and incut shapes that are excellent for training finger strength, you will find these generally to be among the most comfortable designs on the market.
MATERIAL
In over 20 years, Trango has developed one of the broadest climbing hold lines in the market. We began the evolution towards polyurethane in North America and were the first to partner with the leading polyurethane (PU) production facility. The polyurethane material that we use has always been unique and we have gone through various iterations of this mix through our long history.
The material is incredibly strong and resilient to any cracking, chipping or breaking that may be found in polyester resin holds or lower-quality polyurethane lines, which makes Trango Holds a top choice for those who value strength, friction and durability, along with a high quality of design.
In 2023, we began introducing three new hold materials to our line, GRU, GRP, and ABS, giving our customers more options for lightweight macros and environmentally-conscious holds. Read more about hold materials here.
SIZING
Over the years, climbing hold brands have created multiple ways to categorize the size of a single hold or sets of holds. As industry trends change, these metrics must also change (i.e., what was a "large" in 2008 is now a "small" in most lines). With this in mind, we have created a universal sizing system for all climbing holds. The goal of this system is to give route setters a resource to help compare size and value across any hold brand. In addition, the chart incorporates both USA and European sizing. Click the image below for a larger, high resolution version of the chart.
Download a high-resolution size chart
SIZE RING KEY
| SIZE RING | USA (INCHES) | EUROPE (MILLIMETERS) |
| 1 - XXS | Under 2" | Under 50 mm |
| 2 - XS | 2" - 3" | 50 mm - 80 mm |
| 3 - S | 3" - 5" | 80 mm - 130 mm |
| 4 - M | 5" - 8" | 130 mm - 210 mm |
| 5 - L | 8" - 13" | 210 mm - 340 mm |
| 6 - XL | 13" - 21" | 340 mm - 550 mm |
| 7 - XXL | 21" - 34" | 550 mm - 890 mm |
| 8 - XXXL | 34" - 55" | 890 mm - 1440 mm |
| 9 - XXXXL | Over 55" | Over 1440 mm |
FAMILY & STYLE
Families are the most broad groups of our line. We have grouped sets into these categories based on design. From there, all of our shapes are categorized into ever-growing styles.
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ABSTRACT These sets are the result of letting our creative minds wander. Shapes in the Abstract category can be anything from Bubble Wrap to Wings and everything in between. |
GEOLOGIC Geologic sets mimic real rock. We take inspiration from our outdoor climbing adventures and create shapes that mirror this experience. Some styles are more literal, while others are our artistic take on geologic formations. |
PURE Clean lines with that little bit of artistic detail. Pure sets value function, but not at the sacrifice of our hallmark artistic touches. |
TRAINING These shapes are designed for system boards and for working specific, targeted movements. |
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Bubble Wrap |
Blocky Comfy Horse Pens Joe's Valley Lava Skin Limestone Classic Mammoth Rub Myorcan Peabody Real Hueco Remarkable Rocks Sandstone Classic Southern Comfort |
Delta |
Pure Power |
POSITIVITY
We use the following terms as guidelines to how you might want to use the majority of the holds in the identified set. It's up to you, the setter, the artist, the choreographer, to decide if a sloper should be used on the 90-, 45-, or 33-degree angle wall.
- Negative: A hold that creates an inclined line, surface or plane to a wall behind the hold. Usually held open-handed.
- Flat: A hold with a horizontal surface without a slope. Usually intersecting the wall at a 90 degree. Held crimped or open-handed.
- Positive: A hold that creates a declined line or a surface of direction to the wall. Incuts have a raised face edge that makes them easier to grip.
COLORS AND ORDERING
We offer a wide selection of colors for our holds. Available options vary by hold material, with the widest selection for PU holds. A chart of hold color swatches and best matches between materials can be found in the footer navigation.
When browsing holds, you can select to filter in-stock colors only n stock colors can also be selected on any product page. We try to maintain inventory in the 7 main colors as shown below:
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If your desired color is not in stock, we can produce it to order. Production and shipping times for custom hold orders vary by material:
- PU: 2 - 4 weeks
- GRU: 2 - 4 weeks
- ABS: 4 - 6 weeks
- GRP: 8 - 10 weeks
If you have any questions about colors or ordering holds, please email customer service or call 1-800-860-3653.
ATTACHMENT
Trango holds are designed to be attached to an artificial climbing wall surface. Most holds will be attached using a steel bolt, and tightening this bolt to a steel t-nut embedded into the climbing wall. A small number of screw-on holds are designed to be attached directly to a wall surface with only screws.
All Trango bolt-on shapes are produced with an inset washer. This allows ALL of our bolt-on holds to be attached with a 3/8-16 Socket Head Cap Screw (i.e., a large hex bolt). Some of our smaller shapes are carved with a convex recess that is designed to receive a Flat Head Cap Screw (i.e., martini, cone, or small hex bolt) for attachment. Using a Flat Head Cap Screw disperses the pressure applied to the climbing hold surface during tightening and allows for a lower profile bolt attachment, minimizing the bolt's use in the climbing hold as a surface for climbing.
Many customers source hardware such as bolts and screws locally and therefore we do not automatically include bolts in every order. We do, however, offer hardware for any set at a small additional cost. Stainless steel bolts are also available for an additional cost. Please contact customer service to inquire.
WARRANTY
We offer a lifetime warranty against any manufacturer’s defects in Trango climbing holds. If you believe you have identified a problem with a Trango climbing hold and after evaluation we confirm this to be a manufacturer’s defect, we will replace the hold at no cost or exchange for a different hold or set. Please contact our sales representatives or customer service team with any warranty questions.