Indirock Climbing Jargon Series

Indirock’s bouldering jargon busting series: H is for…

Heels, holds, hands and more! ⁠

The climbing world is full of jargon and terminology, which we aim to break down through our alphabet series to make the world of climbing a little less daunting! ⁠


H is for…

HOLD

Something that climbers hold onto or use for their feet, to help them climb a problem.

HAND JAM

A jam in which an open hand is inserted into a crack and pressed against the sides with the knuckles against one side, fingertips and palm against the other.

HAND STACKING

An advanced technique for hand jamming in offwidth cracks.

HALF CRIMP

A versatile grip in which the fingers are partially bent. It’s a compromise between open handing and crimping and is particularly useful on flat holds.

HEEL HOOK

The act of ‘hooking’ your heel onto a hold. Good for pulling you closer to out-of-reach holds with your free hand.

HEEL-TOE JAM

A jam used in wide cracks.

HUECO

A large rounded pocket – where the name for our Hueco trail mix comes from!

Watch out for the rest of our alphabet dropping soon.

Indirock is Essex’s biggest bouldering wall, offering top quality indoor rock climbing for all ages. We also have a great coffee shop!