How to Read Indoor Climbing Wall Routes

Reading the holds on an indoor climbing wall before trying a route can save you from many frustrating attempts. It helps you to avoid the usual scenario of desperately trying to try a route until you get tired after a few attempts and then fall off within a few seconds.

Table of Contents

Identify the Route by Colour

Every route is done with holds of a single colour. Many climbers mark the holds of a route with a small tag at the start of the route. On busy panels it can be very confusing if there are holds of many different colours on the wall. So first find the start holds of your colour and then follow the holds of your colour from bottom to top of the wall.

Find the Start Holds and Sequence

The two start holds for a route are marked with two holds and a tag with the colour of the route. Follow the holds up the wall in the order, tracing the line of the holds as if you were climbing, and look for the natural sequence of holds between them rather than the closest hold.

Spot Rests, Jugs, and Crux Sections

The bigger, inward facing holds are the jugs. These are the best places to stop for a moment to take your breath, or to reattach yourself to the wall. The smaller, more angular holds are all harder moves and so you need to have enough energy to make each of them. Knowing what to expect from the start can save a lot of unnecessary tiredness on route. See also Climbing Wall Reading.

Plan Your Feet Deliberately

As with handholds, when learning to read routes as a core climbing skill, you should also be paying attention to the feet for every section of the route, selecting where your feet will go before you leave the ground.

Visualise the Whole Climb First

Air climb up the route standing back from the wall and follow each section of holds up to the top of the climb in the correct order in which you will use them. This should take no more than 30 seconds. When you come to climb the route you should feel more together if you have read the wall properly.

A little preparation on the ground saves a lot of effort on the wall.