Gripped Magazine
Trad climbing and whipping on gear in a gym? These holds make it possible
If you thought that taking whippers on gear was something reserved for outdoor climbing, that might be changing.
A Spanish company has created indoor climbing wall features that allow climbers to place protection in the gym. These indoor crack holds allow for cams up to #2 sizes, large nuts and tricams.
Tarragó, a manufacturer of climbing walls from Barcelona, is the company behind these holds for cams. They’re called TAP modules, which in Catalan translates to something like ‘plug’ or ‘stopper’ in English.
Pictures and videos of the devices show what looks like a big macro-like hold with an interchangeable crack in it.
Paulino Gallego, CEO at AlpineWall, a distributor for Tarragó, told Gripped the idea came from Genís Hernandez and David Tarragó, while the development of the TAP modules was a joint effort by Hernandez, Tarragó and Paco Rodríquez, he said.
It could be a more approachable way to get people introduced to trad climbing.
“This system is designed for practicing tedious maneuvers under supervision in a safe environment and for conducting introductory courses in traditional climbing inside climbing [gym] walls,” said Gallego.
“This allows beginner climbers to venture out onto traditional routes with the necessary knowledge to perform the activity safely. It’s also worth mentioning that there are climbing gyms that equip routes of varying difficulty for more advanced climbers.”
This also allows trad climbers to do their thing even when the weather doesn’t permit.
As far as whipping goes, Gallego said these products have been approved by the University of Valencia and meet UIAA requirements.
They can take forces over 8 kN, though in a lab, they’ve been able to take loads over 10 kN, he said.
At the moment, TAP modules are being installed in Spain, with some examples being the Yurok Climbing Center in Madrid and Les Agulles in Barcelona. But it won’t just stay in Spain, if all goes according to plan. There are future ambitions to expand the product’s reach, starting with Europe and Asia.
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