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The Sweet Spot Of Bouldering: 5 Things You Didn't Know About 'Donuts' Climbing Holds

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The landscape of indoor climbing is constantly evolving, and as of December 26, 2025, one of the most intriguing and challenging shapes to dominate the modern bouldering wall is the 'Donut' climbing hold. Far from a novelty item, these distinctive, torus-shaped grips—often deployed as large slopers or macros—represent a significant shift in routesetting philosophy, moving away from rock-mimicking grips toward highly intentional, geometric forms. This unique shape, produced by several prominent manufacturers, demands a specific and often counter-intuitive climbing technique, making it a favorite for setters looking to test a climber's balance, core tension, and open-hand strength.

The term "Donuts" doesn't refer to a single product but rather a design concept that has been adopted by major players in the industry, including Snap Climbing and Agripp, each putting their own technical spin on the circular form. Whether you encounter them as massive fiberglass volumes that require full-body compression or as smaller, tricky PU footholds, understanding the engineering and intent behind the Donut hold is crucial for mastering the most modern and challenging routes in your gym.

Key Manufacturer and Product Profile: The Donut Hold Ecosystem

The "Donuts" climbing hold shape is a testament to the diverse and innovative nature of modern climbing hold manufacturing. Unlike a standard crimp or jug, the Donut’s circular, often convex or sloped surface forces specific hand placements and body positions. The hold is not tied to a single creator, but rather a design entity, with three main applications dominating the market:

  • Snap Climbing - Donuts Series: Snap Climbing, a well-known brand, utilizes the Donut shape in their fiberglass volumes (GRP) and polyurethane (PU) holds. Their larger 'Donuts' are often categorized as XL Slopers or Macros. These are designed to be difficult to hold, requiring exceptional friction management and body tension. They are typically hollow or semi-hollow fiberglass volumes, making them lightweight for their size, which is a key consideration for routesetters.
  • Agripp (via Proxy Climbing) - Dune Asia Donut 1: Agripp, a respected manufacturer of macros and volumes, features the Donut shape in its 'Dune Asia' line. The 'Donut 1' is described as a full texture macro hold made from fiberglass. This version emphasizes the macro-hold functionality, serving as a massive feature on the wall that dictates the entire flow of a sequence, often used for dynamic, large-movement problems.
  • Eclipse Presas - Children's Psychomotricity Holds: On the opposite end of the spectrum, companies like Eclipse Presas use the Donut shape for children's climbing and psychomotricity circuits. These packs of three holds are uniquely designed to allow a "pool churro" or thick foam to be placed through the center. This adaptation transforms the hold into a fun, interactive element for games and motor skill development, highlighting the shape's versatility beyond high-performance bouldering.
  • 3D-Printed Designs: The shape's simplicity and aesthetic appeal have also made it popular in the DIY and 3D-printing community (e.g., Cults 3D models), where users can print their own sets in varying difficulties (hard, intermediate, easy) to be mounted with M10 bolts.

The common thread across all these products is the torus or ring shape. In high-performance settings, this shape minimizes positive edges, maximizing the sloper effect and forcing climbers to rely on pure friction and structural strength rather than simply pulling on a lip.

The Unique Design Philosophy: Why a Donut and Not a Jug?

The shift from holds that mimic natural rock features (like crimps, pockets, and cracks) to abstract, geometric shapes is the defining characteristic of modern routesetting. The Donut hold is a prime example of this evolution.

Intentional Friction and Sloper Mastery

A traditional jug is designed for maximum grip, allowing a climber to rest or make a powerful move. The Donut, especially in its sloper/macro form, is designed for the opposite: minimal positive grip. Its rounded, convex surfaces challenge the climber’s ability to generate friction. Climbers must engage their entire hand, using an open-hand technique, and apply pressure evenly across the surface. This design forces the development of several critical climbing skills:

  • Open-Hand Strength: The shape is unforgiving to crimping, directly training the crucial open-hand grip, which is vital for tendon health and advanced sloper climbing.
  • Body Tension and Core Engagement: Maintaining grip on a Donut is a full-body exercise. Any slack in the core or poor footwork will immediately cause the hand to slip. The hold demands a high degree of "body tension"—the ability to keep the body rigid and close to the wall.
  • Precision Footwork: Because the hands are working so hard to stay on, the feet must be absolutely precise and trustworthy. Routes featuring Donut holds often pair them with equally challenging footholds (like small edges or smears) to create a complex, full-body puzzle.

The aesthetic appeal of the hold is also a factor. Like other abstract volumes, the Donut provides a visually striking element that breaks up the monotony of a flat wall, adding an artistic dimension to the routesetting craft.

Training Benefits and Routesetting Innovation

The incorporation of Donut holds into training walls and commercial gyms offers specific, measurable benefits for climbers looking to break through plateaus, particularly in bouldering grades V4 and above.

Developing Advanced Movement Skills

Donut holds are frequently used by routesetters to create problems that require advanced movement patterns, moving beyond simple pulling and pushing:

  1. Compression Moves: When two Donut slopers are set facing each other, the climber must use a powerful compression grip, squeezing the holds together while pulling their body up. This is a highly effective way to train chest, shoulder, and bicep strength in a climbing-specific manner.
  2. Dynamic Hops and Coordination: The lack of a positive edge means that a climber cannot "set up" for a dynamic move by hanging comfortably. Instead, they must execute a fast, precise, and powerful movement (a "tricky hopping move" or dyno) from a position of instability. This trains coordination and the ability to commit to a move with minimal hesitation.
  3. The "Sloper-Crimp" Hybrid: Some Donut designs, like certain Snap models, are deep enough to allow for a slight incut or edge on the inner ring, effectively creating a sloper-crimp hybrid. This forces the climber to transition quickly between an open-hand sloper grip on the outside and a finger-intensive crimp on the inside—a complex skill that mimics the subtle shifts in grip required on natural rock.

Topical Authority: LSI Keywords and Related Entities

Mastering routes with Donut holds requires familiarity with a wide range of climbing concepts and gear. The hold itself is a 'volume' or 'macro,' often made from 'fiberglass' or 'polyurethane' resin. The grip style is predominantly 'open-hand' or 'full-hand sloper,' directly contrasting with 'crimps' and 'pockets.' Routesetters use them to create 'technical' problems that test 'body tension,' 'friction management,' and 'sequencing.' Other climbing companies and related entities that are part of this ecosystem include 'Teknik,' 'Method Grips,' and 'Atomik Climbing Holds,' all of whom contribute to the modern, abstract hold design movement.

In essence, the Donut climbing hold is a symbol of routesetting innovation. It is a deliberate choice by designers to challenge the climber's comfort zone, demanding a higher level of technical proficiency and full-body engagement. The next time you see this circular feature on the wall, don't miss the chance to engage with its unique challenge—it’s the sweet spot for serious bouldering training.

The Sweet Spot of Bouldering: 5 Things You Didn't Know About 'Donuts' Climbing Holds
donuts - climbing hold
donuts - climbing hold

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