After several years even the best climbing gym, with the best route setters becomes a little boring. Setting hundreds and perhaps thousands of routes on walls that you climb and set everyday gets a bit old. After awhile its hard to come up with new and interesting ways to suprise your climbers.

And with most gyms around the US and Europe striding into their teens and twenties, still sporting styles popular in their father’s garage-woodie, it may be time for many gyms to try a more modern look.

One way to makeover your aging walls is to bolt-on some wall features called “Volumes”. The beauty of volumes is that they are easily moved around the gym adding a new deminsion for your setters and climbers.

Its easy to take low trafficked areas and turn them into the best walls in the building. If the steep walls in your gym are scaring off the novice climbers, take a few volumes and add some angles that will make it easier and more interesting. If on the other hand you have a dead vertical wall that is ignored more than a chubby girl at prom, then throw some unique volumes on it and watch the jocks line up to dance.

No Assembly Required

Most volumes are attached to the wall with screws or bolts along the rim. Some volumes have built-in t-nuts for adding additional holds. The most common shape is the “tapered triangle”, but come in everything from stalactites to giant doughnuts. They can range in size from a microwave to a minivan.

Though extremely popular in the rest of the world and Europe, volumes have taken some time to catch on with the US crowd. However, volumes are picking up cachet after being featured in many high-profile comps, including this year’s ABS Nationals which featured a custom made volume with an illuminated ETCH logo built into it.

Volumes have also become de rigueur for World Cup walls with some problems made up exclusively of volumes. This makes for unique route setting skills; setting without using the standard bolt-on hold but instead: simply features.

Here’s the run down on the best companies making volumes:

Pyramide: Makes three volumes with modular hold capabilities. The shapes are unique and somewhat easy to install – though it might require two to three people.

Megahold: Is a Canadian company that offers a Crack system, Tufa (which looks more like a purple refrigerator) and something they call a “mini-mega”. These volumes adhere to a real-rock aesthetic, which leaves something to be desired.

Entre Prises UK: The British version of EP carries the field with 21 “macro features”. EP USA could easily be the leader in volume sales in America if they only carried them.

Lapis USA: Probably the number one volume supplier to American gyms. They have twelve smaller volumes that are super light, super tough fiberglass. They’re all easy to install by one person. All the volumes allow for modular climbing holds to be attached

HRT: Carries 13 superb volumes that are regularly featured on World Cup walls throughout Europe. I can’t even begin to tell you my favorite. They, however do not allow for additional holds to be bolted to them.

Piggy Backs

Then there are the “Piggy Backs”. Piggy Backs are small volumes with a single bolt attachment to the wall (like a regular hold). All piggy’s have built-in T-nuts for modular holds.

These are the easiest way to add a little spice to your wall. They can go up anywhere, on any wall (even concrete) and can be handled by one setter.

E-Grips: Only one choice here but the namesake for the whole bunch. The “Biggy Piggy Back” has six t-nuts built in to eG’s trademark uber-tough urethane.

Lapis: In addition to Lapis’ selection of volumes they carry four piggy’s they call “Jackies”.

Nicros: Offers two piggy’s made out of their super light EHT fiberglass. The Nicros website claims that the Jug-or-not and Sentinel “will definitely be weapons of choice among routesetters.”

Do It Yourself

If you have some time on your hands and have the knowledge and skills, making volumes is relatively easy. The most common and easiest material to work with is wood. It helps to have an in-house cabinetmaker or carpenter so you get a quality feature.

Fiberglass however, is quickly catching up as more gyms are experimenting with the flexability and durability of glass. One thing to keep in mind if you’re going to be making volumes is to make sure you leave plenty of flat surface area for modular holds.

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