Chris started Ghastly Grips in 2024 after realizing he might be able to use his 3D printing experience for climbing hold innovation. Most climbing holds are made in three main stages: shaping artist’s foam, creating a mold, and pouring the hold material. In the shaping phase, climbing hold designers hand carve foam into a variety of shapes to create the holds. This foam hold is then used to create a silicone mold. The texture of these holds mimics the texture of the foam and dual texture holds require a multi-step process. 

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Instead, Ghastly Grips uses 3D printing rendering software to design the holds, which allows for easy inclusion of a variety of textures in one design. For example, our dual texture Road Rash series features asphalt inspired textured grip. Once the 3D render is created, a hold can be printed. These are not the final holds, but they are strong enough to screw into an actual wall and test the feel and shape of the hold while climbing before the mold is created. All holds are designed, printed, and poured in house by Chris.