Key takeaways
- An undercling grips a hold from underneath, palm up, pulling out and up.
- It works through opposition — hands pulling out while feet push down to hold tension.
- It's used on flakes, undersides of holds, and overlaps.
- It's often strongest as you move up past the hold, where the angle improves.
What an undercling is
An undercling is a technique in which you grip a hold from underneath, palm facing up, and pull outward and up while pushing down with your feet. The opposing tension — hands pulling, feet pushing — keeps your body on the wall. It’s used on holds that face downward, like the underside of a flake, an overlap, or a roof.
The technique
Grip the hold from below (palm up), keep your arms relatively straight to save energy, and — crucially — get your feet high and push hard against footholds to create the opposition that makes the undercling work. Underclings feel weak at first but become powerful as you move your body up past the hold, where the changing angle improves your leverage.
Reaching a downward-facing flake with nothing to grip from above, a climber undercling it — palm up, pulling out while driving their feet down on high footholds — and as they press their body up past the flake, the undercling becomes solid enough to free a hand for the next reach.
When to use it
Use an undercling on downward-facing holds — flake undersides, overlaps, roofs — where you can’t grip from above. Recognizing when a hold is best underclung (rather than grabbed from on top) is a key movement skill, alongside other directional techniques like the sidepull and gaston, and balance tools like flagging. See more climbing holds.
The bottom line
An undercling grips a hold from underneath, palm up, pulling out and up while your feet push down to create the opposition that holds you on. Used on flakes, overlaps, and the undersides of holds, it feels weak at first but grows powerful as you move up past the hold. Get your feet high, keep arms straight, and learn to spot when a downward-facing hold is best underclung.
Frequently asked questions
What is an undercling in climbing?
An undercling is a technique where you grip a hold from underneath with your palm facing up, then pull outward and up on it while pushing down with your feet. The opposing tension between your hands pulling and your feet pushing keeps you on the wall. It's used on holds that face downward, like the underside of a flake or an overlap.
How do you undercling effectively?
Grip the hold from below (palm up), keep your arms relatively straight to save energy, and crucially get your feet high and push hard against footholds to create the opposition that makes the undercling work. Underclings often feel weak at first but become powerful as you move your body up past the hold, since the changing angle improves your leverage and lets you press it.
When do you use an undercling?
Use an undercling on downward-facing holds — the undersides of flakes, overlaps, and roofs — where you can't grip from above. They're common for moving past a flake or feature, generating reach, and maintaining body tension on steep terrain. Recognizing when a hold is best used as an undercling (rather than trying to grip it from above) is a useful movement skill.
Sources
- Climbing technique — American Alpine Club
- Movement skills — UIAA