Solid elements like rock, wood, plants, and the plastics used in modern climbing holds constitute these materials. Air and rain, while present in the environment, are not considered materials in this context. These materials collectively form the specific setting for the activity: the climbing wall at the gym, the outdoor crag, or the competition stage.
The environment is the fundamental physical reality that the climber interacts with using their and , providing the context and potential challenges for the or a climber's .
are the elements of , all of which possess texture—qualities such as , , , , or . These materials may also deform under stress, such as flexing holds in a climbing gym. Whether these materials are natural, like earth-formed rock, or artificial, like human-made plastics, they can share identical textures. is critical because it directly influences movement () and pathfinding (). , for instance, a direct result of texture, is necessary to keep a contact point stable. While actions () can be performed on even the most slippery surfaces, the success of the movement depends heavily on understanding the material properties. Surface characteristics—, , , , and —are all aspects of the that dictate how we interact with it.It is essential to consider one's experience of the because these material properties determine what actions the environment allows (). Functionally equivalent materials—for example, a hollow or solid hold that flexes identically—are experienced the same way and afford the same , making their internal structure irrelevant to the labor at hand.
Climbing conditions, primarily weather and temperature, significantly affect ; in is substantially harder than in optimal autumn temperatures. These conditions directly influence the environment (), which setters manipulate to force specific . use familiar hold shapes, or the natural features of rock surfaces and sites, to guide movement. The orientation of a hold is always relative to the climber's position.
are part of , they extend an 's to perform on .