Frequently Asked Questions
General
*Please allow up to 48 hours for your tracking number to show movement. If your tracking number states "Arriving late" please reach out to your local post office for more information.
Q: Where is Escape Climbing?
A: We’re happy to make our home in Minneapolis, MN. Yeah it can be cold here in the winter, but it’s also awesome. There’s a good reason why so many climbing companies (and amazing climbing gyms, for that matter) make their home here.
Q: Are Escape Climbing holds made in the USA?
A: For the most part, yes! That said, Escape Climbing also includes the Kingdom, Friction, Legacy Ascension, and Working Class climbing hold lines. We make a good portion of these in-house, but we also utilize other high-end production facilities (Aragon and Comp-X) for certain lines or hold families. We’re always happy to chat with you about exactly where your holds are produced, especially if it’s important to you or your company.
Q: How many holds do I need for a wall?
A: The answer to that is pretty subjective. A typical wall will have 1 hold per every 2 square feet. A higher density wall (a dense bouldering wall with criss-crossing problems) might increase to 1 hold per every square foot, and a ‘spray wall’ will squeeze in as many holds as possible - around 2-3 holds per square foot.
Q: What colors do you offer on holds?
A: We can pour just about any color you can imagine. The international climbing industry uses 37 different colors. Below are the 10 most common USA colors that we pour for NO extra cost on our wholesale orders. Don’t see your color code below? No problem. We pour several other standard colors for NO extra fee. If you still have any questions about the colors you need, or want to talk to us about a custom color, contact us at orders@escapeclimbing.com
Q: What is the 'No Preference' color option on holds?
A: It is an option if you literally don't care what color you receive. Simply select 'No Preference,' and we'll fulfill your order with the colors we are making that day or have in inventory. Ordering multiple sets may result in receiving all sets in one color or each set in different colors, depending on production or inventory availability. (This includes full lines, which may come in one color or multiple colors) This allows us to expedite your order and provide you with a discounted rate! A great win-win for anyone without specific color preferences or needs.
Q: Why is the Escape gray different from the Kingdom gray?
A: Escape’s standard gray code is 18-10, which is specific to Escape only. Most of our big Kingdom and Working Class holds are poured over at Aragon in Colorado, and their standard gray is 18-09.
Q: How do you make a climbing hold?
A: Whew! Buckle up, we’re about to take you on an adventure! (Yea!) Every hold we pour at Escape Climbing experiences the same interesting life cycle. They start their humble beginnings as nothing more than an idea. A concept to be realized in foam. Hours of meticulous crafting, sculpting give way to a shape that is destined for the Molding Department where our wizards of silicone use their dark magic to create molds of every new shape.
Once the molds are finished, they then migrate up the factory floor to a new neighborhood: the Production Room. A truly bonkers amount of plastic floweth through this room every day (thanks entirely to all of our amazing customers and your continued support!!). Here, our podcast and 90s Hip Hop-fueled alchemists use their mysterious ways (mostly chemistry, engineering, and art degrees) to pour liquid ‘plastic’ into these special molds in whatever color you choose, cured, and popped out of the molds again as what will be your holds. Countless holds will transform from these gooey dribbles of plastic into battle-ready shapes in this room. But before they make it to your wall, they need to go to finishing school to work on their polish. Once born, these shapes slide down the line to Post-Production where they will get hit with a little sanding and drilling love, going through a rigorous QC process to make sure everything is dialed in for your wall. At this point, anything that doesn’t quite live up to our standards (but are still solid enough to be climbed on) take a left turn here into our Factory Seconds bin.
After this loving scrub-down, the shapes get bagged and boxed up to keep the sets together and protect them on their journey to their new homes. And that's it! That's the full (abbreviated) life cycle.
Q: Are you hiring?
A: If we have open positions, you can see them listed here. If there aren’t any positions, or any positions that match your background and interest, you’re more than welcome to send us an email with your resume and a quick note about what you bring to the table. We can’t promise we’ll be able to respond, but we’ll keep your resume on file.
Ordering/Wholesale
Q: Do you offer wholesale rates for bulk/gym orders?
A: Yes! Got a climbing gym, recreation center, or outdoor pro-shop? You don't have to pay full retail! Create an account and request wholesale pricing here to place orders via this site, or send us an email at orders@escapeclimbing.com for a copy of our current Wholesale ordering form. Please note that any holds that are produced at Aragon may be subject to an Aragon handling fee. We don’t have any control over this, but will let you know if and when this applies to you.
Shipping
Q: Why does my International package need payment before delivery?
A: All International packages will be subject to duties, fees and or taxes. These fees are not included in the cost of the shipping label from Escape Climbing since every country is different and these laws change frequently. If you need more information on this please contact your local post office or UPS store. Here is some info directly from UPS, which breaks down the Custom Clearance rates. *Please note that these prices are subject to change.
Q: Why is my International USPS package no longer tracking?
A: When shipping internationally with USPS, they will stop tracking the package once it leaves the US. Once it arrives in the country where the package is being delivered, tracking will update through the local postal service.
Q: When will my order ship?
A: Stock hardware, training tools, holds and other stock items will ship in 1-3 days via USPS or UPS. Non-stock items have a 1-3 week lead time including volumes, Escape, Friction, Fusion and Working Class. Kingdom Holds are produced at Aragon Elastomers in Colorado and are currently taking up to 12 weeks to ship.
Q: Why is my shipping taking so long?
A: USPS and UPS are experiencing delays during this time. Please reach out to your local post office or UPS office if you are curious about delivery times. Also, for USPS shipping, please allow up to 48 hours for your tracking number to show movement. If your tracking number states "Arriving late" please reach out to your local post office for more information. International packages may be held up by customs, we try our best to ship out packages so they go through customs without any problems but packages can take longer due to a backup or needing more information. Reach out to your local post office or UPS for more information.
Q: What is included in the Free USA Shipping?
A: Free shipping will apply at checkout for USA addresses. However, we may have to request additional shipping if the delivery address is in Alaska, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, military and air force bases, or in a UPS extended delivery area. This additional charge only applies when we have to ship large items that do not fit in USPS flat rate boxes.
Q: How can I get my holds quicker?
A: Shopping our in-stock inventory is the fastest way to get holds. In stock orders generally ship in 3-5 days. Make sure to choose the correct color that is in stock. Also, Monthly Hold Subscriptions ship quickly too and are another way to regularly get holds quickly at a discount. You can cancel at any time.
Returns & Exchanges
Q: What is your Warranty Policy?
A: If you purchase a Company product from any Company Websites that you believe is defective, please contact our customer service department at orders@escapeclimbing.com and make arrangements to return the product to us with your receipt and proof of purchase showing the purchase date. The Company will inspect, and if a warranty issue is found, will repair, give credit or replace the product at our sole discretion. Customers will receive a credit via a discount code for any products covered under our warranty. This credit can be used to replace the product or shop a different product on our website. If Company determines that there is no warranty issue with the returned product, the product will be returned to you with a note of explanation.
Click here if you’d like to read our full Warranty & Refund Policy.
Q: My package was damaged in the mail! Whats next?
A: Before we can process any warranty claims for missing or damaged products, we will need your assistance in filing an insurance claim with the shipping carrier. Firstly, please provide us with photos of the damaged box. It's crucial to retain all packaging materials. The mailing carrier (specifically USPS) may require you to present the damaged package, including the wrapping, packaging, and any other contents, to your local Post Office for inspection within 20 days after a claim is initiated. If you discard the box, we may be unable to complete the insurance claim, thus hindering our ability to fully resolve the issue for you.
Q: There is something wrong with my order. How do I make an exchange?
A: First of all, we’re bummed that something isn’t right. But it happens sometimes, and we’ve set up a Returns & Exchanges page to help walk you through the process. If you’ve already found that but still have questions, please don’t hesitate to email us here.
Q: Are climbing holds toxic?
A: Short answer - No… Long answer - our climbing holds are non-toxic and inert. Climbing holds are produced from a thermoset polymer known as polyurethane. Polyurethane is produced by the reaction of two component raw materials. These components are the polyurethane intermediates known as isocyanate (Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate) and a polyol. These components, in their unreacted forms, can be hazardous to human health. However, the reaction between the two components converts all of the isocyanate and polyol from their original forms into the urethane polymer, no isocyanate or polyol remain after this reaction. Research from Krone and Klinger* published in the journal of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology showed that completely cured polyurethane products are fully reacted and therefore non-toxic and inert. Climbing holds produced at Escape Climbing are completely cured so unreacted isocyanate or polyol no longer remain. The only known health risk associated with climbing holds occurs when heated significantly or involved in a fire. Polyurethane climbing holds contain organic nitrogen, as with many natural and man-made materials that contain organic nitrogen there will be dangerous combustion products including carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide gas produced in the event of exposure to temperatures greater than 350 degrees F. So don’t burn them, that would be bad.
* Krone, C. A. and Klingner, T. D. (2005), Isocyanates, polyurethane and childhood asthma. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 16: 368-379. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3038.2005.00295.x
Q: What about VOC’s and plasticisers?
A: Unlike many other plastics and coatings, Escape Climbing holds are produced with no solvents and no non-reactive plasticisers. Therefore there is very little concern about free chemical species available for human exposure with a cured polyurethane product. Other consumer plastic products (not climbing holds) can contain non-reactive plasticisers and VOC containing solvents. Non-reactive phthalate plasticisers are used to reduce the hardness of many polymers such as PVC and polyurethane. These plasticisers are released when heating or during food contact with a plastic product. The second concern for other consumer plastics and coatings are VOC containing solvents. These compounds are primarily used in paints and coatings that are produced by dispersion in a solvent. These compounds evaporate upon drying the coating and can release VOC’s into the environment. Since Escape Climbing products are completely cured, do not use non-reactive plasticisers, and do not use VOC containing solvents, our climbing holds pose no known health risks when used properly.
Q: Are there safety concerns with plywood?
A: Dust and heat will be your main concerns with any plywood product, so if you can avoid dust and heat you are off to a good start. When it comes to air contaminates, our birch plywood is CARB Phase 2 (93120) compliant, meaning that it releases a low enough amount of formaldehyde to be considered safe.
Wood Dust: Avoid inhaling wood dust and use appropriate personal protective equipment if drilling, sawing, sanding or machining plywood. Wood dust and formaldehyde may be irritating to eyes, skin and/or respiratory system. Wood dust is known to the State of California to cause cancer. Additionally, wood dust may ignite or form an explosive mixture with air.
Heat: Rule of thumb...don't burn our plywood products. High heat and open flames may emit irritating fumes or gases of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, aldehydes, organic acids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that can be released from the heated or burning plywood.
