A sidepull is a hold that faces sideways, away from your body. You pull it towards your middle and lean your body away from it [101, 102].
Grade Directional holds appear on easy problems. Movement gyms list them first among five essential techniques [42]. From V2, most problems need them.
How to do it
Read which way the hold faces. A hold on your left whose edge faces left is a left-hand sidepull.
Grip it thumb up, fingers pointing into the edge. Pull towards your middle.
Lean away. Move your hips and shoulders right until your left arm is straight [101, 102].
Push your feet the other way. Your left foot pushes left against its foothold [101].
Turn side-on to reach. Later, a backstep or partial drop knee on the reaching side adds height [101].
If there is a spot for your thumb on the back of the hold, squeeze it into a pinch[101].
Figure 50 (a) Under a left-hand sidepull, the body swings open. (b) Body to the right of it, leaning away. The left foot pushes left.
Common mistakes
Feet in the wrong place, so nothing pushes against the pull. Put a foot under the hold.
Small climbers. Burying your hand in a deep sidepull or undercling feels secure but shortens your reach. When you need distance, slide your hand out towards the edge, as far as it still holds, before you move off it [62].
