holdlessadj.
/ˈhəʊldlɪs/ Mountaineering.
Affording no holds; having a smooth unbroken surface.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > mountaineering or climbing > [adjective] > types of terrain
holdless1922
wind-slab1936
very severe1951
thin1955
chossy1965
1922 E. R. Eddison Worm Ouroboros xiii. 184 Cliffs smooth and holdless as a castle wall.
1933 G. D. Abraham Mod. Mountaineering x. 184 To help in the abseil or descent of steep, almost holdless places.
1971 Country Life 25 Feb. 410/1 Alastair solved problem after problem..making short work finally of the hardest obstacle, an awkward holdless entry to a chimney at the start of the last tower.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1976; most recently modified version published online March 2018).
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adj.1922