Our Story
15 Years of Shaping The Movement
Cheeta was founded in 2012 by Laurent Laporte, a shaper and international route setter since the 1990s.
At a time when climbing was evolving rapidly, Cheeta grew out of routesetting itself. Rather than simply reproducing the shapes of rock, we set out to design holds that open up new possibilities for movement. Developed alongside routesetters and shaped by decades of experience, our products have always been driven by one idea: giving setters the tools to create new movement.
That same mindset still guides everything we make.
Every Cheeta product starts with a need. Setters want to create, or recreate, a specific movement, whether it comes from an outdoor inspiration or from a pure idea. But too often, the holds to build it simply don’t exist, or getting there means a lot of improvising. So we make the product that solves it.
Movement comes first.
And as setting has evolved, so have we. When setters needed small holds for fine-tuning, we were among the pioneers of micros. When they needed pockets that were good for the hands but useless as footholds, our Craters range arrived. Boomerangs brought truly unidirectional holds. Boomjumps made the first quintuple paddle possible. Stackable Volume Balls opened up new 3D shapes, and Volume Cracks brought crack climbing to the wall.
More recently, Camemberts have brought a similar level of versatility, allowing setters to fine-tune grip, orientation and the angle of holes and small pockets. The list is long, and it keeps growing.
Competition, our Laboratory
This drive to create movement has made Cheeta an essential name in competition climbing. Competitions are a stage for expression, spectacle and surprise, and what better way to deliver all three than with entirely new movements? All this, without ever losing sight of the roots of our sport and while continuing to value the timeless, essential classics.
That forward-thinking approach and constant push for innovation have kept Cheeta on the World Climbing international circuit since 2012, where we are recognised as a Platinum brand. Our holds have featured at countless World Cups and World Championships, and Cheeta was one of the suppliers for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Competition is where we test, refine and push ideas to their limit, so that these movements can then find their way into climbing gyms everywhere.
One brand, endless combinations
Our catalog covers an exceptionally wide spectrum: holds, macros, volumes and hybrids. Everything is designed to work together, so setters can assemble different pieces of the puzzle and still get a high quality result.
Each series has its own identity, but they are also designed to combine, even to be stacked one on top of another. Put together, they take on a whole new identity of their own.
Next chapter
After more than thirty years of shaping and setting, Laurent Laporte retired in 2024. What began as a family business has, over the past few years, grown into a structured company, and a collective of shapers has taken up the torch with the same passion and philosophy.
There is still so much left to explore in hold design. Our mission remains the same: to keep creating the holds that make new movement possible. And to stay attentive to the needs of setters everywhere, both in competition and on climbing walls around the world.