Have you ever wondered what climbing chalk is for? You may have watched climbing in the Olympics or caught an International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) event on TV. Perhaps you’ve been introduced to rock climbing and were confused about why everybody was dipping their hands in bags of white powder.
If you’ve ever found yourself hanging off the side of a rock, you know how crucial a good grip can be. That’s where climbing chalk comes into play. This magical dust isn’t just for show – it’s a game-changer. Let’s delve into the world of climbing chalk, exploring its types, how to use it, best practices, and even how to clean up after yourself.
What is climbing chalk and why should I use it?
Climbing chalk, made from magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), is used to dry out your hands when climbing. Climbing requires friction between your skin and the holds, so drying them out helps increase this friction. Think of it as a secret weapon to combat slippery situations.
Some climbing chalk is pure magnesium carbonate, and other types of chalk have drying agents added to it. Some of these drying agents cause excessive drying of the hands, so choosing what to use is based on personal preference.
A study published by the National Library of Medicine resulted in an increase in open-handed and grip strength. Although research on climbing friction is still in its early stages, studies show that using chalk benefits grip strength.
What does climbing chalk do?
Climbing chalk’s primary purpose is to dry skin. Whether you use it is ultimately up to you. If your hands aren’t prone to sweating (I’m jealous), chalk is unnecessary.
I have naturally sweaty hands. Even as I’m typing this, I can tell my hands are clammy (I should put a chalk bag next to my desk). For this reason, I use chalk frequently when I climb. Some say I use it too often, and while I agree, I’ll explain later how over-chalking can make you perform worse when climbing.
Types of climbing chalk
You can get chalk in many different forms. Ultimately, there is no best way to use chalk. There are only pros and cons based on how your body reacts to climbing chalk. Below are the different forms that climbing chalk comes in.
Loose powder chalk
Pros: Powder chalk is finely crushed and easy to apply and distribute on your hands. When climbing on a rope, it’s important to be efficient when you need chalk. Using powder chalk will be the quickest way to dry your hands on a route.
Cons: The issue with powder chalk is that it can easily get everywhere and on everything. I’ve worn a chalk bag while bouldering and fallen onto it many times. Not only did I feel bad about creating a mess, but I lost a lot of chalk that way! (I’ll only do this when climbing a long boulder problem now). Loose chalk is also prone to spillage in windy conditions!
Recommended for: Climbers who want quick application, such as sport or trad climbers.
Crushed chalk is the same as powder chalk but requires the climber to crush it in their hands.
The issue with powder, “fine” chalk is that it can feel slippery because the particles are so tiny. It is also easier to lose more chalk due to a spill, and can settle under the fingernails easily.
Many climbers prefer crushed “chunky” powder chalk because they believe it lasts longer. Using fine chalk gives a more uniform coverage, but it’s easy to overuse without realising it, resulting in burning through your chalk quickly.
Try out both options to see what you prefer!
Chalk balls
Pros: A chalk ball is a sack of loose chalk inside a little bag inside your chalk bag. This option is neat and compact and minimises chalk wastage. It’s ideal for controlled application.
Cons: Chalk balls require grabbing and squeezing the chalk to produce the product. It may take longer to apply compared to loose powder.
Recommended for: Bouldering enthusiasts who want a mess-free solution with minimal wastage and lower costs.
Liquid chalk
Pros: Liquid chalk also causes significantly less mess than loose powder. It comes in a tube or bottle! You spread it on your hands and let it dry before climbing. (Wave your arms around to speed up the drying).
Cons: Not only does it take a little while to dry before you can climb, but once it sweats off, you can’t reapply while on the wall. Because liquid chalk contains alcohol, it may also cause the skin to dry out and crack or cause irritation. Also, if not completely dry, you can leave resin on holds, which is difficult for climbing gyms to get off. Make sure it is completely dry before using!
Recommend for: Climbers who want a no-mess option.
Chalk block
Pros: A chalk block allows you to be really accurate with where you want chalk on your hands. You can use the edges to apply to specific areas, using less chalk to avoid wasting any.
Cons: Transporting a block of chalk can be tricky and messy. Once you break it up enough, you’re left with clumps of chalk, so you’ll still want some sort of chalk bag.
Recommended for: Climbers who want to save money and target specific areas of their hands for chalk application.
Check out our range of climbing chalk in our shop!
How to use climbing chalk
Using climbing chalk is simple: dip your hands in! But really, there are some nuances to its application that may help you send. How much chalk to use depends on how sweaty your hands get, but you won’t need more than enough to cover your fingers and palms.
Apply chalk: Put your hands in your chalk bag or bucket and squeeze until your palms and fingers are covered. (If you’re on a crimpy route, you may only need to dip your fingers in.)
Distribute evenly: Spread the chalk on your fingers and palms.
Reapply as needed: Depending on the intensity of your climb, reapply chalk when your grip feels compromised (when you feel like you’re slipping due to lack of friction).
Best practices and tips for climbing chalk
Chalk bag maintenance: Keep your chalk bag closed when not in use to prevent spills and contamination. Although chalk bags have a drawstring to close them, this may become less effective over time. Wrap your waistband around your bag tightly to ensure it won’t spill.
Chalk up strategically: Chalk up during rests to maximise its effectiveness. Try to always do so only when you need it, though.
Over chalking: Yes, you can have too much chalk on your hands. Instead of drying out your skin, it creates a slippery barrier between your skin and the holds. Blow on your hands (sometimes called a ‘French blow’ or ‘Euro blow’) or pat your legs after you chalk up to shake off the excess and improve your friction.
How to choose chalk and a chalk bag
While many aspects of climbing, like harnesses, shoes, ropes, belay devices, etc., can be universally measured, climbing chalk is different. Personal preference is the name of the game when it comes to using chalk or buying a chalk bag/bucket. Also, there is no bouldering chalk or rope-climbing chalk; it’s all just “climbing chalk!”
Sure, some chalk scientifically dries your skin out more than others. Still, your choice of chalk is entirely a personal preference. Using chalk that doesn’t excessively dry out your hands is a good option for those who may sweat just a little! Using chalk designed to dry your skin is a good option for people with overly sweaty hands.
Like chalk, choosing a chalk bag/bucket is based on your personal preference. Organic Climbing sells multi-colored bags, 8BPlus sells little monster friends, and many companies like prAna sell super lightweight bags. There are even chalk bags made for children!
When deciding on a chalk bag, consider how many features you want. Do you want it to have a small zipper pocket for nail clippers? You may want a small loop for a brush. If you’d like a bag just to hold chalk, you can do that too!
Check out our selection of chalk bags and buckets in our shop!
Post-chalk skincare
After you’ve spent your climbing sessions covered in chalk, take care of your skin so it doesn’t continuously dry out. Washing your hands stops chalk from absorbing into your skin and lets your natural oils start the repair process.
Considering we spend our whole session trying to dry out our hands, moisturising isn’t on many climbers’ minds. Using climbing-specific moisturisers or natural hand balms will help your skin replace the essential oils stripped away by chalk. This will speed up your recovery and prepare you for the next climbing session.
Check out our article on how to care for your hands and skin for some great tips.
How NOT to use chalk
Now that you’re deciding on which type of chalk and chalk bag you want, there are a few things to know about properly using chalk. Misusing chalk doesn’t mean injury or death like the misuse of a belay device or harness could, so don’t worry. However, it can still be an issue in the gym or crag. (I’ll give you a hint: you don’t have to take the chalk out of the bag to apply it).
Try not to create large chalk clouds when you chalk up. Imagine being in a gym where everybody is tossing chalk off their hands; the place would become nearly inhabitable. Also, try to minimise the chalk flying out of your bag.
Do not dump your chalk out of the bag onto your hands. Reach in your hands one at a time (unless you’re using a chalk bucket that can fit both) and move your hand around to coat it with chalk.
Tick marks are a controversial aspect of climbing outside. A tick mark is a line of chalk indicating where the next hand or foothold is. They’re usually used when a hold is slightly out of view, guiding the climber where to go.
Whether you’re a user of tick marks or not, we can all agree that you should brush them off after climbing. Not only are tick marks unsightly, but they give away the beta that the next climber must figure out. Climbing is about problem-solving, and tick marks reduce the need to solve a problem.
Cleaning up chalk
Whether at the crag or climbing in the gym, cleaning up after yourself is important. Say you fall off a boulder onto your chalk bag and make a mess; try to scoop everything back into your bag to create less work for the gym staff. If you do spill, inform a gym employee so they can vacuum it up before everything floats away into the air.
Alternatively, try to clean all the chalk you spill when you’re outside. As I mentioned, it ruins some problem-solving aspects for other climbers. It’s also unsightly for other nature enthusiasts to wander up to a rock and see white spots everywhere. Brush your chalk marks after you climb outside.
Chalk also likely alters the pH and nutrients of rocks, affecting rock-dwelling organisms. On a larger scale, the mining process for magnesium carbonate can also damage the environment. The extraction process releases heavy metals or sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to air pollution. And, of course, mining also destroys natural habitats and disrupts ecosystems.
Alternatives to magnesium carbonate
Some climbing areas require coloured chalk on rocks, and others have banned chalk completely. Suppose you’re worried about your consumption of climbing chalk and its effect on the environment. In that case, there are a few ways to lessen your impact.
Learn to use less chalk: As a consistent over-chalker, I need to work on this. We often equate chalking up when we’re about to perform a harder move or even do it subconsciously while resting on a route.
Environmentally friendly: Opt for eco-friendly chalk options to minimise impact on the climbing environment.
Coloured chalk: Switch to colored chalk that doesn’t leave unsightly marks on rock.
Brush: After you’re done with a climb, brush the holds as best you can. This will help remove excess chalk and keep a route adventurous for the next climber. Check out our range of brushes in our shop.
Conclusion: There is a type of chalk for everybody
As you can see, many types of chalk have different properties. Some dry out your hands more than others, some are liquid, and others are created with eco-friendliness in mind. There is a type of chalk for everybody!
Try not to stress when choosing your first kind of chalk; the multiple choices can be overwhelming. I’ve been climbing for about a decade and still don’t have a personal preference. I use whatever I can get my hands on!
To get yours today, check out our shop for tons of climbing chalk and chalk bags! If you have a type of chalk that you’re absolutely fanatic over, leave us a comment and let us know!
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