Every climber has their different opinions about chalk and what constitutes good chalk. The truth is nearly all climbing chalk is made from the same ingredient: Magnesium Carbonate (MgCO3).
The real magic is in how chalk absorbs sweat based on its various forms and textures. We’ll talk about why you might choose one over the other, as well as some of the environmental considerations too.
Climbing chalk is a white powdery substance made of Magnesium Carbonate (MgCO3). At the surface level, its function is to absorb sweat and keep your hands dry when we climb.
The Science Explained!
Magnesium Carbonate (MgCO3) is insoluble in water and absorbs water at the molecular level to become “hydrated” magnesium carbonate (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2*4H2O). This molecular absorption of water keeps the chalk dry to touch. Unlike Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3 aka blackboard chalk) which is soluble in water and easily becomes a paste.
Chalk comes in various forms and textures because the effectiveness of sweat absorption depends on factors like grain size, surface area, and how sweaty your hands are. While most chalk is 100% pure magnesium carbonate with varying textures, some chalks also mix in drying agents to boost sweat absorption.
For example, a finer chalk with a small grain size will absorb sweat quicker due to surface area covered per application. A grittier, larger grain size chalk absorbs sweat slower, but deals with friction, humidty and perspiration better. Overall, we recommend experimenting with different types of chalks to find what works best for you, taking into consideration your needs, preferences and price.
Loose climbing chalk is the most popular form of chalk today for its convenience, coverage, and texture. It typically comes in two textures, fine or chunky. Generally, the chunkier the chalk the longer it would last.
Fine chalk options include: 8BPlus Powder, Tokyo Powder, FrictionLabs Unicorn Dust, So iLL x Tokyo Powder V16, Black Diamond Loose White Gold.
Chunky chalk options include: Metolius Super Chalk, Chalkemy Chunky Chalk, 8BPlus Crushed Chalk, E9 Strong Hero Chalk, FrictionLabs Bam Bam
Block chalk shares the same benefits as chunky chalk, plus it’s a bit cheaper and less messy. It comes in a block, you break off chunks, and drop it into your chalk bag or ball. When you want to apply the chalk, just squeeze or rub the chunk in your hands. It’s the most cost effective type as you tend to waste less. Some blocks come as discs to help make a chalk ball refills mess free.
Chalk Block options include: Metolius Block Chalk, FrictionLabs Chalk Discs
Liquid chalk is a blend of magnesium carbonate, alcohol, and sometimes rosin. It has the best coverage, and friction that can last an entire session. Apply a small amount onto your hands, rub it onto the areas you want chalked up, and let dry. It doesn’t leave residue mess or pollute the air with chalk dust, making it ideal for indoor climbing. You can also use liquid chalk as a base layer and chalk up with loose chalk during your session.
Notes:
While rock climbing grows in popularity, so does our responsibility to protect the environment. Environmental considerations, such as the mining of magnesite and the chalk residue left on our cliffs or boulders, are a couple reasons why people might look for alternatives to traditional white climbing chalk. Here are some sustainable options we carry:
And can you climb without chalk? Absolutely. One way is to carry scrap fabric on your harness to dry your hands when climbing, especially in places where chalk isn’t allowed. And if it’s too humid, you can reduce (and even eliminate) your sweat through non-aluminium, plant-based antiperspirants, like Rhino Skin Solutions.
The choice of chalking technique can influence the type of chalk that suits you best.
Going loose & direct means keeping your chalk in a bag, bucket, or even its original packaging, without any special method of distribution, allowing you to get a thick coating of chalk whenever you need it. The trade-off is that you might end up using too much chalk, spilling it, or losing it in a puff of wind. This method works best with chunky chalk or block chalk.
Chalk balls are porous fabric sacs filled with loose or block chalk for chalk bags. To chalk up, you can either squeeze the ball inside your chalk bag or take it out and pat it onto your hands. This method helps chalk last longer by reducing overuse and spillage when you fall. If you find chalk balls tricky to refill with loose chalk, try refilling with block chalk instead. But if you’re after a thick application of chalk, you might want to consider the next method.
The Chalktopus is a micro-fibre chalk distributor designed for loose chalk, especially fine loose chalk. It sits in your chalk bucket, coating itself in a layer of chalk. When you need chalk, just squeeze it inside the bag or pat it onto your hands for a thick, even coverage. The best part is that you don’t need to refill a ball. It works best with fine loose chalk in a chalk bucket, helping to reduce overuse and chalk dust.
Leave No Trace & Chalk DustChalk considerations for different climbing environments:
Indoor Climbing Gyms
Outdoor Climbing
Overly sweaty palms and chalk don’t always mix well. You’re either dealing with a slimy mess or going through bags of expensive chalk. Here’s some tips on how you can fix it:
Chalk feels slimy?
Chalking up too much?
And that’s all for now, folks. Keep exploring various chalk types to discover what works best for you. Our shop offers a selection of more than 25 options to accommodate varying preferences in quality, types, methods and price. If you still have questions, feel free to get in touch.
Happy climbing.
- CA.
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