UKC

I was out at some popular grit venues this weekend and the rock was smothered in chalk, easy routes, hard routes, plastered - really visible from a distance and all over the place as if the climbers had thrown a bag of flour over themselves before approaching the rock.

If you must chalk a lot please brush it off after if you can. 

Clearly none of the culprits were making any effort in this regard. 

There was quite a lot of numpty belaying going on as well - possibly related.

On the plus side all the routes I did were self chalking and I didn't have to open my chalk bag...

You’ve done well for 4 likes and no dislikes so far here  

I’m led to believe UKC have a video on the way highlighting the matter.

I have gone chalk free, as much as possible for a while now.  Only using once last year to help with a mix of tangerine juice and sun cream.  It’s so common now to see most indooor climbers plastering the stuff even before leaving the ground.  This translates to outside, no doubt aided by every elite climber, both indoors and outside doing the same.  I do wish chalk use could be moderated.

Have noticed quite a lot of tick-marks on grit routes as well this year. Real shame that people on-sighting e-grades have to put up with having the game given away but I guess the increase in the lower-grade headpoint is going to lead to this. Please brush off your donkey ticks when you leave if you must use them!

fwiw, I started using chalk in ‘82 and stopped during covid when Eden rock banned everything except liquid chalk and I never went back to loose chalk or chalk balls. I was astonished by how well it performed. There has been a problem with manky holds where people set off climbing before the chalk has dried out. Otherwise a massive improvement.

A job for the second?

On seeing the recent 'Ticks!' thread title recently, my first thought was of this issue...

Not a total solution (cos it still leaves chalk on rock) but…what happened to coloured chalk, ie rock coloured? I’m sure it was a real thing and not something I imagined. Chalk in balls, and approx the colour of the local rock, would reduce amount and visibility quite a lot.

Perhaps in Scotland, we could have minimum unit pricing for chalk, like we do for alcohol? Might discourage folk from shovelling loose chalk on, rather than a quick ba’ squeeze?

I've got a solution - 'chalkless chalk'. It feels exactly like a chalk ball but there's no chalk in it. Perfect for all those who chalk up habitually / as a way of psyching up. 

I’ve started using liquid chalk and I reckon it’s better than normal chalk. I’ve also noticed that cleaning shoes properly at the start of a route seems to be a dying art:-;

Liquid chalk is absolutely disgusting. Does nothing to actually reduce hand moisture when climbing, and for some people (meeeeeee) it brings the skin out in a rash. Add to the disgusting residue it leaves all over holds... get rid of it.

I suspect it looks chalky at the moment on the back of a bunch on bank holidays and a pretty dry period. It'll pass.

Brant Fell was a joke last weekend. Ridiculous amount of chalk, even on all the footholds...

Must be horses for courses. A single application sorts out my hands for several hours without reapplication or leaving any residue anywhere. 

me too, and most of the people I climb with. 

Is it not just because it hasn’t rained for a month? 

Not that chalk and sweat leaves a disgusting residue all over holds...

I never use chalk on Grit, but probably as hardest I’ve led is only E4.

I've got my UKC bingo scorecard.