UKC

is there a alternative to chalk as recently i have found im haveing an allerge reaction/dermatitis

In reply to tunnah:

Before abandoning chalk completely, you might try changing brands. Some have added chemical ingredients that might make them more effective for many but could cause reactions for some.

In reply to tunnah:

yes, don't chalk, can anyone provide evidence that it helps?

I gave up using chalk over a decade ago and can't think of any situation when it would have helped. Instead I find washing my hands before climbing or if my hands feel slippery far more effective.

In reply to Jon Greengrass:

I'm sure plenty of folk who sweat a lot can provide anecdote which is after all what matters, climbing is very much a personal experience. I sweat like a pig and always found chalk very useful in managing the problems (poor grip and soft skin) that causes.

OP as suggested, try a different brand, cheaper the better.
jk

In reply to Jon Greengrass:

Haven't you just stated in another thread you have not climbed for over 10 years? So yeah, I'm not surprised the lack of chalk has not affected you

In reply to tunnah:

Avoid liquid chalk and as another person said avoid chalk with added drying agents. Metolius superchalk is particularly harsh on the skin.

In reply to Jon Greengrass:


When your hands start to sweat obviously. Finding places to chalk up can make all the difference on a hard route.

In reply to tunnah:

There's antihydral which you put on your skin before climbing (like the night before) then repeat once or twice a week. It's not really an alternative to chalk since those who use it typically use chalk as well. But it does reduce sweating. Putting too much on can dry out the skin too much and make it slippery through being too dry. You can order it online I believe (ebay?).

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

I don't find palm and finger sweat makes it any harder to hold on, however if i get the sweat from another part of my body that had hair follicles then yes I would admit the chalk helps absorb the oily sebum.

In reply to Jon Greengrass:

i thought that about useing a brush on holds untill your at your limit of holding on i do admit though some times its psychological even when i climb with out my chalk bag i find my self going for a hand dip. when im trying to push my graded i want/need chalk

In reply to tunnah:


Aye, wipe your hands on your trousers/shirt. Vandalism outdoors, and bet it's going to be identified as health hazard indoors can't be good for you breathing that stuff in.

In reply to Jon Greengrass:


Eh! But you end up pulling on wet limestone, how doesn't that make it harder, especially on small, fiction dependent holds?

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

Climbing on wet limestone was when I discovered chalk didn't help.

In reply to tunnah:
A flannel were your chalk bag would be is next best thing in my opinion.

In reply to Jon Greengrass:


So you want to climb 8a indoors, without chalk, and you find wet limestone as easy as dry limestone. It is hard to take you seriously Jon.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

Depends how wet surely.

If you are climbing proper wet gop then no amount of chalk will help and you just end up adding a nice layer of lubricating paste to all your holds.

In reply to davidbeynon:

Obviously, everything has it's limits. Staying cool is also important, whether that means stripping down or waiting for a cool, breezy day. Keeping your fingertips dry is the objective, chalk is just one part of the solution.


Wasn't talking about wet holds from rain or seepage, then there's likely far too much moisture to absorb with some chalk.

In reply to tunnah:


Try different brands of chalk, some have added drying agents which can cause skin issues in some people where as others don't. You'll have to research which are which yourself though as it has never been an issue for me so I've never needed to worry. I use moon chalk myself which is apparently 100% pure but everyone seems to have a preference.

For those saying why bother with chalk at all, simple answer is you won't climb anywhere near your physical limit without it in all but the most ideal conditions. If you're reasonably fit and strong from training indoors but are happy plodding about on VDiff's outdoors then yes chalk won't come into it. But if you want to climb something difficult on holds which are small and or sloping then friction is going to matter and chalk eliminates the sweat and grease on your fingers which would otherwise have a huge impact on the friction you generate between your skin and a hold.

In reply to jkarran:


anecdote only matters if supported by evidence, otherwise it remains purely anecdote.
Here's one from me: the other day I was climbing and felt I needed some chalk, but discovered I'd left my chalk bag in my rucksack. So I just wiped by fingers on my trousers instead, and continued climbing.

There was a study a few years ago that showed something along the lines that chalk actually acts as a lubricant, but can help if this is offset by the amount of sweat absorbed. So it's useful for those who sweat a lot, but less so for the rest of us. It'd probably online somewhere so you'll be able to find out whether my memory of its findings is wrong.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:


That much is pretty obvious really. It's why people brush excess chalk off holds if they want to get the best friction on them. Fact is that using chalk is the best and easiest way to keep your hands in the best state of dryness during climbing. Other things, including trying to keep your hands clean, can work too, especially in cool conditions, but mostly it will be far harder to achieve the same benefit without using chalk.

In reply to john arran:

FYI, I have been a "chalk free" climber for about 8 yrs, regularly leading without chalk including up to F6b, HVS5a, single multi in the last year or so, though I do mostly climb about F6a/VS. Id actually say my finger strength/muscle and hand technique especially in jamming/use of balancy flatter holds has got much better since not using chalk. I also have learnt to feel around much more on (and in) holds, look for the best hand position, optimise more. While I havent gone up a grade, I do feel more solid with my hands and I have led routes since without chalk that I didnt on-site lead before with chalk, so not carrying chalk hasnt stopped that particular progression of mine and if anything helped it.

But sure my level is not at all high level, so really Id say it depends what grade you climb (or want to) if you are thinking of going chalk free. What I was saying above about hand technight improvements might not be relevant to grades like F6c/UK 5c onwards where climbers probably do that instinctively and hand hold options and margins are no doubt exponencially much tigthter anyway. So perhaps not using chalk might be detrimental at a higher level.

But if it is for health reasons, not using chalk would definitely be one of the options, as in I would swap high level leading with not having a skin condition for example, if chalk was causing it. Though you´´ll get chalky hands on a lot of routes anyway, whether you carry it or not.

In reply to rapsodia:

You could try the Metolius eco ball....
http://www.southernsandstoneclimbs.co.uk/2015/05/chalk-on-sandstone-eco-bal...