Hi all,
Probably been mentioned on here before, but as I only found out about this recently I thought it would be worth posting.
A lot more people (very understandably) are using more liquid chalk due to the current situation, however, it might be worth being a little bit more careful which brands we use for outdoor climbing.
Some liquid chalks contain Rosin (tree resin) i.e. POF.
Most people will be aware but POF is a mix of chalk and rosin that is applied to holds by whacking them with a bag containing the mixture, the resin makes the hold stickier for the person climbing but then solidifies into a glass like layer. It is still popular among a lot of old school bleusards but massively frowned on everywhere else as it can ruin the holds on a climb.
I'm a bit worried that the fact that some liquid chalks contain Rosin is not well known and that we might be inadvertently POFing the outdoor climbs of the UK. I have heard stories from a friend of a friend that cleaning the holds in his climbing wall has become a nightmare due to them being caked in resin and its easy to imagine how this could create a real issue outdoors. I had a despairing message from a friend yesterday that one of the holds on his long term project in Northumberland has suddenly turned to glass.
Is this an issue that anyone else has noticed on any climbs? Wondering if this is something that needs to be highlighted more within the community before it causes noticible damage. It's worth emphasising that not all liquid chalks contain Rosin, and that the sentiment behind there use is very appropriate, particularly indoors, but it might be worth looking closely at the ingredients list before choosing a brand.