Climbing chalk is addictive. We climbers usually feel that chalk helps us climb harder and higher by letting us grip handholds better. When we're scared or getting ready to do the crux section of a pitch, what do we do? We reach into our chalk bag, what we call our "bag of courage," and douse our hands with white powdered chalk.
Climbers use chalk or magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) as a drying agent on their hands and fingers to decrease moisture, reduce slippage, and increase performance. What is climbing chalk and how does it work? Does it actually help you climb harder? What are the four kinds of chalk that climbers usually use?
Find out the answers to these questions by reading two new articles about climbing chalk--Climbers Use Chalk for Dry Hands and 4 Types of Climbing Chalk--and then follow my links to buy some guide-recommended chalk for your rock climbing adventures.
Read more about climbing chalk:
Climbing Chalk: Climbers Use Chalk for Dry Hands
4 Types of Climbing Chalk: Which Climbing Chalk is Best for You?
Photograph above: Ian Spencer-Green used lots of chalk on the first ascent of Tall Boy (5.14a) near Colorado Springs. Photograph © Stewart M. Green
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