Climbing chalk is one of the most underrated and undervalued pieces of our climbing gear. However, it has one of the largest environmental impacts of all our products. With Earth Day approaching, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the harmful effects of climbing chalk on the environment and what we can do about it.
How is chalk extracted?
Let’s start at the beginning and see how chalk is made and why it’s important. Magnesium carbonate, extracted from the mineral dolomite, is used to make powdered chalk.
The extraction process begins with powerful jets of water blasting the rock and extracting the dust. The ore is then ground into a powder and applied to a liquid slurry for drying, but this cools the slurry too much, reducing the number of particles it can contain, leaving several larger pieces remaining in the finished product (the chalk powder). Centrifuges, or filters, are then used to isolate the crystals.
They are then ground into pieces or sold as pellets. Contamination and habitat destruction are common side effects of heavy dolomite mining. Suspended magnesium particles cover the surrounding landscape, creating a detrimental effect on the plants and animals that depend on these ecosystems for survival.
How much chalk do climbers use?
While it’s hard to say for sure, we can make an educated guess. Worldwide, in 2020, there were approximately 25 million climbers. I used to use three to four 16-ounce (0.6 kilogram) bags of chalk each year before switching to liquid chalk. Let’s assume the average climber uses only two bags of chalk per year. That means the climbing community uses an average of about 50 million pounds of chalk each year. 25 tonnes is a significant quantity of chalk!
How does powdered chalk negatively impact rock formations?
Loose or powdered chalk can endanger our environment in a variety of ways. Most of them are mildly alarming in themselves, but they hardly warrant outrage. However, when you add it all up and multiply by the 25 million climbers worldwide, it’s clear that we could be facing a full-blown crisis in the not-too-distant future.
Permanently degrades our natural monuments
Powdered chalk is well known for leaving visible residue on rock formations. As much as we’d like to believe that all the handprints and ticks will disappear the next time it rains, that’s not the case. Chalk, especially in arid regions, on certain types of porous rock and on overhanging cliffs, sticks to the wall like graffiti.
On many routes, these white chalk marks will never come off unless brushed or wiped off, which, let’s face it, is a rare occurrence. Additionally, chalk builds up on holds over time, so common routes can seem so polished that they are forever altered, or even virtually impossible to climb. We have all seen even worse examples of humans degrading nature, but we are naive to believe that our use of chalk is completely flawless on this front.
This is one of the main reasons why popular climbing spots like Shawangunks in New York are starting to ban powdered chalk and only allowing liquid chalk. In fact, the last month has been very busy Garden of the Gods A Colorado park has completely banned chalk. Chalk bans in other climbing areas are certainly not far behind.
These not-so-innocent micro-spills
Mine contamination is undoubtedly much worse than what we are doing to our local rocks. However, I can’t count the number of times my own bucket or chalk bag has been knocked over, hit or landed, spilling a small pile of chalk into the dirt and weeds. This happens to someone every day in busy climbing areas I’m sure.
There is not much, if any, research devoted to these types of chalk micro-spills. However, the soils and microhabitats under and around these small chalk spills are likely to be affected in the same way that neighboring chalk mines affect soils and ecosystems.
Destroys local flora and fauna
Climbing chalk is likely to change the pH and nutrient levels on rocks, potentially affecting animals that live in, on and around the rocks. In a study to measure the impact of chalk on rock plants, researchers found high levels of climbing chalk at 65% of sampling points with no visual evidence of climbing chalk. In other words, irreparable damage is caused even in the absence of visible traces of chalk.
In a study published by Ecology and evolutionThe researchers measured the potential impact on four ferns and four moss species in an experimental setup in a climate chamber. The experiment found that high concentrations of climbing chalk had a substantial negative impact on the germination and longevity of ferns and mosses, although the results were variable. Although there may be disagreement among scientists as to the extent of the damage caused, it is generally accepted that our flora and fauna are being negatively impacted.
What can we do to reduce our impact on the environment?
Climbing is a perfect way to stay fit, enjoy nature and meet new friends. We can also make it a guilt-free activity if we take a few quick steps to reduce our environmental effects.
Option 1: Use less chalk
This is one of the simplest, but also one of the hardest, upgrades you can make. Snacking is a common nervous habit that easily becomes ingrained. It’s hard to break the habit of scoring three times before each climb and every 30 seconds afterward. It’s hard to break the habit of scoring three times before each climb and every 30 seconds afterward.
In principle, reducing our use of chalk would help, but in practice it proves difficult. Especially when your hands are sticky with sweat, you’re halfway down a trail and you grab onto a small rock or slippery slope. Dipping back into the chalk bag for a quick refresh before crushing the crucial step and sending the rest of the way is reassuring. We can try wiping sweaty hands with clothes or a small towel, but this only works so well.
Option 2: Erase your routes or use colored chalk
You can always purchase and use colored chalks similar to the color of the rock you will be climbing on your next trip. You can also wipe and brush off any chalk you have left if you have a lot of time on your hands.
The only advantage of colored chalk over standard chalk is that it can reduce vandalism of white holds and tick marks left on common routes. Some national parks, however, ban chalk that doesn’t match the color of the local rock, so it’s worth considering.
Option 3: Use liquid chalk
Liquid chalk isn’t perfect, but it’s a great alternative. Liquid chalk is just chalk that comes in a quick-drying cream form instead of a powder. Magnesium carbonate and alcohol are the main ingredients, with a few other synthetic and/or natural ingredients added to achieve the desired consistency.
You spread a small dollop on your palms, wait a few seconds for the alcohol to dry, and you’re chalked and ready to climb much longer than if you used powdered chalk.
Be sure to stay away from liquid chalks that contain pine rosin (AKA pitch, sap, pine resin, pine tar, and rosin). Pine rosin is very sticky, which can help you grip slippery surfaces, but it also gums up grips heavily. As it is not water soluble, it will not wash away in the rain, causing permanent damage to routes.
Where do we go from here?
Overall, climbing equipment companies tend to be quite environmentally conscious. They have good products and good policies. Their teams are deeply concerned about nature. However, do your homework, as some chalk companies pay little attention to the environmental impact of their products. Their lack of implementation of environmental policies and practices bears witness to this. That said, we cannot leave it to businesses alone. Businesses respond to customer requests. If we, as consumers, systematically and collectively demand better products and better practices, then that is what weI will have it.
If you’re feeling like changing up your gear this Earth Day, maybe try Pika Scented Liquid Chalk. Our unique, slip-free formula is extra-adherent and stays on your hands for a very long time. It does not rub off easily on wedges or flake off on the ground. You’ll chalk less often than using other liquid chalks, and you’ll ultimately use a lot less chalk overall.
We’re currently offering Moja Gear readers an exclusive 25% off. Go to Pika.Life and enter the promo code: MOJAGEEAR25 at the checkout.
Additionally, Pika uses organic ingredients whenever possible. We also use extremely pure, high quality magnesium carbonate and 100% compostable packaging. Using high-quality, organic and compostable materials makes our products safer for our customers, employees and the environment.
Here are some additional articles and resources worth checking out if you want to explore this topic further:
- This article, written by Bradley Allf of Climbing Magazine, also examines the environmental impacts of climbing chalk.
- This article, published by Corey Keyser on his Medium account, makes a strong case for banning climbing chalk altogether, or at least banning bulk chalk.
- Here is some research on the impact of climbing chalk on plant life.
- This article from Conquer Your Crux compares loose or dry chalk with liquid chalk.
- This article by Paul Pennington looks at the different ways that climbing affects the environment and provides a good checklist for minimizing our impact.
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