commandments of chalk


Enter the church of crag and kneel before the altar of rock. Pay your respects, commit no sacrilege, and always follow the commandments found in the Book of Bouldering.


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alms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy… what’s that on your sweater? Oh yeah, a snowstorm of


chalk. We all use it, there’s no clean hand gang in this century, but it doesn’t take much to overdo chalk use, liberally plastering it on everything until the crag shines white in the night. Let’s take a step back and go over the six commandments of chalk.


Alongside rock shoes, a chalk bag and chalk are the next most used items of any climber. There’s no denying how useful it can be when you’re about to pull the crux, sweating, fingers creeping off holds. But a quick dab of chalk and, with dry fingers and confidence boosted, desperate suddenly becomes possible. But chalk needs to be used in moderation – it stands out in natural landscapes and can detract from an otherwise wild experience to non-climbers. Rock caked in chalk is never a good look, and can lead to access problems. So what should you do?


36 | CLIMB. WALK. JOIN.


PHOTO: XXXXXXX.


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