The Art of ‘Chalking Up’

Photo by Sam Tippetts

My blistered and bloody hands ached from the climb before. My forearms, pumped and drained, begged for relief, but I knew I had to finish. I was 25 feet up on a wall.

My quick draw, a tool lead climbers use to get up a wall, was far below me, so I knew it would be a nasty fall if I slipped. Perspiration built on my hands and transferred to the hold, and if I waited any longer, down I would go. 

Just before my grip would have failed me, I remembered something. A small colorful bag dangled from my harness. That bag was filled with the most divine substance known in the climbing world: chalk.

As soon as my hands touched that magic powder, all my strength returned to me. I reached the next hold with ease and brought my foot up to its next resting place. I started to blow through the holds, giving the person belaying me little time to react. The second my hands slapped the anchors, I forgot how I got there. Dazed and fatigued, I returned to the ground. 

Chalk is relatively popular in the rock climbing community, but most climbers, including myself, have no idea what they are using or why they are using it. Climbing chalk is made of magnesium carbonate, a white, powdery compound that is also used in toothpaste and fireproofing homes.

The father of modern bouldering, John Gill, introduced chalk to the climbing world in 1954. After taking gymnastics during his freshman year of college, Gill figured out that gymnastics chalk had potential to help rock climbers. 

Ever since then, the climbing chalk industry has boomed. Climbing gyms are buying chalk up in bulk, and climbers everywhere continue to purchase this pristine powder. One of the first things I was told that I needed, beside a harness and shoes, was a chalk bag.

A chalk bag dangles from Rob Kurtz’s harness. Photo by Dan Jones

When I first started climbing, I had no idea what the purpose of chalk was and did not use it very much. As time went on, however, I learned why climbers used chalk, and I soon became hooked.

Chalk — though it’s not relevant to some climbers — is much more than a lump of powder. It is a climber’s version of an espresso shot. It becomes part of us. It engrains itself in our hands. 

At least, this is what my friends and I believe. To us, chalk is a tool for focus and energy. Clapping chalked-up hands together right before a climb gives me a sense of power and strength, something that I never feel when climbing bare-handedly. 

My friend Rob Kurtz and I always joke about whether using chalk actually makes a difference or if it’s a way for climbing companies to make more money. Rob was one of the first people I started climbing with, and on one of our first climbs together, Rob taught me how to “chalk up.” This is what started the long-running joke between the two of us.

“‘Chalking up’ is the key to success but is a joke more than anything else,” Kurtz said. “Everyone who starts climbing thinks chalk is the key, so the climbing community jokes that ‘chalking up’ will get you through the hard routes. We’ve all said it.”

Sure, we use chalk, lots and lots of chalk, and we feel it helps us. I think, though, that we really only use it to look cool and seem as if we have the slightest idea what is going on.

Not every climber uses chalk, and others use it very sparingly. Most of my friends and I use it at almost every hold. Some of my friends, however, only use it once at the beginning of their climbs. 

Austin Salter opts out of using chalk on his bouldering endeavor. Photo by Dakota Kern

Some of my holds have been so saturated with chalk that I have had to wipe them off mid-climb. This could sometimes be dangerous, setting myself up for a potential fall. But knowing this, I still use chalk. Lots and lots of chalk.

While there is no set amount of chalk that is “allowed” for a climber to use (everybody produces sweat at different rates), a climber can use too much chalk. Your hands should have a fine layer rather than a heaping mound of white gold. Too much can cause your hands to be too slick and by itself lead to a risky fall.

Climbing and chalk will always go hand-in-hand. I personally do not think chalk is necessary for every climber, but I do know that if you want to look cool, or even like a real climber, make sure to chalk up.

Photo credits attached to each photo