No Way ! my chalk bag has been apart of me for 21 yrs.they will have pry it from my cold dead body.as far as banning from gyms i could care less cause i dont visit them much anyway.Steve wrote:It is an unfortunate dirty little by product of climbing that needs to be dealt with before it becomes the next big issue. An outright ban would be the best thing, ban it in gyms too.
Does the appearance of chalk on a route bother you?
The other day I realized that I am one of the ones you see mindlessly dipping his hands in his chalk bag while hanging on a jug for a rest. Corey pointed out that it's kind of like smoking or biting your nails. It's a habit that helps you think. I have to go with T-bone on this one though; gotta have chalk. 8)
Mj
Mj
...quitting drinking is kinda like washing your hands after you take a crap...why start now?
I make no arguement that watching some people climb is like dynamic poetry, or a live painting (and not one of those ridiculous Abstract pieces of crap, where someone tosses a few colors on a canvas and says it's "Man's struggle against an oppresive socio-economical destiny" or some such BS). Climbing breaks all physical stereotypes, which makes it even more interesting to observe. I believe the problems arise from the individual climber's state of mind and opinion of how he/she interacts with the world at large. "Who cares if there's tons of chalk left on a rock?" leads me to believe the person has little respect for anything that has no direct and immediate impact on their lives (regardless of what future consequences may be, because they never make the connection). To me, the climb in motion is the art, not the markings left by the climber. A rock to me is a blank canvas, so loads of chalk left is like someone marking up your canvas, indicating how THEY would (or have) paint (painted) your picture. Not every route has to be onsighted, or flashed, or Beta-flashed, but part of the thrill of climbing is the puzzle of the climb itself, not just the physical action/skill required to execute the moves. Setting all that aside, Nature has it's own draw and beauty, and Man's interaction WITH nature, too. But, when Man leaves nature, he shouldn't leave behind such obvious indicators that he was there (like some jackass leaving garbage behind, or a huge fire-pit burned into the ground), especially if the indicators can be so easily reduced by the SAME person that put them there. People just don't take responsibility for their impact, believing "the world is so open, I can't possible have an adverse effect on it". I'm not some hippie tree-hugger. In fact, I am a huge fan of industry and what it has done and continues to do FOR our nation and the world, but even Industry needs to show a little more respect and concern for the damage being done. It's really pretty simple; one's actions indicate who they are and what they stand for, not their words, or ideas. All that being said, I probably sweat as much or more than anyone here (I turn chalk into a nice white paste). So in one respect, I'm not looking forward to mid-Summer, when the heat really kicks in and my grip is truly put to the test and or I have to carry a towl on the climb.
"I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself."
D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
Corey I agree with the beta aspect. If I could I would at least temporarily remove all the chalk before I climbed something for the first time. I'm not the kind of person that has "little respect for what doesn't immediately impact me". In fact, I am very conscientious about my own personal impact outside myself and am somewhat obsessive about it -- I can make a paper towel go a long way. I'm not even a big fan of industry. I don't see chalk on a route in the same light. The amount of magnesium carbonate on a route is probably less destructive than the impact a typical american imposes by being alive for 5 minutes. Maybe we'll come up with an alternative to chalk someday but till then I'd rather find something positive about it being there.
Last edited by Danny on Tue May 13, 2003 3:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rock climbing is like Paintings.
Rock climbing is like Art.
Rock climbing is like Non-stereotypical.
Rock climbing is like Interesting to observe.
Rock climbing is like Canvas.
Hmmmm let see P..A..N..I..C.. holly shit... Corey is the devil... He is trying to make us not use chalk. So THE devil is trying to make me not use chalk????I'll show that devil, I will keep using chalk. Woo Wee that was a close one. Man, that devil.
Rock climbing is like Art.
Rock climbing is like Non-stereotypical.
Rock climbing is like Interesting to observe.
Rock climbing is like Canvas.
Hmmmm let see P..A..N..I..C.. holly shit... Corey is the devil... He is trying to make us not use chalk. So THE devil is trying to make me not use chalk????I'll show that devil, I will keep using chalk. Woo Wee that was a close one. Man, that devil.