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It's strictly a pragmatic issue Kipp... white is there and not coming off, so let's limit our impact. While you may be philosophically/aesthetically "correct" from one perspective, this has little bearing on the issue of limiting ticks on more routes, be it white, blue, red, fuschia, whatever. If blue chalk were the historical local standard and some kid starting ticking every last hold in white with 4" stripes that were difficult to remove, that would be an issue too.

Also, the colored chalk sticks are chemically distinct with an oil resin, meant to adhere to sidewalks and chalkboard for long periods. Put your fondness for debate and rhetorical abstraction aside for a second--you can't honestly tell me that you think it is OK to tick mark classic routes from head to toe with a second color of chalk that is even harder to brush off? I wonder what Rick & Liz or the Gray's Branch USFS rangers would think if big blue ticks starting popping up all over Military, Left Flank, Midnight Surf, or Solarium? White is the accepted standard around here (& almost everywhere else) as it has been for over 20 years, changing it now or adding a second color to the mix is plain idiotic. Aesthetically equivalent in theory perhaps, but tantamount to graffiti at this point in the game.

Here's an idea--if you like another color more, then powerwash and scrub all the white chalk off at Secret Crag #x and post a big sign or two saying blue, or green, or purple, or beige or whatever freakin' color you like is the local standard at that crag. But pick one and stick with it, that's all that's expected. Hell, even say no chalk is the local standard--your call. But the reason white is popular is because it is the cheapest, simplest, purest, and easiest to package and sell--it is just magnesium carbonate after all.

He must be from Hazard, KY and a relative of Martin Fugate.

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/of ... murfs/5313

I think some people aren't understanding that this blue chalk in question is not chalk used in a chalkbag for dipping into, but a chalk stick being used to mark almost every possible hold on a route. BIG ticks and unsightly IMO.

Then I've always looked at leaving your tick marks on a route your done with like leaving boogers in a library book.

Jeff wrote: Then I've always looked at leaving your tick marks on a route your done with like leaving boogers in a library book.

Ha ha ha classic!!

I don't know if it is the pigment, or what, but other colored chalk (besides sidewalk chalk) is near impossible to get out. If you have ever used a chalk line with the blue or red chalk in it, that stuff is impossible to scrub off.

"Writing" chalk is typically calcium carbonate with an oil or resin base--greasier, less water soluble, and intended to adhere for longer periods. Climbing/gymnastic chalk is pure magnesium carbonate (except the expensive/unpopular "natural" colored stuff which has other additives).

White Chalk became the "standard " by default. It was co-opted from gymnastics and applied to climbing back in the day by Gill, et al. No conscious decision was ever made to use white chalk. It has been a grandfathered community concession, not with out a significant amount of angst and hand wringing by climbers and critics of climbing down through the years, mainly because of its visual impact, but also its potential impact of skn breathing lizards, and other environmental impacts.
Don't get me wrong- this issue of impacts of skin breathing reptiles (salamanders) was brought up by a biologist here on the Daniel Boone years ago and has been debunked. But as to the visual impact, no affirmative decision was made to select whtie chalk- it was the only thing available.
We still are living with this paradigm, and perhaps it is time to reflect upon it and ask why we use white. If there was a chalk that was less of a visual impact, I think if we as a community moved toward its use it would reflect upon us a group that does care about what others think.
Now, I like a hard route with holds chalked up as a visual aesthetic as much as the next guy. It is how I have formed my view of climbing. But again, this is based on not an affirmative decision to use white chalk, but a resignation that white was the adapted chalk applied to our sport. We can change.

btw, young choads bearing sticks of blue sidewalk chalk marking up the Red are a menace and need to be stopped.

climb2core wrote:

Andrew wrote:Colored chalk is a terrible idea for many reasons, but lets not forget that the rock in the red varies in color from black, orange, red, yellow, and grey. Sometimes all of these colors in one route. So should I get chalk in all colors and have five chalk bags on.

90% of the routes are brown/orange in color. It would be much better than white everywhere. Wearing 5 chalk bags is your call.

I am going to have to disagree with that made up number. A lot of routes are gray, much more than 10%.

I am from Hazard, Ky and the comment about the Blue Fugates' is wrong, they are from Troublesome Creek in Knott County, not Perry. Some of the stereotypes about this area may be true, just not that one.

Andrew wrote:

climb2core wrote:

Andrew wrote:Colored chalk is a terrible idea for many reasons, but lets not forget that the rock in the red varies in color from black, orange, red, yellow, and grey. Sometimes all of these colors in one route. So should I get chalk in all colors and have five chalk bags on.

90% of the routes are brown/orange in color. It would be much better than white everywhere. Wearing 5 chalk bags is your call.

I am going to have to disagree with that made up number. A lot of routes are gray, much more than 10%.

I counted all the routes in Red, you are right it is actually 87.8% Fine, make it a sand-dirt colored chalk... still way less noticeable or obtrusive than white.