Climbing Chalk Substitutes Banned at Garden of the Gods

As of March 15, 2021 chalk substitutes have been added to the climbing chalk ban at the popular Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs. The city announcement of the ban notes that climbing chalk or chalk substitute of any kind or color are forbidden in the park “to help preserve the natural beauty of the rock formations…even the smallest of traces left behind from individual climbers, such as chalk marks or dust, can create monumental impacts.” 

Research demonstrates that not only does chalk detract from the beauty of a rock formation, it may also have deleterious effects to moss, fern and rock-dwelling species. Additionally, the mining of magnesite, the mineral climbing chalk is made from, may cause “large-scale plant death, soil degradation, and reduced microbial activity” as well as harmful effects to the local population, according to an article published on Climbing.com.

If you want to try a more eco-friendly solution for increasing friction, researchers suggest balls that absorb excess moisture from hands (who knows what these are made from, though).