The effectiveness of chalk as a friction modifier for climbers

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

The application of chalk (magnesium carbonate) in rock climbing is common practice as climbers attempt to improve their grip by removing moisture from their hands with the aim of increasing friction at the finger-hold interface. This study investigated the effectiveness of chalk as a friction modifier by considering a range of commercially available chalk products in combination with finger pads on artificial climbing holds that are typical of those found in an indoor climbing centre. This work follows on from existing studies which investigated chalk effectiveness on different types of rock. The influence of load and surface roughness were considered by comparing different climbing holds, both new and used and a range of normal loads.