Pawtuckaway chalk-bombed

"The ground around these boulders looked like it has snowed."

Hah!  Although this was not me, as a chalk-fiend climber let me apologize on behalf of the perpetrators!

There's almost always climbing going on in boulder natural so it's unlikely a hiker passing by would think it's graffiti. However it does suck when you forget a brush and the problem has been all tick-marked to hell. Sometimes you like to figure out beta on your own, you know? 

I get more pissed about big piles of toilet paper remains that I keep finding like 10 feet away from the storm boulders. How hard it it to walk into the woods people? You could relieve yourself in 95% of the park and nobody would EVER find out, but you choose to drop one right next to bones to bits? For shame. 

Benjamin Schneider wrote:

I get more pissed about big piles of toilet paper remains that I keep finding like 10 feet away from the storm boulders. How hard it it to walk into the woods people? You could relieve yourself in 95% of the park and nobody would EVER find out, but you choose to drop one right next to bones to bits? For shame. 

They're afraid a pack of forest dwelling hyenas are going to eat them from the inside, through their ass.

https://youtu.be/BlN7fWVKotk?t=1m15s

Benjamin Schneider wrote:

I get more pissed about big piles of toilet paper remains that I keep finding like 10 feet away from the storm boulders. How hard it it to walk into the woods people? You could relieve yourself in 95% of the park and nobody would EVER find out, but you choose to drop one right next to bones to bits? For shame. 

This is disgusting and unacceptable, but after spending some time in Europe, we definitely have it far, far better in the shit department. In Spain you can find more piles of shit, toilet paper, and skid-marked underwear (mens and womens!) on one backcountry trail than the number of people you even see in a week on said trail.

Mike Robinson wrote:

wow...who cares seriously?

I enjoy the challenge of finding the good holds on unchalked routes. and I take care to not chalk more than i need.

however, i don't sweat much, so I have that advantage.

At one point, climbers didn't use chalk at all.

After my last couple trips Pawtakaway I was really set back on how disrespectful people can be to an area and other climbers 

I pick up trash every time I go there. To be fair, that place has more than just climbers using it though. But we are the only ones who put chalk on rocks.

People definitely get overzealous with the chalk use every once in a while. I remember seeing both aretes of Throng completely white once from bottom to top.  For those who ask "Who cares?", it is essentially littering. Chalk is a lot less impactfull and can wash off, it is still visually unappealing.  We all accept there is going to be chalk left over when we climb but we should minimize as much as possible, we already have the brush off tick marks ethic.  Lot of people use the outdoors for more than climbing, seeing white slime on all the rocks detracts from their experiences. Just because its a climbing area, doesn't mean its a climbers only area

Why do people care? Mainly, it's just fucking ugly.

And it doesn't always wash off, even where there's ample rain. I've been to Eastern crags where the super-popular TR routes have so much chalk on them that it's become greasy perma-chalk that actually makes the holds worse.

There are people who turn their hands white as soon as they tie in. I don't get it.

If anyone catches someone doing this stop them!

Starting this thread up again because I was out at round pond yesterday and on the backside of the Old Gold boulder people had been drawing with chunks of chalk all over the face of the rock. I did my best to clean it off with what I had. 

Dylan England wrote:

Starting this thread up again because I was out at round pond yesterday and on the backside of the Old Gold boulder people had been drawing with chunks of chalk all over the face of the rock. I did my best to clean it off with what I had. 

were they literal children?

I understand why this is a problem in desert locales. In New England the problem will solve itself in three days.

" it's become greasy perma-chalk that actually makes the holds worse."

I don't think that happens.  The grease is from your hands, not the chalk.  Much of the grease gets washed away if it is mixed with chalk.  Without the chalk almost none of the grease washes away.

tom donnelly wrote:

" it's become greasy perma-chalk that actually makes the holds worse."

I don't think that happens.  The grease is from your hands, not the chalk.  Much of the grease gets washed away if it is mixed with chalk.  Without the chalk almost none of the grease washes away.

But... but... the greasy holds is why I can't send my V7+ proj.

everyone when the area gets closed down.... 

J B wrote:

I understand why this is a problem in desert locales. In New England the problem will solve itself in three days.

1. look at the forecast, NE is not as wet as it used to be

2. rain washing it off is not the problem is not solving itself - that would be the people who did it cleaning it off. people should not be drawing with chalk on boulders. this is not a sidewalk.

I understand that the rain may wash it off but not always. I actually had to scrub for a little bit to get all the writing off. Also I agree with Nick and Caesar , things like this give climbers a bad name and a risk for shutdown, this is an issue of ethics and needs to be nipped in the bud. This is not the only time that I have seen this recently either, all I am trying to do is create awareness to the situation.

Has the park ever posted small signs in the popular areas reminding people to brush tick marks and pack out trash? There is a "responsibility code" posted at cathedral and probably other cliffs. Something similar adapted for the pebble wrestlers could help. 

Also wanted to add that the problem isn't just limited to the popular areas. I've recently seen giant tick marks all over the warm ups at lower traffic areas like the fire tower.