Peak District Trip

We spent some truly hot days in July climbing and testing our products in the Peak District in the UK. We climbed in the harshest possible conditions for chalk on the hottest day in recorded weather history. Just about the only way to get any climbing done that day was to get up super early at sunrise. At about 10AM, we already had to stop because the temps were completely unbearable.

Spending the rest of the afternoon lazing around at the campsite without access to air conditioning or cold showers was truly hallucinating. Too hot to sit. Too hot to move. Too hot to live. So hot that by the end of the day we were getting sick despite drinking plenty of fluids. A real eye-opening experience: we are experiencing the effects of disastrous climate change today and it’s only going to get worse.

As far as product testing goes, we found that our Magic Chalk performs great on grit and is especially well-suited as a base layer for the short trad climbs that are typical for the Peak District. It’s also nice to have cork-dry hands when you get inevitably pulled in by the appeal of free soloing some of those wonderful lines.

In the hottest conditions or for people who have truly exceptionally sweaty hands. a little top-up with high-quality chalk powder mid-route proved to be useful. This trip convinced us that as a company, we should continue to strive to help protect the climbing environment and reduce the need for chalk by offering the best possible quality chalk. And that is our Magic Chalk boosted with Upsalite. Less Chalk, More Grip!