[b]Full Disclosure: The company that manufactured this equipment provided it free of charge to RC.com and RC.com then provided it as compensation to the reviewer for his or her review. This company does not currently advertise on RC.com.[/b]

[i]Colored chalk is greasy. Colored chalk stains the rock. And what am I supposed to do – carry a chalk bag for every color of rock I climb?[/i]

If I had written this review 15 years ago, it might have looked like the above, but this is not your parent’s colored chalk. Environmentally-minded climbers, sneaky first ascensionists and those concerned with access issues at their local crags may want to take a second look at this one-time pariah of the powdered courage industry.

To be sure, Aaron Shackelford of Terra Firma, the company that makes this newest generation of colored chalk, has an uphill battle ahead of him. Colored chalk debuted briefly on the American climbing scene several years ago to [i]ooos[/i] and [i]ahs[/i], but it soon became apparent that the idea was only good on paper. The stuff actually [i]decreased[/i] friction and there is some anecdotal evidence that it may have stained rock permanently. And even with this improved version, climbers are still asking the “how-many-chalk-bags” question.

But this is a different company entirely and Shackelford appears to have solved the first two problems. I transitioned to Rock Chalk seamlessly and didn’t even remember that I had switched until I looked at my hands and saw a color other than white. For me, it works every bit as good as my mainstay, Metolius’ Super Chalk.

I should mention that RC.com Booty Crew member, maculated, experienced something very different when she brought it to her local gym to gather opinions. “I kid you not when I tell you that the entire co-op was dancing around like young girls covered in spiders,” she explains. “There was cooties-style wiggling, and rapid wiping of hands on pants.” But after much figuring and [i]hmmm[/i]-ing with maculated and Shackelford, I’ve come to the conclusion that the finely-ground Rock Chalk only feels more slick to those used to chunky block chalk, i.e., K-mac’s crew. There's reason to believe that the dispersal method may effect its feel, as well. Using a chalk ball, which I also do, could be the ticket.

But never fear, environmentally-minded block chalkers: Terra Firma reports that block Rock Chalk (say it five times fast!) is likely on the way.

[img]http://www.rockchalk.net/images/manufacturing2.jpg[/img]
[size=8]Chalk and gray rocks, a winning combination.[/size]

Rock Chalk contains an all-natural pigment that is made of… are you ready for this? Rocks. Its actual substance is a guarded secret, but Shackelford assures me that the stuff comes straight out of the ground. I know that this doesn’t determine whether or not it will actually stain, but hey, [i]white[/i] chalk stains. I can name you several crags that have chalk marks aplenty to bewilder archeologists ten thousand years from now.

[img]http://img85.exs.cx/img85/7296/uglyfacechanged4yq.jpg[/img]
[size=8]Say, Zandor... what do you suppose all this 10,0000-year-old white powdery stuff is?[/size]

So, how many chalk bags would a chalk user use if a chalk user did use Rock Chalk? Just one; pick the color that matches the rock you climb most. All the other crags you frequent will get a little off color, but what’s worse, gray on red stone or blazing white?

While I’m on the subject, the biggest complaints I heard about Rock Chalk all involved its color. One climber whined only half jokingly that he couldn’t see his tick marks. Another remarked that he looked like he’d been playing with a turd after using the red chalk, and yet another was disappointed that by “colored chalk” I didn’t mean dayglo green, pink and blue.

Whether Rock Chalk and Terra Firma go the way of their slimy predecessor remains to be seen. It’s not clear that Rock Chalk is easily available for the masses yet, and to be honest, I tend to buy the chalk that’s geographically closest to my wallet – brand loyalty be damned. Unless you have an REI nearby, you have to order it from Terra Firma’s website, which is above.

Rock Chalk comes in two-ounce portions (same as a standard block) sealed in handy zipper baggies, which is a little ironic considering the environmental purpose that drove its inception. But then again, in what else could it be packaged? Take your pick of gray, yellow or two tones of red, or if you want a closer match, contact Terra Firma for a custom mix at no extra charge.

I'm rating Rock Chalk at three 'biners, but that will certainly rise to four when Terra Firma starts to produce Rock Chalk in blocks.