With making it into the Tokyo Olympics, rock climbing has finally gained its long-awaited attention. On August 3, the ancient sport will make its debut at the Olympics with three formats. These formats are — speed climbing (competing to finish first a 15-m high wall climb while having ropes for safety, bouldering), climbing on unfamiliar irregular routes without using a rope or another form of support (safety mats are there), and lead climbing (climbing as high as the climber can within six minutes).
Dating back to 200 BC, the sport is coming into the limelight with the Olympics now. However, rock climbing, and in particular bouldering, is also gathering some negative attention from environmentalists. The concern is about the climbing chalk they use, a powder made from magnesium carbonate, which is believed to induce friction and help the climbers. It is the same powder that is also used by gymnasts and weightlifters.
However, using this substance in natural settings can have negative effects on the environment. According to research published in October 2020, climbing chalk negatively impacts the germination and survival of ferns and mosses that are specific to the rocks. The study found such four species to be negatively affected in lab settings, even after the chalk was wiped. This effect is important, environmentalists say. because rock boulders host unique ecosystems, which are different from the ground they stand on.
On the other hand, it is not clear if climbing chalk actually helps the athletes with their grip. Some research papers found that it provides no grip benefits while others had reason to believe in its worth. But it does provide psychological aid. “When you face a problem on a rock, what do you do? You powder your hands and go on,” Daniel Hepenstrick, one of the authors of the 2020 study, told National Geographic.
However, scientists warn about taking their study as conclusive, because the field requires more work to discover its ramifications.
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