Liquid chalk - A climber’s summer essential

Scrap iced drinks, our liquid chalk is the only cooling companion you need this summer…

With summer just around the corner, climbers everywhere are facing an all-too-familiar challenge: sweaty hands. We all know moisture ruins friction, compromises grip, and can kill your confidence on a climb. That’s where liquid chalk, particularly GEKCO’s high performance resin-free formula, steps in as the game-changer for summer climbing.

But what is it that makes liquid chalk so essential for hot weather? And why is our GEKCO liquid chalk formula helping you send harder?

Let’s dive into the magic of alcohol, why less is more when it comes to chalk formulas, and how making the right choice keeps you cool and strong for your summer climbing sessions…

Alcohol: A summer essential in more ways than one

At the heart of every bottle of liquid chalk lies alcohol - and it isn’t there just to kill germs or to have a good time. When you apply liquid chalk, the alcohol evaporates rapidly from your skin. This evaporation process draws heat away from your hands, evaporating any excess moisture, creating a noticeable cooling sensation. The alcohol also helps to cleanse the skin of oils that can negatively affect friction.

So all liquid chalk is good at cooling my hands down, right? Well, to put it bluntly: no. Not all liquid chalks are made with the same formula. The majority of liquid chalks have a much lower alcohol content and include other ingredients (we’ll talk more about that later) which actually prevent the fast evaporation needed to get the cooling effect that we have mastered here at GEKCO.

For us climbers, this cooling process matters more than you may know. Sweaty palms are the enemy of grip, control and friction - leading to poor form, frustrations, and potentially dangerous climbs (when you get ejected from that tricky dyno because your skin is sopping wet). Cooling your skin down with a quick drop of liquid chalk helps stop the sweat before it starts. This means better grip, more friction, and a stronger mental game.

Gekco’s above-and-beyond formula

Now, let’s talk formulas. Most liquid chalks, probably including the one you’re using right now, contain resins or thickeners - unless you’re using GEKCO already, then well done you, you’re in the know already! The resins create a stickier feeling and thicker texture, but all they’re actually doing is creating a false sense of performance. In reality, resins build up, harden and trap sweat which in turn reduces friction and hinders your performance. And don’t get us started on thickeners - the world’s best slip agents (lube). We don’t even have to tell you how bad that is for your grip…

GEKCO’s formula skips all that. No resins. No thickeners. No BS. Just pure performance.

Our cleaner formula allows for faster evaporation of the alcohol, which means more effective cooling and a cleaner application on your skin. Faster evaporation = faster cooling. You get a dry, confident grip with no residue or build up after climbing. And because there are only 2 ingredients on your skin, your pores can still breathe - a major win when temps start pushing 20 degrees and above.

The result? A smooth, consistent layer of chalk that not only doesn’t fight against your body’s natural cooling mechanisms, it actually enhances it.

Boulders, crags, walls: Your performance matters to us

Whether you’re getting caught in the sun in summer venues or climbing with no ventilation in a busy indoor gym, the heat is relentless during those summer months (yes, even in England!). Unless you’re already acquainted with our revolutionary COLD, traditional chalk blocks or powder can only do so much, especially when you’re hit with sweaty hands mid-climb. That cycle of sweat, rechalk, sweat, rechalk becomes exhausting and is wildly impractical for so many of us. 

On the other hand, liquid chalk acts as a base layer that lasts longer and resists sweat more effectively. GEKCO’s formula dries quickly, cools efficiently and leaves perfectly even coverage. It’s reliable.

Apply it at the start of your climb and enjoy a cool, dry grip that doesn’t leave you hanging the second the sun hits you (or more to the point, it does leave you hanging, still on the hold, rather than on the floor because you slipped off). And because of the lack of nasty resins, it also washes off easily post-climb, leaving your skin clean from any stubborn chemical residue that many people are actually allergic to.

Trying to escape the crowds this summer? Check out these hidden gem crags…

Scrap the iced drinks for this secret weapon

As the summer heat steps up its game, give your skin - and your sends - the edge they deserve. GEKCO liquid chalk offers you clean, cooling performance when you need it most.

So whether you’re chasing big sends, training indoors, or just trying to beat the heat, make GEKCO liquid chalk your secret weapon this summer.

Chalk up. Stay cool. Climb hard.