Shawn Axelrod is the creator and owner of Climbing Addicts, which makes colored chalk. Shawn was interviewed in our "Overcoming Boundaries" edition where he talks about his congenital heart condition and how it has impacted his climbing. Some of the responses below are excerpts from his interview, along with additional responses to let you know more about Climbing Addicts.
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Tell us about Climbing Addicts and why you started it.
In 2015 I started Climbing Addicts, where we make colored climbing chalk. There are a few reasons I started the business. Part of being a father is paying attention to your legacy in terms of things that are created. I’m in the construction industry, so to me homes that are built are a legacy. Children themselves are a legacy. A business is a legacy. Taking care of our world, especially the places we love to climb, is a legacy. With respect to climbing, I’m a strong desert trad rat. The first time I climbed in the desert in the early 1990s, it was pure and beautiful. But when I returned years later, you could clearly, visibly see the impact of climbing – the foot print was outward and upward. Walls were covered in chalk graffiti. I wanted to do something that also left a positive legacy in climbing, so I decided to make colored chalk. The beauty of colored chalk is it doesn’t require volunteers, trail crew, hammers, picks, or a shit-load of time and money to make a difference. It’s so fucking simple. Use red chalk on red rock, grey chalk on grey rock. Imagine if every climber took that one simple step? How fucking hard is it to have a baggie of chalk with different colors or even two different chalk bags for different walls? Where is your chalk made? Our magnesium carbonate is sourced from Caffiers, France, and it is colored and bagged here in the U.S. I make the colorization myself, here in the U.S. I package and I ship. I touch every batch of chalk that goes out. I have an intimate connection with the end user and I take pride in that. This chalk from France is very high quality - they have to test their product for purity (no toxins), unlike chalk that comes from China. Also, this chalk is very fine, not chunky, and sticks beautifully to the hands. Will this chalk stain my hands? And, will it work as well as white chalk? No, it won't stain your hands. And, yes it will work as well, if not better than most white chalks. This is because of the very high quality chalk we use. It will actually help protect over-dry hands and keeps sweat and grease away for a stronger, longer lasting climb. This chalk was used by the Wide Boyz on the Crucifix Project (5.15). |
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What challenges have you faced as a small business?
It’s difficult to find what makes climber’s click. Someone will pay $5 for a cup of coffee but they get upset about paying $11 for a bag of chalk. People struggle with things like perceived value. In my perspective you base the price of an item on how much it costs to make. But costs are often determined based upon perceived value – say something costs 5 cents to make, but people charge $5k and people will pay – that is not morally right.
But the opposite is also true, if people place a low value on something, they won’t pay what it really costs to make a high quality product.
It’s difficult to find what makes climber’s click. Someone will pay $5 for a cup of coffee but they get upset about paying $11 for a bag of chalk. People struggle with things like perceived value. In my perspective you base the price of an item on how much it costs to make. But costs are often determined based upon perceived value – say something costs 5 cents to make, but people charge $5k and people will pay – that is not morally right.
But the opposite is also true, if people place a low value on something, they won’t pay what it really costs to make a high quality product.
What is your business philosophy?
Most people approach business as a way to make money. I approach it as a way to contribute to climbing and make a high quality product. In addition to hoping my chalk will help decrease the visual impact of climbing at our crags, I donate 2% of sales to Leave No Trace, because we believe in leaving the outdoors the way we found it.
Most people approach business as a way to make money. I approach it as a way to contribute to climbing and make a high quality product. In addition to hoping my chalk will help decrease the visual impact of climbing at our crags, I donate 2% of sales to Leave No Trace, because we believe in leaving the outdoors the way we found it.
Buy some high quality colored chalk through Common Climber and support these three awesome resources - Common Climber, Climbing Addicts, and Leave No Trace! Plus it's a win for you (great chalk that works) and a win for our crags (reduced visual impact).
TIP: If you use the same chalk bag but climb in different areas with varying chalk needs (e.g. red chalk for one area and grey chalk for another) you can store the different colored chalk in zip lock baggies and switch out the baggies depending on the crag! Easy!
TIP: If you use the same chalk bag but climb in different areas with varying chalk needs (e.g. red chalk for one area and grey chalk for another) you can store the different colored chalk in zip lock baggies and switch out the baggies depending on the crag! Easy!