Why is it absolutely necessary to brush your holds when climbing? 🤔

Have you ever wondered why some climbers always carry a brush in their hand or in their snowpack? Have you ever seen climbers running around in circles in a climbing gym, desperately looking for a brush, without understanding why it was so important? Have you ever had people use a brush AFTER climbing? So, if you want to understand why, climb like a pro and respect your community, stay with us. We explain to you what a brush is for when climbing and why you absolutely need to brush.

What is a brush used for in climbing?

Improve your grip

Imagine, you throw your hand at a big catch and just when you thought you could hold it, your hand starts to slip. No matter how much you cover your hands with chalk, you can't hold this grip! Not great huh?
Well this grip is simply slippery because it is covered in magnesia, sweat, even grease.

This is where brushing comes in handy: a good brush will clear out any particles that could get between the grain of your skin and the grain of the grip. And often, this plays out on a microscopic scale. Impurities, like slipper rubber or magnesia, lodge in the hollows of your grip and make it smooth. You therefore need a good brush capable of scraping into the smallest nooks and crannies.

Respect nature and other climbers

When you climb, regardless of your will, you leave impurities on the holds: mainly magnesia or slipper gum. A little is okay, but too much is too much. By brushing AFTER your visit, you help maintain a clean environment. The climber who passes after you will thank you!

Outdoors, it is all the more important if you want to respect nature and respect your neighbor .
By brushing, you leave as few traces as possible of your passage. Nature will thank you for not leaving big white traces of magnesia everywhere.
It's also nice for future climbers: when you climb outdoors, you want to read the route and spot the holds. If climbers do not brush, chalk marks offer additional help that is not always requested or appreciated.

Our tips for effective brushing 🌟

Equipment

To brush properly, we advise you to use an efficient and suitable brush.

At YY Vertical, we have developed 2 brushes for this:

• The Infinity Brush , specially dedicated to brushing indoor sockets.
• The VerticalBrush , a high-efficiency upcycled brush.

These 2 brushes have a very high density of bristles, which makes brushing easier, less tiring and more efficient. Another advantage with the Infinity Brush and the VerticalBrush: you won't have to constantly replace your brush, they are made to last over time.

The technique

No need to scrub like a madman! Gentle, regular movements are enough.

Unlike brushing your teeth, we still advise you to favor back and forth rather than going in circles.

However, it is important to ensure that any impurities that fly out of the sockets do not fall back on them.
In a ventilated environment, the wind generally takes care of this matter. In the gym, we recommend that you blow (without sputtering) on ​​the socket once you have finished brushing.

When to brush? 🕒

Before and during climbing

To allow you to better hold on to the sockets

After your session

Out of respect for others.

Conclusion: Brushing is loving!

There you go, now you know why the brush is the essential accessory for any self-respecting climber.
On the other hand, be careful, once you have brushed a hold, you no longer have an excuse not to hold it! 😉

Climb high, climb clean!