[Andy W]

Kind of genuine question, I mean I like the cold but when the forecast is like this for Targassonne tommorow, am I mad thinking of going bouldering?

http://www.accuweather.com/en/fr/targassonne/164450/daily-weather-forecast/164450?day=2

[fried]

I feel slightly guilty about not going outside when it's hovering around zero (like here this weekend), but I climb so bad in the cold, glassy skin, numb feet, muscles tight. Maybe it's because I'm a southerner.

I love Targassonne in August, lovely in the mornings and at sunset.

[SA Chris]

Hard to say. If the sun gets on the rock it can warm it up a bit and if you find a nice suntrap away from the slight easterly wind it might be mint. Worth a punt if you are there anyway IMO.

[Andy W]

Well, I'm going to go!, I guess its just that I've never seen a forecast that mentions the cold being dangerous before! 

[fried]

Don't climb at night and you'll be O.K!

[Plattsy]

-3.5 in Font just before New Year produced amazing connies.

[Fiend]

You'd be mad not too! Just get on the most outrageously slopey friction problems you can find 

[tomtom]

in winter 2010 or 2012 (I think) I met up with Nai and Butters at Froggat. The temp gauge on my car at the time said -13 as I parked up and was -12 when I left (it was still and sunny...). Conditions were incredible. If you can keep your hands warm enough its superb...

*it was so cold that when I bled on my bouldering mat - you were able to scrap off the waxy mostly frozen blood droplets...

[James Malloch]

Any good ways to keep hands warm in the proper cold? Anyone use the hand warmer sachets you can get or have any other methods?

[tommytwotone]

I'm of a mind that for bouldering, while there is definitely a point where it gets too hot there is no such thing as too cold.


I've had some bitterly cold days out and as long as you choose venue sensibly, can get to the crag, the boulders are climbable/get off-able and you're prepared / determined in terms of staying warm, I've found them the best days ever.


Decent thermals, getting back into your socks and shoes between batches of goes, skipping / running to keep warm all help. Dependent on venue I'd even consider a trip back to the car, or having an hour at it, then going to the caff and then getting back out.


That said I'm not one of these tall gangly folk so suffer from "bad circulation" - AKA being a bit nesh as they used to call it in Derby.

[andy_e]

in winter 2010 or 2012 (I think) I met up with Nai and Butters at Froggat. The temp gauge on my car at the time said -13 as I parked up and was -12 when I left (it was still and sunny...). Conditions were incredible. If you can keep your hands warm enough its superb...

*it was so cold that when I bled on my bouldering mat - you were able to scrap off the waxy mostly frozen blood droplets...

Probably 2010, because this is when a friend and I tried to climb at the cliff at night when it was -14°C. We didn't last long before hitting the Hunters.

[Johnny Brown]

Agree, no such thing as too cold. The colder it gets the more important sun and shelter from any wind are. The key thing for me is to get the heart rate up and the blood pumping before pulling on. If there isn't a decent walk in to stomp up have a jog about and/or do some aerobics on your mat.

[tomtom]

I need to warm up my hands by climbing for 5 min until they get hotaches - then keep em warm between go's in decent mits. Feet are often the sneaky problem - they often don't feel too cold until you can't feel them at all!

[sdm]

Between every go, take your rock shoes off and put warm shoes and socks on and make sure you keep your rock shoes under the armpits of your jacket between goes. If I do that religiously, my feet can stay warm even in really cold conditions but once they get cold and painful, I find it difficult to warm them back up.

[SA Chris]

I thought there was a thread about this a while back, but can't find it - need to deploy slackbot.

Hot ginger wine in a flask was recommended?

[tomtom]

I thought there was a thread about this a while back, but can't find it - need to deploy slackbot.

Hot ginger wine in a flask was recommended?

I ALWAYS bathe my cold feet in hot ginger wine between attempts. I mean who doesn't?????

[cheque]

I ALWAYS bathe my cold feet in hot ginger wine between attempts. I mean who doesn't?????

  Fill some of those Decathlon wellies up and you're good to go.

Here's the thread.

[Andy W]

Well I went and it wasn't too cold, but, it did take an hour to get to the boulder, normally 10 mins. Lost in the unfamilarity of whiteness and general inept floundering in knee to waist deep snow, to find the boulder capped with a large hat of gently dripping snow...so no bouldering today.

The upside on the drive home I checked out a hunch and found a rather good new unclimbed line right by the road.

[mark s]

the coldest days i think of are always windy.
 below 8 and the rope goes away

[Eddies]

The coldest temps I've climbed in was -7 at the Fourth Cloud. There were a few of us and we made a real effort to warm up and get climbing ASAP. Most of us ended up staying warm and psyched and having a productive session. The key I think is to have a laugh and make a real effort. As soon as the hands go deep into the bottom of the pockets and the bottom lip comes out its game over

[nai]

*it was so cold that when I bled on my bouldering mat - you were able to scrap off the waxy mostly frozen blood droplets...

So cold you forgot it was me doing the bleeding

Twas a remarkable day.

[Drew]

I don't know whether to put this here or in the other thread, but I've cannibalised some old thick mountaineering Merino Wool socks which had holes in the heels, and turned them into ankle warmers (think Fame, but slightly smellier). Definitely help keeping the feet warm for longer. Same goes for the hands. Aside from the massive mitts worn on the walk in, I wear those silly sweat band that Andy Murray wears. Reckon my hands stay warmer for longer.

I also have some uber-warm work boots which are insulated, and fleece lined which I wear for the walk in. I put them back on as soon as I feel slightly numb toes. Usually on a -1 to -5 night session (no-wind), I would switch from rock boots to warm boots 2 or three times and then I'm good to go for a couple of hours.

Oh and warm the rock shoes in the footwell of the car while driving, and in the internal pockets of my warm jacket while stomping in.

[dave]

Small flask of hot drink can help and act as a good morale booster. Also a hot drink is decent additional source of calories because all that running around getting warm takes energy. Folk on a redpoint starvation diet are going to be cold as a bastard, so eat well.

Baselayer trous under your normal strides is also a gamechanger if you don't already. I can't really understand folk who don't.

[nai]

Oh and warm the rock shoes in the footwell of the car while driving, and in the internal pockets of my warm jacket while stomping in.

A few of those reusable handwarmers to put inside shoes while inside your coat during breaks means they're nice and toasty to put back on and good to go straight away.

[Oldmanmatt]

I get that Raynauds syndrome in my fingers. It used to be only a cold water diving thing, but has been an issue twice this winter when climbing. It ends a session for me. I haven't found an answer. Sprints up and down tors that left me otherwise sweaty as hell didn't help. Time or an external heat source the only way back. I always have a flask of hot coffee, but my hands chilled it to tepid without reviving.
Yesterday I had more success by keeping them warm on the drive (where my problems often start), car heater on max, gloves on, over dressed etc. Then Dachstines for walk in and between tries.
Better, but I was getting no more than 2min on before my hands were too cold to carry on.


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