[Dingdong]

In the morning yesterday connies were good but in the day it's too hot. It's not great season yet! October I reckon

Was lovely and cold in the evening too, we went stanage around 5 and by 6 or so it got cold and grippy! I think it’s just during the afternoon where it’s a bit warmer

[36chambers]

I would like to propose the grit being called. A wonderfully cold, golden evening, midgeless and the bracken has almost fully died off near the edges.

The slopers felt crisp, jug like even. Heel hooks aplenty, compression everywhere in sight. It was beautiful, just beautiful.

You clearly weren't anywhere near Caley, I didn't even bother getting my climbing shoes out yesterday.

[Dingdong]

I would like to propose the grit being called. A wonderfully cold, golden evening, midgeless and the bracken has almost fully died off near the edges.

The slopers felt crisp, jug like even. Heel hooks aplenty, compression everywhere in sight. It was beautiful, just beautiful.

You clearly weren't anywhere near Caley, I didn't even bother getting my climbing shoes out yesterday.

I think I edited my post but yeah was a stanage far left yesterday evening, definitely not near caley!

[Bradders]

As has been said many times before, one cool morning/evening does not maketh a grit season.

That said, the below is spot on so thanks Carlos for keeping tradition alive.

Someone getting psyched and suggesting grit should be called on the first pleasantly cool day of the year is as much of a tradition as the call itself though isn’t it?

[M1V0]

As has been said many times before, one cool morning/evening does not maketh a grit season.

I dunno, last year with the rain and injuries, my grit season roughly covered 9am-1pm on a December weekend.

[Dingdong]

Grit season is an ebb and flow, tis not a hard timeframe but a state of mind, it can be willed. Also with how unreliable weather is nowadays it could be grit season for 2 weeks followed by a heatwave in November. Either way, i'm freaking psyched! 

[chrisbrooke]

What sort of humidity levels are considered prime? Personally I love a 10 degree temp, with a moderate breeze (I don't like it too cold in the comfort vs performance trade off), but below what sort of humidity level do you think slopers become unfalloffable?

[chrisbrooke]

If I see the forecast drop below 50% this year I'll probably just book the day off work and drive around all my projects trying to tick as many as I can in one day 

[Will Hunt]

The day I did Secret Seventh it was -1 and 45% humidity. Don't think I've seen or felt the like before or since.

[chrisbrooke]

Did the -1 not feel too unpleasant at that humidity level? I did Barry Sheene last December with snow on the ground, low humidity, in long-johns, two layers, buff, hat etc, but am not usually a fan of being that cold. What made it bearable was the sun breaking through the trees and providing some warmth. As well as sipping hot tea, and putting my expedition suit on between attempts    I dream of the sweet spot of 40-something humidity and around 10deg temps, as I just can't take the suffering. Not sure if that's meteorologically likely though.

[spidermonkey09]

The lower the humidity the more reasonable really low temperatures are in my experience. Minus figures with 70%+ humidity is the kind of damlp cold that gets into your bones. When I was in the red river gorge last year it was frequently - 8 centigrade but less than 50% humidity and very manageable for sport climbing. Would have been utterly mint for bouldering.

Best I've ever experienced is similar to Will, minus figures at Widdop with sub 50% humidity. Ice on all the topouts but harder to fall off than stay on. I pulled on holds that had been merely conceptual on previous visits and Fight on Black felt like a path. Conversely I had a day at Caley with Will last winter where it was absolutely freezing but the humidity was high. Upshot was everyone froze and conditions weren't actually that good.

If I see that kind of humidity and low temps this winter I won't be working that day!

[chrisbrooke]

Makes sense.

Likewise. There's a long list of problems I just need that little bit of 'conditions on my side' for.

[Bradders]

I find humidity is quite a personal thing. I have relatively dry skin, so actually really struggle if humidity is <60% or so. In fact I stopped trying Bens Sit on such days as I knew it wouldn't be favourable, and the day I did it it was certainly >70%.

I also have very fond memories of a session at Caley a few years ago; it was -4 and very still, with a thick blanket of fog so very high humidity. I could do no wrong.

[Dingdong]

I find humidity is quite a personal thing. I have relatively dry skin, so actually really struggle if humidity is <60% or so. In fact I stopped trying Bens Sit on such days as I knew it wouldn't be favourable, and the day I did it it was certainly >70%.

I also have very fond memories of a session at Caley a few years ago; it was -4 and very still, with a thick blanket of fog so very high humidity. I could do no wrong.

Aye Sam talked about this loads in the careless talk podcast, he loves climbing grit in foggy conditions because of his dry skin, the humidity helps a lot. As a fellow dry skinner, i'm very much inclined to agree!

[Wellsy]

@DingDong I think that puntering of Fiend comment is uncalled for and you should apologise

[spidermonkey09]

@DingDong I think that puntering of Fiend comment is uncalled for and you should apologise

Agreed...

[Ross Barker]

The tongue was well out of the cheek with that one.

[SA Chris]

I find humidity is quite a personal thing.

Also such a highly localised thing that it sometimes feels a forecast is almost meaningless.

[Dingdong]

I would like to propose you stop talking nonsense, but just like a 1 month premature grit call, i doubt it's going to happen 

sorry for puntering you and saying this is why you have no friends, it was deeply uncalled for, I didnt realise your post was a joke and took it the wrong way 

[Fiend]

Wait, it was a joke?! 

[Johnny Brown]

Tough one this year, four of the five came early, but the last required a plashing chase. He seems more elusive year on year; shrouded by mists, strangely opaque. Is it my eyesight fading, or the changing congregation? 

[Bradders]

Spot on

[Fiend]

Thank fuck. May the seepage even come through to The Tor. The calls are definitely getting much tougher.

[Dingdong]

Surely…

[Bradders]

Tough one this year, four of the five came early, but the last required a plashing chase. He seems more elusive year on year; shrouded by mists, strangely opaque. Is it my eyesight fading, or the changing congregation?

....