I live and climb in sunny Southern California and this video could not possibly be less relevant to me - yet here I sit watching the entire thing because I will watch absolutely anything Dave puts out. Thanks for another great video as always!
Really loved this video to be honest. Something as simple as learning how to stay warm at the crag is so overlooked. I've never seen someone break this down in such a well thought out way. Thanks for the tips
Great video, Dave - as usual! I live in Tromsø in Norway, and I have one tip that I think is useful for other climbers: Use mittens instead of gloves! If you really need dexterity - fine, use gloves, but if you just want to stay or get warm, use mittens. It really is *a lot* warmer when your fingers are next to each other, when you don't isolate them one by one. And for us climbers, it's really important to keep our fingers warm. Even fairly thin mittens are a lot warmer than very bulky gloves. When I see very thick gloves, I always think that you are trying to optimize an inferior technology, like trying to make fast running shoes out of sandals by making the sole better etc. or trying to make a warm jacket with holes in it. Mittens are just a better way to keep your fingers and hand warm, so if warmth is important to you, don't waste your time on gloves! Thanks again for the video, it's really a great inspiration to see how it's possible to go outside and climb a lot more than you think! :)
Excellent video! I would just add a tip from a friend: A chemical hand warmer in your chalk bag does wonders for restoring feeling on a long route (slimmer toe warmers night fit better).
One more thing: eat enough when you have a long session in the cold. I have an insulated food container and bring noodle soup or something similar when climbing in winter. Getting a hot meal at the crag is a gamechanger for me.
Great tips and breakdown. Definitely getting some slippers, for my frozen toes. Som extra tips that i feel helps: - If you're several people bring an old sleeping bag for the odd person out who is neither climbing or belaying. - Put your climbing shoes on the inside pockets below your down jacket to keep them nice and warm. - Communicate with other people so that perhaps one person gets several goes in a row whilst they're still warm and then sits out the rest of the session. It can be hard to try hard once you've gotten really cold.
Suprised you didnt mention the hard boiled egg handwarmers tip you'd mentioned in a previous video, that's one of the best cold weather tactics i've heard!
I have winter thermo boots without lacing which I like to call "winters crocs" since they are so easy to put on and off. I have them 1 size larger than normal shoes just for that purpose. What is even more important for me, and my number one tip, is to place my climbing shoes inside the jacket when resting to keep them warm.
Did you ever try out the Wim Hof Method for increasing your body heat? I'd be super curious to see you investigate that! Think it would make a great vlog.
Couldn´t agree more with you about fires at the crags. It is not that it can go wrong, but also we shouldn´t leave any trace. Thank you for your awesome vids
Yes. It going wrong leaves a pretty badass trace. I watched it happen in Glen Nevis a few years ago. A wee BBQ by the river other folk had near the boulder I was at ended up with the whole mountain on fire for two days.
Great video and good tips. Climbing shoes inside the jacket is a must between attempts. I also use heated socks from Lenz to keep my feet warm sometimes. If it`s really cold, I even keep the socks on and take a shoe size that is a 1/2 bigger. And depending on how far the boulder is, I often warm up on my fingerboard at home, then rush to the crag so I can get going straight away.
You're almost guaranteed to need some sandpaper to open up cold glassy skin a bit for better friction. Shakable handwarmers are also worthwhile additions to a chalk pot. Get them started about half an hour before you climb.
I did actually have section in the video about hand warmers, which I have used in the past, but took it out because I'm not so keen on promoting single use items.
It's amazing how easy it can be to overlook the obvious. It came as something of a revelation when the penny finally dropped and I resurrected an old pair of moon boots - remember them? - to wear on the Malham Catwalk in January when sitting/standing around/belaying between routes. Fortunately this epiphany occurred long after such items had ceased to be in any way fashionable, thus preserving my exacting sartorial standards. This more or less coincided with my discovery of the true purpose of a thermos flask. Both bits of kit were promoted in short order to the rank of Secret Weapon!
I was rope soloing in a cave during the snow (it was dry in the cave though) just a few weeks back - could've used these tips then haha! My own 2 tips: mittens are warmer than gloves, and prevent wet clothes so take them off before you start to break a sweat!
Yeah, hot drinks really help more than one could think, here we drink mate and it boost the temperature nicely and helps you regain some strength (thanks caffeine). Now I shall go an buy some insulated slippers.
Recent research for palmar cooling shows that you can potentially warm up whole body temperate really effectively by warming glaborous skin surfaces. Not sure how to actually implement this yet, but it seems like an idea worth pursuing.
So grateful for these vids. Interested that you didn't address sweat/screaming barfies, given the tactic of deliberate overheating. How do you overheat the right amount without sweating to the point where it becomes a problem if you do have to stop for a bit? Or do you have tactics for dealing with having sweated, such as changing an inner layer?
great advices ! I also have a question for you : being a mountaineer I wonder if you've heard of any studies made about metabolism /food sourced fuel use in high altitude. I've been often told that acclimatation to altitude and performance in high altitude environments require more carbs than normal. I would be very curious to see how a keto diet might work in such environments, mostly in terms of eneregy availability and altitude acclimatation. Thanks again!
Tips from a Canadian Rockies winter climber: if you sweat on the approach swap out damp clothes w dry, you can buy decent puff pants on Aliexpress for super cheap (but upsize 3-4 sizes), cut the toes off old wool socks at the arch and wear with your shoes - keeps feet warmer, BD Hotforge chalkbag works great - even better if you add chemical hand warmers, and ginger tea FTW.
Hey, from BC here. Been thinkin of possibly moving to Alberta sometime in the future. Is it possible to boulder/rock climb in the winter there, or are you referring to ice climbing? Seems like an advantage Alberta has over coastal BC as it seems the rock is never dry in the winter.
@@jordanoickle6998 yep - rock climbing is doable year round as long as it’s sunny, around 0C, and not too windy. There will be days where you basically take your gear for a walk, and days you luck out w tshirt weather in February
I live in Gaspésie, canada, and now its -20c and feels like -30c with the humidity and wind. I wonder if its possible to go bouldering. Its a better time for ice climbing...
Even if you keep your body at comfortable temps. The rock just sucks the heat out my hands, and holds just feel too sharp to climb with confidence. Even on first attempts coming right of the gloves. I love going out on cold winter days with nobody around and trying, it just never goes..
I noticed you have additional insulation around your flask, is that really needed? It looks a lot like a Stanley flask. If it is, I have one of those and it has kept my tea warm overnight when camping in the Swedish winter.
Thanks for another awesome video, Dave! Sorry if you've addressed this in other videos, but do you feel that there's increased risk of injury when climbing at really low temps? Or do you consider that to be a non-issue as long as your body's at a good temp when you get on the climb?
If not properly warmed up them possibly, but I suspect (from personal experience alone) that warm greasy conditions are worse. Many of the injuries I've had have been from suddenly greasing off holds in warm/humid conditions.
No, never really done that Jools. I can always get warmed up fine at the crag. There are always sequences to be practised so I'm never short of warm up tasks to serve both purposes.
@@climbermacleod I guess it makes a little more sense for 'hit and run' tactics in a busier (not professional climber) lifestyle. It's worked wonders for me, up to 1hr drive/walk to the project. Also as someone who needs a little restraint sometimes, it's good to have done it using my normal routine, as it prevents me from being too psyched at the block and doing things that aren't as smart, especially as I'm now approaching 50...
I have a really weird problem - most of my body insulates like crazy. I'm reasonably comfy in a long-sleeve tee well below zero. But my hands and feet leak heat like a broken fire hydrant. And they're the only part I can't cover while climbing. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@climbermacleod There are some cheap handwarmers you can buy here in Norway that you press a button to activate and "recharge" by putting them in boiling water for a while
@@Thrusthamster Yeah you can get them here too. I have them myself. But overall I think this has not amazing results. I find it encourages me to try to climb with lower body temp overall and even though my finger skin is warmed, the hands go numb extremely quickly. I tend ro prefer a super warm core but cold skin. But maybe if you are prone to very dry skin it might be a different story?
Another tip: Put your rock climbing shoes inside your jacket between attempts to keep them warm
With the tips facing upwards!
and prior to that at the bottom of the windscreen with heaters up full
I also make sure I keep them in my armpits.
Shoe-bies!
I live and climb in sunny Southern California and this video could not possibly be less relevant to me - yet here I sit watching the entire thing because I will watch absolutely anything Dave puts out. Thanks for another great video as always!
Really loved this video to be honest. Something as simple as learning how to stay warm at the crag is so overlooked. I've never seen someone break this down in such a well thought out way. Thanks for the tips
here in finland it's -10 to -20 just now and we're planning on opening the season on the weekend. Can't wait!
Saw insulated slippers in an outdoor shop the other week and was thinking they'd be great for bouldering! Your approval is all I need.
Great video, Dave - as usual! I live in Tromsø in Norway, and I have one tip that I think is useful for other climbers: Use mittens instead of gloves! If you really need dexterity - fine, use gloves, but if you just want to stay or get warm, use mittens. It really is *a lot* warmer when your fingers are next to each other, when you don't isolate them one by one. And for us climbers, it's really important to keep our fingers warm. Even fairly thin mittens are a lot warmer than very bulky gloves.
When I see very thick gloves, I always think that you are trying to optimize an inferior technology, like trying to make fast running shoes out of sandals by making the sole better etc. or trying to make a warm jacket with holes in it. Mittens are just a better way to keep your fingers and hand warm, so if warmth is important to you, don't waste your time on gloves!
Thanks again for the video, it's really a great inspiration to see how it's possible to go outside and climb a lot more than you think! :)
Excellent video! I would just add a tip from a friend: A chemical hand warmer in your chalk bag does wonders for restoring feeling on a long route (slimmer toe warmers night fit better).
One more thing: eat enough when you have a long session in the cold. I have an insulated food container and bring noodle soup or something similar when climbing in winter. Getting a hot meal at the crag is a gamechanger for me.
Great tips and breakdown. Definitely getting some slippers, for my frozen toes. Som extra tips that i feel helps:
- If you're several people bring an old sleeping bag for the odd person out who is neither climbing or belaying.
- Put your climbing shoes on the inside pockets below your down jacket to keep them nice and warm.
- Communicate with other people so that perhaps one person gets several goes in a row whilst they're still warm and then sits out the rest of the session. It can be hard to try hard once you've gotten really cold.
Thanks Dave, I have Raynaud’s so all your tips for keeping warm are appreciated!
Ah yes Raynaud's is a different challenge altogether. I didn't get into optimising endothelial function in this episode but maybe in another.
I've used my Nitecore flash light set on high (1000 lumens) in my pocket to warm my hands back up in a pinch.
Perfect timing, my friends have been moaning that it's too cold for Gritstone bouldering! Absolutely not.
its literally the perfect temp for gritstone atm haha
Suprised you didnt mention the hard boiled egg handwarmers tip you'd mentioned in a previous video, that's one of the best cold weather tactics i've heard!
I have winter thermo boots without lacing which I like to call "winters crocs" since they are so easy to put on and off. I have them 1 size larger than normal shoes just for that purpose. What is even more important for me, and my number one tip, is to place my climbing shoes inside the jacket when resting to keep them warm.
Did you ever try out the Wim Hof Method for increasing your body heat? I'd be super curious to see you investigate that! Think it would make a great vlog.
thanks Dave, it's about time I get kitted out in thousands of dollars worth of alpine gear for these brutal 50º winters in the american south.
Hi Dave. Great video! I'm very invested in watching you establish new lines on this boulder! Looks like gem after gem. Keep it up.
Couldn´t agree more with you about fires at the crags. It is not that it can go wrong, but also we shouldn´t leave any trace. Thank you for your awesome vids
Yes. It going wrong leaves a pretty badass trace. I watched it happen in Glen Nevis a few years ago. A wee BBQ by the river other folk had near the boulder I was at ended up with the whole mountain on fire for two days.
Great video and good tips. Climbing shoes inside the jacket is a must between attempts. I also use heated socks from Lenz to keep my feet warm sometimes. If it`s really cold, I even keep the socks on and take a shoe size that is a 1/2 bigger. And depending on how far the boulder is, I often warm up on my fingerboard at home, then rush to the crag so I can get going straight away.
If I am ever cold outdoors and can't get warmer it's usually because I haven't eaten enough. Got to keep your body fueled, especially in the cold
Perfect Video! Currently hold back from my slopy project because of glassy fingertips... grrrr
You're almost guaranteed to need some sandpaper to open up cold glassy skin a bit for better friction. Shakable handwarmers are also worthwhile additions to a chalk pot. Get them started about half an hour before you climb.
I did actually have section in the video about hand warmers, which I have used in the past, but took it out because I'm not so keen on promoting single use items.
It's amazing how easy it can be to overlook the obvious. It came as something of a revelation when the penny finally dropped and I resurrected an old pair of moon boots - remember them? - to wear on the Malham Catwalk in January when sitting/standing around/belaying between routes. Fortunately this epiphany occurred long after such items had ceased to be in any way fashionable, thus preserving my exacting sartorial standards. This more or less coincided with my discovery of the true purpose of a thermos flask. Both bits of kit were promoted in short order to the rank of Secret Weapon!
I was rope soloing in a cave during the snow (it was dry in the cave though) just a few weeks back - could've used these tips then haha!
My own 2 tips: mittens are warmer than gloves, and prevent wet clothes so take them off before you start to break a sweat!
Absolutly brilliant!
Yeah, hot drinks really help more than one could think, here we drink mate and it boost the temperature nicely and helps you regain some strength (thanks caffeine). Now I shall go an buy some insulated slippers.
Recent research for palmar cooling shows that you can potentially warm up whole body temperate really effectively by warming glaborous skin surfaces. Not sure how to actually implement this yet, but it seems like an idea worth pursuing.
If duvet pants seem too pricey consider looking for some thick wool pants!! So cozy
So grateful for these vids. Interested that you didn't address sweat/screaming barfies, given the tactic of deliberate overheating. How do you overheat the right amount without sweating to the point where it becomes a problem if you do have to stop for a bit? Or do you have tactics for dealing with having sweated, such as changing an inner layer?
I also preheat my climbing shoes over the hot air in my car and carry them in my armpits to the crag to keep them nice and warm and supple
The real mystery is where has the tea been in all the other recent episodes? How many tea shots get trimmed out? I wonder!
great advices ! I also have a question for you : being a mountaineer I wonder if you've heard of any studies made about metabolism /food sourced fuel use in high altitude. I've been often told that acclimatation to altitude and performance in high altitude environments require more carbs than normal. I would be very curious to see how a keto diet might work in such environments, mostly in terms of eneregy availability and altitude acclimatation. Thanks again!
Tips from a Canadian Rockies winter climber: if you sweat on the approach swap out damp clothes w dry, you can buy decent puff pants on Aliexpress for super cheap (but upsize 3-4 sizes), cut the toes off old wool socks at the arch and wear with your shoes - keeps feet warmer, BD Hotforge chalkbag works great - even better if you add chemical hand warmers, and ginger tea FTW.
Hey, from BC here. Been thinkin of possibly moving to Alberta sometime in the future. Is it possible to boulder/rock climb in the winter there, or are you referring to ice climbing? Seems like an advantage Alberta has over coastal BC as it seems the rock is never dry in the winter.
@@jordanoickle6998 yep - rock climbing is doable year round as long as it’s sunny, around 0C, and not too windy. There will be days where you basically take your gear for a walk, and days you luck out w tshirt weather in February
@@rockiesbouldering Not bad at all! Thanks for the info
I live in Gaspésie, canada, and now its -20c and feels like -30c with the humidity and wind. I wonder if its possible to go bouldering. Its a better time for ice climbing...
Started watching this video afraid of cold weather climbing. Ended watching this video still afraid of cold weather climbing.
Even if you keep your body at comfortable temps. The rock just sucks the heat out my hands, and holds just feel too sharp to climb with confidence. Even on first attempts coming right of the gloves. I love going out on cold winter days with nobody around and trying, it just never goes..
it’s not a coincidence that the most psyched climbers are usually the strongest!
I am such a cold weather baby... don't know if I could muster the gumption for this.
Do you think a pocket hand warmer in your jacket pocket would help anymore? Or be minimal help?
Climbing shoes inside jacket on the walk in and in between attempts.
I noticed you have additional insulation around your flask, is that really needed? It looks a lot like a Stanley flask. If it is, I have one of those and it has kept my tea warm overnight when camping in the Swedish winter.
It's just for mechanical protection.
I have problems with cold hands. To me it would be impossible to rock climb when its minus degrees outside.
I stick to ice climbing in the winter.
Awesome video. How hard do you reckon the boulder will be?
Really good video, but I'm a bit confused - doesn't 2.20 or thereabouts show you topping out the project?
He didn't start from the bottom
@@hermannwigers8321 I supposed not, but how did he get into the middle?
@@octavia2 At 1:50 you can see him start from the middle. I can't see what he is stepping on to reach since it is out of frame
Have you ever considered getting insulating shoes that fit over climbing shoes for warming them in between attempts?
You're shoes obviously aren't as tight as mine 😂
Thanks for another awesome video, Dave! Sorry if you've addressed this in other videos, but do you feel that there's increased risk of injury when climbing at really low temps? Or do you consider that to be a non-issue as long as your body's at a good temp when you get on the climb?
If not properly warmed up them possibly, but I suspect (from personal experience alone) that warm greasy conditions are worse. Many of the injuries I've had have been from suddenly greasing off holds in warm/humid conditions.
Do you warm up/recruit at home at all? If so, what travel to climbing time makes it worth while?
No, never really done that Jools. I can always get warmed up fine at the crag. There are always sequences to be practised so I'm never short of warm up tasks to serve both purposes.
@@climbermacleod I guess it makes a little more sense for 'hit and run' tactics in a busier (not professional climber) lifestyle. It's worked wonders for me, up to 1hr drive/walk to the project. Also as someone who needs a little restraint sometimes, it's good to have done it using my normal routine, as it prevents me from being too psyched at the block and doing things that aren't as smart, especially as I'm now approaching 50...
Do you ever warm up at home before you go to the crag Dave?
See Jools' comment.
I have a really weird problem - most of my body insulates like crazy. I'm reasonably comfy in a long-sleeve tee well below zero.
But my hands and feet leak heat like a broken fire hydrant.
And they're the only part I can't cover while climbing.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Pro tip: do not have Raynaud's
Don’t forget dem hot hands!
They are okay but I'm not particularly keen to promote single use items.
You can get catalytic hand warmers that run on lighter fluid without producing a flame, I sometimes put one in my chalk bag and find it works well.
@@climbermacleod There are some cheap handwarmers you can buy here in Norway that you press a button to activate and "recharge" by putting them in boiling water for a while
@@Thrusthamster Yeah you can get them here too. I have them myself. But overall I think this has not amazing results. I find it encourages me to try to climb with lower body temp overall and even though my finger skin is warmed, the hands go numb extremely quickly. I tend ro prefer a super warm core but cold skin. But maybe if you are prone to very dry skin it might be a different story?
No boiled eggs in pockets?
Too far from home for that one today sadly!
Well good to know I'll use my mountain eqp. More then just hiking. Another reason to justify 200 per layer 🤣
Surfing in winter (NJ US) > rock climbing (Gunks) in winter. I've done both plenty of times. Way more comfortable in the water.
/goes to buy shares in Mountain Equipment...
Has Keto Dave got the sniffles?! I thought your keto diet kept you free from colds!!!
I haven't had a cold since 2015. I just get a slightly wet nose when out in the cold/wind.
Slippers. Ha ha ha. Good for you, admiting to them.
It took courage.
Suppose I didn't get free gear from ME...? 😄
If your feet are cold put on a hat.
Luis Trenker hat some such saying.