The Art of Climbing in the Rain, Snow, and Freezing Cold
Even though I’ve been climbing outside for over 2 years now, I’d still consider myself very much a fair-weather outdoorswoman. This trip, however, has been teaching me a lot about groping real rock in less-than-perfect conditions — because doggone it, we came here to climb, so climb we did, rain or shine!
And so, on this appropriately rainy forced-rest day in Chattanooga, here are a few things I learned about climbing outside in adverse conditions thus far (uh, quick disclaimer: I jotted these notes down after 3 whole sessions in aforementioned adverse conditions, so take them with a reasonably-sized grain of salt - and certainly not as prescriptive!):
Keep your core warm: wear more than you think you need to (bring the biggest puffer you’ve got). As per usual, it’s best to layer, so you can peel them off in case the temperature improves. Don’t forget extra pants in form of thermals, long johns and/or overpants!
Keep your extremities warm: bring some gloves, a neck warmer, and a beanie. To keep your toes from going numb on the rock (mine did, ow), stash your climbing shoes inside the coat you’re wearing between tries. Put chemical warmers (we used HotHands) in your chalk bag, your gloves, your approach shoes…
Chase the sun around: in good weather, it makes sense to avoid the sun most of the time, as it reduces friction and makes you too warm while trying hard. In this case, the opposite is true - you want to find rock that is in the sun so that your hands aren’t numb (running theme, yeah?) by the time you top out.
Bring extra clothes: on rainy days, bring a change of clothes (or at least an extra shirt and socks), in case you get totally soaked on the way in and out of the crag.
Seek out pro tips: get yourself acquainted with the friendly local climbers who will point you to crags that stay dry in the rain, and the crags that dry the fastest once the rain stops (hi and thanks Allan!).
Fuel yourself: it takes some energy to stay warm, so try to eat more (this is somehow difficult in the cold), and bring hot stuff (tea or maybe soup!) to drink in a well-sealed thermos (investigate for yourself, people’s mileage seems to vary; this Zojirushi for example has not leaked on us ONCE, unlike others - looking at you with disapproval, Klean Kanteen).
Stay zen: the weather won’t change because you’re upset about it, but you might negatively affect your fellow climbers’ experience. If you’re not feeling up to climbing in non-bon-cons, call it and head to the gym, sightsee, or drive to a drier or warmer locale (she says as they stay in Chatt instead of heading out to Horse Pens 40, because the weather down there certainly looks like horsesomething).
When life gives you snow on send day…
… keep calm, be grateful for extra friction, and wear wool socks on your hands.
