UKC

Just FYI in case there's anyone out there who shares my opinions about appropriate temperatures to train (unlikely I know).

The new westway bouldering wall is now just as (over)heated as the rest of the place. Also, apparently, not being able to climb because of this is not enough reason for a refund of your money.

In reply to i.munro:

I was there last weekend. While it's nice to stand around and belay now I preferred the bouldering when it took you half an hour to get the fingers thawed.

In reply to catt:

You can't really be serious can you? I ask because I'm a bit baffled by this.
A number people I know (I'm not one of them BTW) won't try anything hard outdoors if the temp isn't below 10. It's hardly ever below that in London anyway & this is indoors.
Also rock conducts heat pretty well so cold rock does feel cold on the fingers but plastic's a good insulator so will always feel warm-ish whatever it's actual temp.

In reply to i.munro:

Would prefer to pay less and wear warm clothes than fund their nuclear heat lamps. WW seems to try and be ethical but these cant be energy efficient?

M

In reply to i.munro:

only "hot" near the door....the further away you go the colder it is.

am i alone in finding the new bouldering fairly samey and uninspiring?

In reply to i.munro:

Come up north! I climb in sheffield, where we have the big heat lamp thingys but rarely put them on because of the waste of money and also due to the fact that the holds go all slimy and horrible. it does seem daft to heat massive spaces at great expense for them to be marginally warmer and less pleasing to climb on. while i'm totally nesh, i just wear a big down jacket between climbing, and i'm warm as anything. You're always hot when climbing anyhow. those who are complaining about the cold obviously need to do more!

In reply to Morgan Woods:

Id say rather that it's hot as far from the door as you can get getting hotter & hotter as you approach the heater.

In reply to Morgan Woods: Found the new bouldering wall really good, with an interesting range of problems across the grades. Lots of different styles, but all where quite physical. The blues and reds are really good. You obviously haven't tried them.

In reply to i.munro:

Of course I'm serious. I'm a bit baffled why you are baffled when you have just complained about it being too hot!

When I first came to London it was winter a few years ago. I spent the first few months at the Westway bouldering all the time. Cold days it took a long time to get the fingers warm and yes the holds were cold. Just because plastic is an insulator doesn't mean it is warm. But once warm those days were good because the holds didn't get greased up with sweat.

In reply to Jon Redshaw:

I was there a few times last week (Sun, Tues, Fri and Sun) and it was progressively colder each time! In fact on Friday night I was freezing. I like being warm as toast so I love the big heaters, but from the carbon footprint angle I'm happy to wear layers instead. I just wish it was consistent so I knew what to wear to be comfy.

In reply to broccoligirl:

Rock City used to be freezing at ground level, marginally warmer, but not hot higher up (it might still be, I've not been in a while). I found it quite motivating to climb to find the heat!

In reply to ebygomm:

Oh that;s a good idea. Like when I run at lunchtime I think about running towards my lunch. It's very motivating

In reply to i.munro:


If that was the case, it would be refunds all round. Or, is that not quite what you mean?

In reply to Mike Highbury:

I assume most people put up with this or (in at least one case like it, see above) in which case they can hardly expect their money back. I didn't fall into either category.

In reply to i.munro:

People at the Westway appear to like the heat and climb to the heavens like Icarus.

Perhaps it’s a West London thing, they can afford to go on climbing trips abroad and this has taught them how to climb in the heat. Unfortunately it also affects their grades as few can climb harder than V3.

In reply to Morgan Woods:


I've only been once and was surprised how cold it was but I thought that was no bad thing, thye then turned on the heating which just seems a complete waste.


Possibly but as a training facility I thought it was first rate. I like the way you can string problems together to make routes, a good way of measuring gains. I think the problem is on steep walls its a bit tricky to get easier problems that are also technical etc, they basically have to be fairly basic lurches between big holds. I can't comment on the harder problems, unfortunately. I did the think the grades were pretty tough.

In reply to Mike Highbury:

I think it's a London thing in general as it's not much better elsewhere. I like climbing in warm sunny places though as well, I've even climbed in Bleau in summer (30 + humid). Couldn't cope with last night though.

In reply to i.munro:

Too true. I was in the monkey room at ME early yesterday evening. I asked whether or not I could switch the heater off? No, I like the warm.

And that was from a chap from Scotland. Perhaps that is why he has come down south.

In reply to Mike Highbury:

I can only assume these people never climb outside & never intend to.
It was a warm sunny spring day yesterday.

In reply to i.munro:
>> Also rock conducts heat pretty well so cold rock does feel cold on the fingers but plastic's a good insulator so will always feel warm-ish whatever it's actual temp.

Err, have to disagree with this one, climbing at Ratho when its cold is not an enjoyable experience. The holds are bloody freezing!!!

In reply to Bill Davidson:

Aye but it's all relative. Ratho tends to be much colder than it is outside & that's on the chilly side of Scotland. Would you be able to climb rock in those temps?