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Comfortable climbing temperature

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 VPJB 29 Nov 2013
It's going to be 6 degrees this weekend but sun shine. What temp is comfortable for climbing?
estivoautumnal 29 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

For me it's around 24 degrees.
 Bulls Crack 29 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

Someone will be along shortly to says 6 degrees is either (a) too hot for grit and/or (b) t-shirt weather.

Answer - depends a lot on wind-chill
 teflonpete 29 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

For me it's 14 to 22 C. I'll quite happily climb a fair way hotter or colder than that but that's my preferred range. If it was 6 degrees at the crag without any significant wind chill, I'd climb. Went to the roaches the other day and it was -1 before the sun got round on the crag so we sacked it and went for a walk.
OP VPJB 29 Nov 2013
My problem is that I've got a wife and child free weekend and I want to climb, walk and bike. Planned a big circular walk in the beacons and afan argoed for a ride. Climbing is suddenly an option as its dry and a friend has asked. The last time I climbed in the cold I didn't enjoy it, but I haven't climbed outdoors since the summer.

 MischaHY 29 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

If you wrap up well and warm up before climbing, then it will be awesome. If not, it will suck.
 Giles Davis 29 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

It was -2.5 and really frosty last Saturday on the way to Pembroke, but we were climbing in t-shirts down there, in fact you could have climbed bare chested

Gower will be the same tomorrow as long as the wind doesn't affect us.
 Cake 29 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

Shelter from wind and not belaying for very long. Personally, I would go bouldering or do routes that don't require more than 2 pieces of gear. And definitely don't do routes as a three!
In reply to VPJB:

There is no minimum if you are in sunshine and out of the wind because there is be no relation to the temperature 'in the shade' which is how weather forecasters express the temperature.
I've climbed on Burbage North starting off packed ice and finishing with snow at the top but been perfectly warm on the route (jamming moves are best avoided though as deeper areas of rock are not warmed by the sun).
 Bulls Crack 29 Nov 2013
In reply to DubyaJamesDubya:

> There is no minimum if you are in sunshine and out of the wind because there is be no relation to the temperature 'in the shade' which is how weather forecasters express the temperature.

No minimum - until your hands freeze that is
 The Pylon King 29 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

Any sheltered south facing crag will be toasty tomorrow
 Owen W-G 29 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

I'd rather climb in 6deg in the sun than 10 deg in white cloud weather.


In reply to Bulls Crack:
> (In reply to DubyaJamesDubya)
>
> [...]
>
> No minimum - until your hands freeze that is

But that cannot be expressed as a simple number or in a simple statement like 'you can't climb below 5 degrees'.
 Aigen 30 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

For me it has to be min 10 for rope climbing and under this I go bouldering.
In reply to Aigen:

At the risk of contradicting myself I used to find 10 degrees to be the point at which it becomes moderately comfortable to climb in non-sunny conditions but I'm not so resilient now.
Wiley Coyote2 30 Nov 2013
In reply to VPJB:

Depends on you and perhaps your age. Yesterday I walked into the village wearing a duvet and wooly hat and passed two 20-somethings happily standing chatting in t-shirts. People from Newcastle were probably wearing their swimming cossies.
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