UKC

I appreciate that there has been a good spell in Feb and some of the weekdays have been ok, but am I alone in thinking this has been one of the worst early seasons for the weekend climber for a while? By this time most years I am normally well into what I would call the summer season, this year I've only had a few decent days out.

And the rest of the month doesn't look a heck of a lot better...

In reply to JonC:

It certainly feels like it! Have packed my weekend kit more in hope, as they say, than expectation.

*surely* some good weather must come our way soon...

In reply to JonC:

well sorry dude. no one can change the weather ...unless you can make a weather machine to suck away all those ruddy darkest of clouds !
wenever there is a window of opportunity -take it. the weather is wierd at the moment ...does anyone else think its like living in the amazon ???? its sunny in the mornings (well most mornings ...then everyday just recently at 2pm it either hailstones ar rains !

In reply to JonC:

April is to be drier than average. We *are* due sun. Believe it, we must all believe.... <she lives on in hope..>

In reply to pinkie: Tis true.

In reply to JonC:
Ive had tw oweekends inthe last month when the forecast has been heavy showers and the actual weather has been dry and sun all day. These days were last satirday and the sunday two weeks before, both in yorkshire.
I think the forecasters seem to be being overly-pessimistic!

But yes, youre right it has been crap, especially compared to April last year when it was about 15 degrees warmer.

In reply to JonC:

It has been terrible. Hope (of a dry weekend) springs eternal, but so does the blasted rain, apparently!

In reply to JonC:

I've been climbing almost every weekend this year! Granted the weekend before last was a bit parky at times, but I still got a few routes done both days.

In reply to JonC:

This is just classic april weather

In reply to JonC:

The weather has seemed a bit wetter and a lot colder than usual but the main problem this year has been timing. It's so dispiriting to sit at work all week with the sun streaming through my window and a drizzly forecast on metcheck for the weekend...

Not sure if it's particularly bad weather or if it's just in comparison to the late winter/spring weather we had last year, where I was out climbing in a T-shirt in January!

In reply to JonC: Are you sure you're not writing off some days prematurely? I've had some good days out this year which didn't look that promising to start with.

I've logged more climbs this Jan-March than in any other year, by far, which I don't think I would have managed if the weather had been unusually bad.

In reply to bpmclimb:


I know I've definitely done that this year but that's because I don't drive and this year I've been loathe to head out at 7am to get a train if the forecast looks a bit iffy. Most of my mates always seem to want to climb in the yorkshire/eastern grit sort of area and that means a 4-5 hour round trip on trains and buses, often longer as there are more cancellations and works on the line before the tourist season starts. Roll on the 29th and my next driving test!

In reply to climbingpixie:

Good luck with that

In reply to JonC:

A couple of weeks back the BBC were forecasting a whole week of heavy rain around Sheffield. Come Monday, it turns out Monday has great weather, but the rest of the week is heavy rain. Come Tuesday, it turns out Tuesday has great weather too, but the rest of the week is heavy rain. Come Wednesday...

Honest to God, they did this EVERY DAY for a WEEK! Unfortunately the weather is just really unsettled and unpredictable. Boooooooooooooooooooooooo!

In reply to JonC:

No..your not alone. I haven't climbed once yet nor been for a paddle. Just a bit of mountain biking and hillwalking.

I'm getting more of a fair weather activist these days mind .

In reply to JonC: you are not alone in thinking this. i had a few amazing days on slate in feb but since then nothing. people seem to be talking about april and if it was just that then this would be ok (we do live in the uk after all) but as you say its just been steadily rubbish since early feb (easter was a write off). i was really motivated to train and have been doing so but now its all getting a bit dull and i just want to get out. i do though think things are picking up with higher temps and longer spells of sun. surely it cant be a worse summer than last year...

In reply to JonC: Get yourself upto the NW (scotland) that is, dry warm rock, no midges, really we are having a fantastic April uphere! Certainly in the last week or so.

In reply to JonC:

Recently its been the annoyingly unsettled nature of the weather that is most unhelpful.

However if you've got a flexible job like me you can spy those dry mornings or 4hour gaps in the rain and head outside. We were up at almscliff yesterday in the sunshine and a very favorable wind direction so most parts were sheltered.

Also a few sundays ago we were up at almscliff again at about 11am and not only were there very few people there, it was bright and sunny again. It started raining at about 3.30 by which time we were long gone.

I guess you've got to risk it at the weekend, its not meant to be wet in yorkshire on sat according to BBC, windy and a bit cloudy but not wet.