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I suspect this might have been asked a while back...
What's the coldest wall you've been to? And the warmest?
I left Ingleton Wall about an hour and a half ago and my toes are still on the chilly side...
What's the coldest wall you've been to? And the warmest?
I left Ingleton Wall about an hour and a half ago and my toes are still on the chilly side...
In reply to Tall Clare:
coldest - the old Stalybridge wall - it used to seep a bit and once when we were there it had frozen!
Warmest - Huddersfield probably on a bad day
coldest - the old Stalybridge wall - it used to seep a bit and once when we were there it had frozen!
Warmest - Huddersfield probably on a bad day
In reply to Tall Clare:
Calshot wall near Southampton is the coldest I've been to, it is an old Sunderland Flyingboat hangar and catches the wind blowing across the Solent. I've seen ice on the holds on several occasions and while down jacketed belayers are common at a lot of walls, Calshot is the only place I've seen lead climbers wearing belay jackets!
The warmest wall I've been to is either Swindon wall or the bouldering wall at Harlow both of which are pretty intollerable in summer.
Calshot wall near Southampton is the coldest I've been to, it is an old Sunderland Flyingboat hangar and catches the wind blowing across the Solent. I've seen ice on the holds on several occasions and while down jacketed belayers are common at a lot of walls, Calshot is the only place I've seen lead climbers wearing belay jackets!
The warmest wall I've been to is either Swindon wall or the bouldering wall at Harlow both of which are pretty intollerable in summer.
In reply to Bulls Crack:
Agreed with you that the old SIDS Stalybridge wall was the coldest,which did have ice on it during the winter months,never really used walls since
Agreed with you that the old SIDS Stalybridge wall was the coldest,which did have ice on it during the winter months,never really used walls since
In reply to Tall Clare:
Leeds can be a bit nithering.
THe old Leeds Poly wall could have you sweating like a glassblower's arse whenthe heating went wonky.
Leeds can be a bit nithering.
THe old Leeds Poly wall could have you sweating like a glassblower's arse whenthe heating went wonky.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Ratho in winter can be pretty chilly, although i've never seen ice on any of the holds
Ratho in winter can be pretty chilly, although i've never seen ice on any of the holds
In reply to Tall Clare: Warmest - the Matrix Sheffield - if you had heat exchangers on that burger you could provide electricity for all of Huddersfield !
In reply to Tall Clare:
Coldest by far is Ratho in winter - like climbing outdoors but indoors, only without any direct sunlight to provide any warmth. The quarry provides a very effective cold air sink.
Warmest I've been to is probably the Amersham wall - felt like it was radiating all the excess heat from the swimming pool next door.
Coldest by far is Ratho in winter - like climbing outdoors but indoors, only without any direct sunlight to provide any warmth. The quarry provides a very effective cold air sink.
Warmest I've been to is probably the Amersham wall - felt like it was radiating all the excess heat from the swimming pool next door.
In reply to Stuart S:
Funnily enough, this is exactly what I was going to say!
> (In reply to Tall Clare)
>
> Coldest by far is Ratho in winter - like climbing outdoors but indoors, only without any direct sunlight to provide any warmth. The quarry provides a very effective cold air sink.
>
> Warmest I've been to is probably the Amersham wall - felt like it was radiating all the excess heat from the swimming pool next door.
>
> Coldest by far is Ratho in winter - like climbing outdoors but indoors, only without any direct sunlight to provide any warmth. The quarry provides a very effective cold air sink.
>
> Warmest I've been to is probably the Amersham wall - felt like it was radiating all the excess heat from the swimming pool next door.
Funnily enough, this is exactly what I was going to say!
In reply to Stuart S:
Coldest - yeah Ratho in winter.
Warmest - hard to say, once they start to get warm/humid I either don't go in or if already in I leave & don't go back.
Coldest - yeah Ratho in winter.
Warmest - hard to say, once they start to get warm/humid I either don't go in or if already in I leave & don't go back.
In reply to Tall Clare:
The Works used to be incredibly cold. Fortunately this year they've now invested in three heaters.
The wall in Hanoi was rather warm.
The Works used to be incredibly cold. Fortunately this year they've now invested in three heaters.
The wall in Hanoi was rather warm.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Before the insulation went in Depot was hot and cold... ice on the holds to soaked in sweat.. now sorted.
Warmest wall was Amersham - linked to swimming pool so ridiculous heat!
Before the insulation went in Depot was hot and cold... ice on the holds to soaked in sweat.. now sorted.
Warmest wall was Amersham - linked to swimming pool so ridiculous heat!
In reply to Bulls Crack:
The first wall that sprang to mind as the coldest. IS it still there do you know?
> (In reply to Tall Clare)
>
> coldest - the old Stalybridge wall - it used to seep a bit and once when we were there it had frozen!
>
> coldest - the old Stalybridge wall - it used to seep a bit and once when we were there it had frozen!
The first wall that sprang to mind as the coldest. IS it still there do you know?
In reply to Tall Clare:
Warmest - The Matrix, Sheffield.
Warmest - The Matrix, Sheffield.
In reply to Tall Clare: yeah im going with calshot aswell, colder inside then out and the heaters for the belayers make no difference.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Coldest - Calshot. Downs were de rigeur all the time over winter 2010/11 when I was going there, it was just like being out at the crag really.
Cant remember the warmest but I remember Guildford being a bit sweaty.
Coldest - Calshot. Downs were de rigeur all the time over winter 2010/11 when I was going there, it was just like being out at the crag really.
Cant remember the warmest but I remember Guildford being a bit sweaty.
In reply to Tall Clare: blackpool was the warmest, they had the heaters on in the boulder cave one day during summer
In reply to Tall Clare:
Coldest - Another +1 for Calshot - I've had to stop going there over the coldest months because I just completely lose feeling in my hands and toes! They used to turn on some very small electric heaters, which were better than nothing. The last few years they've stopped even doing that!
Hottest - Fort Purbrook, just bouldering, 2 underground rooms with no ventilation and often filled with coach loads of sweaty students.
Coldest - Another +1 for Calshot - I've had to stop going there over the coldest months because I just completely lose feeling in my hands and toes! They used to turn on some very small electric heaters, which were better than nothing. The last few years they've stopped even doing that!
Hottest - Fort Purbrook, just bouldering, 2 underground rooms with no ventilation and often filled with coach loads of sweaty students.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Coldest - Calshot
Hottest - Amersham
Both for reasons others have mentioned.
Coldest - Calshot
Hottest - Amersham
Both for reasons others have mentioned.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Not been to many, but:
Warmest- Castle (slab boldering, near the rads)
Coldest- Harlow when it 1st opened (near winter). I'm sure it was colder inside than out. My friend moaned a lot, I pretended I was climbing outside
Not been to many, but:
Warmest- Castle (slab boldering, near the rads)
Coldest- Harlow when it 1st opened (near winter). I'm sure it was colder inside than out. My friend moaned a lot, I pretended I was climbing outside
Another vote for calshot as coldest! last year i was there and measured
-5c... funny thing is it was only hovering around -1 outside!
We gave up climbing as all of the holds had frosted and it was impossible to get any form on friction from our shoes on the ice. needless to say we were the only people there that night too, i think everyone else was smarter and stayed at home
-5c... funny thing is it was only hovering around -1 outside!
We gave up climbing as all of the holds had frosted and it was impossible to get any form on friction from our shoes on the ice. needless to say we were the only people there that night too, i think everyone else was smarter and stayed at home
In reply to Tall Clare:
Another vote for Calshot, the south of England's own slice of Siberia.
My local wall (High Sports Alton) is a contender for the tropical end of the scale, they must pay the heating bill through the mark up on the chalk balls that get used copiously trying to counteract sweaty dripping hands.
Another vote for Calshot, the south of England's own slice of Siberia.
My local wall (High Sports Alton) is a contender for the tropical end of the scale, they must pay the heating bill through the mark up on the chalk balls that get used copiously trying to counteract sweaty dripping hands.
In reply to Stuart (aka brt): I think SIDS got knocked down in 2000.
In reply to Tall Clare: been going down to my local wall as it opens recently. last couple of visits have been arctic! (craggy2 in sutton)
they have heaters but they only seem to work if you go all
http://tiny.cc/j9hga
and sit about 2 feet away from them
they also glow red and make all the holds look the same colour
they have heaters but they only seem to work if you go all
http://tiny.cc/j9hga
and sit about 2 feet away from them
they also glow red and make all the holds look the same colour
In reply to Tall Clare: The Ridge in Swindon is so hot, i always climb in shorts there no matter how cold it is outside.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Amersham - both hottest and most humid, with its glass wall and swimming pool.
Wettest - the Westway - when a warm front blew in after a sustained very cold spell, the condensation on the motorway flyover that forms the roof turned to rain. Nice.
Amersham - both hottest and most humid, with its glass wall and swimming pool.
Wettest - the Westway - when a warm front blew in after a sustained very cold spell, the condensation on the motorway flyover that forms the roof turned to rain. Nice.
In reply to Stuart (aka brt):
No idea I'm afariad - I'd be surprised! There also used to be a pool table upsatirs that leaned and all the balls ended up on one side - you could do great plants!
> (In reply to Bulls Crack)
> [...]
>
>
> The first wall that sprang to mind as the coldest. IS it still there do you know?
> [...]
>
>
> The first wall that sprang to mind as the coldest. IS it still there do you know?
No idea I'm afariad - I'd be surprised! There also used to be a pool table upsatirs that leaned and all the balls ended up on one side - you could do great plants!
In reply to Jimmybarr:
But we didn't care or seem to notice much - we've all grown soft!
> (In reply to Tall Clare)
>
> Back in the day, when the Foundry first opened, it was bloody baltic.
>
> Back in the day, when the Foundry first opened, it was bloody baltic.
But we didn't care or seem to notice much - we've all grown soft!
In reply to Tall Clare: Coldest is without doubt Ratho. Even in scorching summer it is chilly in there. Regularly see belayers in belay jackets, not to look cool, but ot stay warm. And there is usually a puddle on the floor somewhere. Great wall, bad temperature. Warmest was an impromptu wall on the outside of an iso contaner in the desert but it didn't exaclty have public access so not sure it counts.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Coldest, The Barn, near Tavistock... in early January.
Warmest, Ute Hallen, in Trondheim... in early January.
Something wrong there!
Coldest, The Barn, near Tavistock... in early January.
Warmest, Ute Hallen, in Trondheim... in early January.
Something wrong there!
In reply to Tall Clare:
another vote for ratho the coldest
a couple of winters ago it was warmer outside in the quarry... in the snow... that it was inside the arena.
it is blimmin massive though so impossible to heat without wasting a massive amount of energy..
another vote for ratho the coldest
a couple of winters ago it was warmer outside in the quarry... in the snow... that it was inside the arena.
it is blimmin massive though so impossible to heat without wasting a massive amount of energy..
In reply to Tall Clare:
I've not been to that many, but of those I have visited the coldest is certainly Ratho.
I've not been to that many, but of those I have visited the coldest is certainly Ratho.
In reply to Trangia:
I kind of agree and that prompted me to lenghten my warm up which I benefit from. That said in the summer it can be exceptionally hot. It is basically a huge tin can to be fair.
> (In reply to Tall Clare)
>
> Not sure about warmest, but the Reach gets pretty cold at times.
>
> Not sure about warmest, but the Reach gets pretty cold at times.
I kind of agree and that prompted me to lenghten my warm up which I benefit from. That said in the summer it can be exceptionally hot. It is basically a huge tin can to be fair.
In reply to EasyAndy:
Ok this is getting nuts now.
This wall has always, in my experience, had excellent conditions until about a month ago when,( in response ,apparently, to complaints like this) they started closing the only source of ventilation.
Since then it has started to become very humid (lots of people sweating in a small unventilated box) & the friction has consequently become very variable to the extent that I have been put off visiting as frequently. Even so on my last visit about 10 days ago I was, I think, the only male with his shirt on & many were in shorts.
In addition both the cafe/reception area & changing rooms are very well heated should you need a warm place to sit.
I think we're getting into a situation where walls are so scared of any complaint that the majority are suffering to keep a few happy. Whatever the temperature some are going to be uncomfortable but if you run cold it's easy to put a fleece on.
By contrast if the friction is poor there's nothing anyone can do.
People after all pay to climb not for a warm place to sit. This is especially true at Craggy where the attraction is the excellent setting, a wasted effort if you can't stay on the holds.
> last couple of visits have been arctic! (craggy2 in sutton)
>
>
Ok this is getting nuts now.
This wall has always, in my experience, had excellent conditions until about a month ago when,( in response ,apparently, to complaints like this) they started closing the only source of ventilation.
Since then it has started to become very humid (lots of people sweating in a small unventilated box) & the friction has consequently become very variable to the extent that I have been put off visiting as frequently. Even so on my last visit about 10 days ago I was, I think, the only male with his shirt on & many were in shorts.
In addition both the cafe/reception area & changing rooms are very well heated should you need a warm place to sit.
I think we're getting into a situation where walls are so scared of any complaint that the majority are suffering to keep a few happy. Whatever the temperature some are going to be uncomfortable but if you run cold it's easy to put a fleece on.
By contrast if the friction is poor there's nothing anyone can do.
People after all pay to climb not for a warm place to sit. This is especially true at Craggy where the attraction is the excellent setting, a wasted effort if you can't stay on the holds.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Coldest. The climbing works on a freezing cold day. No heating, windows open for ventilation. Good for friction
Warmest. Another vote for the Matrix, Sheffield.
Coldest. The climbing works on a freezing cold day. No heating, windows open for ventilation. Good for friction
Warmest. Another vote for the Matrix, Sheffield.
In reply to Tall Clare: I got the hot aches when climbing at Creation wall (Birmingham) a couple of years ago. I was there earlier this week and after 3 hours of climbing I was still cold. It was warmer outside.
In reply to i.munro:
On the other hand, when it's so cold that if you're doing routes it takes ages to warm up, and you still feel cold long after leaving the wall, it's not good. I like Ingleton but I think I might head somewhere slightly warmer, like Harrogate for instance, for my next wall visit.
On the other hand, when it's so cold that if you're doing routes it takes ages to warm up, and you still feel cold long after leaving the wall, it's not good. I like Ingleton but I think I might head somewhere slightly warmer, like Harrogate for instance, for my next wall visit.
In reply to matc:
Calshot is way way colder than Alter Rock...
Calshot is way way colder than Alter Rock...
In reply to Tall Clare: coldest I ever went to was the Hull Wall when it first opened,glad to say its ok now
In reply to Tall Clare:
They have spent loads on sorting the roof now and done a great job but before that Rockcity in Hull used to be a tad chilly and complete with water features.
They have spent loads on sorting the roof now and done a great job but before that Rockcity in Hull used to be a tad chilly and complete with water features.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Clearly some sort of balance is required but we have here someone
complaining about the cold at a bouldering wall that is already heated, has closed off all ventilation & is not only in the S of England but within the London heat island.
Clearly some sort of balance is required but we have here someone
complaining about the cold at a bouldering wall that is already heated, has closed off all ventilation & is not only in the S of England but within the London heat island.
In reply to Tall Clare: I'm surprised no one has mentioned the open ended XC in Hemel. The cold wasn't a problem when I was there but the holds were soaking with condensation.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Not sure about the coldest, been to a fair few chilly walls, but the warmest by far was a wall in Doylestown, PA in the USA. Was in an old warehouse and acted like a greenhouse, which when the weather was 40c most days, meant you would walk through the doors and hit this wall of heat and start sweating before you'd even put your harness on. Combined with the fact it was all top roping and the belayer always had to be anchored to the ground meant it is also pretty down on my rankings of climbing walls.
Not sure about the coldest, been to a fair few chilly walls, but the warmest by far was a wall in Doylestown, PA in the USA. Was in an old warehouse and acted like a greenhouse, which when the weather was 40c most days, meant you would walk through the doors and hit this wall of heat and start sweating before you'd even put your harness on. Combined with the fact it was all top roping and the belayer always had to be anchored to the ground meant it is also pretty down on my rankings of climbing walls.
In reply to victorclimber:
Agree with you on that,once did a bouldering comp there and kept my down jacket on all the time.
> (In reply to Tall Clare) coldest I ever went to was the Hull Wall when it first opened,glad to say its ok now
Agree with you on that,once did a bouldering comp there and kept my down jacket on all the time.
In reply to Tall Clare: When I was at Kendal Wall earlier I was pretty chilly, I resorted to belaying from beneath the heater.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Another vote for Ratho. I was climbing there at the start of Jan last year, and it was -10°C!! It was only -5° at Reiff the day before.
Another vote for Ratho. I was climbing there at the start of Jan last year, and it was -10°C!! It was only -5° at Reiff the day before.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Was going to say Ratho but i stop going around November so haven't actually seen it at it's coldest. My vote is for Glasgow (GCC), simultaneously! It gets really cold so when enough people complain, they put the monster heater on full blast. The heater is bizarrely above head height, so the top of the climbs are too hot to hold on and working the top of a route becomes impossible and at the bottom of the routes, you need a belay jacket/sleeping bag.
Was going to say Ratho but i stop going around November so haven't actually seen it at it's coldest. My vote is for Glasgow (GCC), simultaneously! It gets really cold so when enough people complain, they put the monster heater on full blast. The heater is bizarrely above head height, so the top of the climbs are too hot to hold on and working the top of a route becomes impossible and at the bottom of the routes, you need a belay jacket/sleeping bag.
In reply to Tall Clare:
Can't believe broughton wall doesn't get a mention here, and Is that a joke when somebody mentioned cold being good for friction, it's indoor climbing f petes sake, who's arsed??
> I suspect this might have been asked a while back...
>
> What's the coldest wall you've been to? And the warmest?
>
> I left Ingleton Wall about an hour and a half ago and my toes are still on the chilly side...
>
> What's the coldest wall you've been to? And the warmest?
>
> I left Ingleton Wall about an hour and a half ago and my toes are still on the chilly side...
Can't believe broughton wall doesn't get a mention here, and Is that a joke when somebody mentioned cold being good for friction, it's indoor climbing f petes sake, who's arsed??
In reply to AmbliKai:
The wussiness of people about the cold at Ratho disappoints and surprises me. It is a predictable environment (unlike the Cairngorms!) and it really is just a matter of wearing enough, especially when belaying. A little numbness and mild hot aches on a couple of warm up routes and it shouldn't be a problem - it's not for me and I don't know anyone else who needs as many layers as me in the Cairngorms! The future of the place does concern me when, like last night, there are only about 10 people on the lead walls on a Tuesday evening - what would a zealous anti-Ratho councillor think if they called in looking for areas to make financial cuts?
> (In reply to Tall Clare)
>
> Was going to say Ratho but I stop going around November so haven't actually seen it at it's coldest.
>
> Was going to say Ratho but I stop going around November so haven't actually seen it at it's coldest.
The wussiness of people about the cold at Ratho disappoints and surprises me. It is a predictable environment (unlike the Cairngorms!) and it really is just a matter of wearing enough, especially when belaying. A little numbness and mild hot aches on a couple of warm up routes and it shouldn't be a problem - it's not for me and I don't know anyone else who needs as many layers as me in the Cairngorms! The future of the place does concern me when, like last night, there are only about 10 people on the lead walls on a Tuesday evening - what would a zealous anti-Ratho councillor think if they called in looking for areas to make financial cuts?
In reply to Tall Clare: CLose call between Plas Power (wrexham) and the Beacon. Once the heating gets going at Plas its ok, found beacon (esp. the school room) to be bloody freezing at the weekend.
In reply to Robert Durran:
Ratho in February:
http://www.ice-factor.co.uk/facilities/ice-climbing.html
Ratho in February:
http://www.ice-factor.co.uk/facilities/ice-climbing.html
In reply to hilty:
That would be me & I'm arsed. If you can only pull on big holds the what's the point of going? It's just inefficient weight training?
Hoving said that I think the issue is more about humidity than temperature but they tend to go together.
> Is that a joke when somebody mentioned cold being good for friction, it's indoor climbing f petes sake, who's arsed??
That would be me & I'm arsed. If you can only pull on big holds the what's the point of going? It's just inefficient weight training?
Hoving said that I think the issue is more about humidity than temperature but they tend to go together.
Harlow, the temperature there is the same as outside I would say...
In reply to Tall Clare:
Warmest: QE Leisure centre in Wimborne.
Coolest: Reading CC. A bit chilly but more than welcome when you're climbing, just remember your hoody for belaying!
Warmest: QE Leisure centre in Wimborne.
Coolest: Reading CC. A bit chilly but more than welcome when you're climbing, just remember your hoody for belaying!
In reply to Tall Clare:
Coldest: Ingleton in the depth of winter.It actually felt colder than outside but more than made up for it by the quality of route setting and the volume of stuff on offer in a relatively small space.(just remember to add a grade to most things, no egos massaged here but a great little wall).
Warmest: Lancaster Uni on a sunny day. The "goldfish bowl" design doesn't help at all. A small wall and limited routes/problems but once again I love it, this time because of the overall atmosphere.
Coldest: Ingleton in the depth of winter.It actually felt colder than outside but more than made up for it by the quality of route setting and the volume of stuff on offer in a relatively small space.(just remember to add a grade to most things, no egos massaged here but a great little wall).
Warmest: Lancaster Uni on a sunny day. The "goldfish bowl" design doesn't help at all. A small wall and limited routes/problems but once again I love it, this time because of the overall atmosphere.
In reply to Mark Harding:
Can't believe I didn't mention it ... at Lancaster Uni Wall there is always the anticipation that Sir Chris will call in whilst on university business
Can't believe I didn't mention it ... at Lancaster Uni Wall there is always the anticipation that Sir Chris will call in whilst on university business
In reply to Tall Clare:
Wherever I choose to sling on my harness suddenly becomes both the coolest and hottest wall there is. KABLOW!
Wherever I choose to sling on my harness suddenly becomes both the coolest and hottest wall there is. KABLOW!
In reply to Tall Clare:
Having been a regular at both Ratho and Calshot, Calshot is colder. As someone said above I've never seen the climbers in full down before. I've always been able to get warm at Ratho, there have been times when I've given up at calshot.
Having been a regular at both Ratho and Calshot, Calshot is colder. As someone said above I've never seen the climbers in full down before. I've always been able to get warm at Ratho, there have been times when I've given up at calshot.
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