UKC

Would anybody be able to advice me on gloves for technical ice climbing? I saw that Ühli Steck uses Mountain Hardwear Hydra Pro and that there's a new version of that: Seraction. Mountain Equipment Assault looks interesting too. I would want to use them indoors (Ice Factor), the highlands in winter, and tha Alps in summer.

In reply to KlaasW: I like outdoor research arete gloves. Bit warm for most people though.

Lots of people use the all leather gloves designed for rock climbing.

In reply to KlaasW: I used the assaults last season and thought they were good for technical climbing (by my standards)with a lot of dexterity for the warmth you're getting. The leather on them is pretty good only a few scratches after a good seasons use on Skye and I've recently applied wax and expect another full season out of them.

Comparing the warmth of the assault to the the likes of the M.E colouir it lacks a bit, mainly because it uses a fleece liner rather than a pile/fleece combo.



The mountain equipment colouir is worth a look as well, I've just got a pair to add to the collection for this coming winter and have only used them at the ice factor a few times so far but they've been promissing!

If you're after something cheaper the guide glove (m.e again, you would almost think I'm brand loyal) is a bargain when it can be found for around £36 online, much like the more technical gloves in the range just using M.E's own fabrics which reduce the longevity of them but they perform well.


If you're climbing in places where it's mostly dry and you don't have too much moisture to worry about then worky/freezer gloves are worth buying, I'm a big fan as they can be updated throughout the day for a dry pair. They're cheap as chips and grip axes really well.


Hope I've been of some help.

In reply to KlaasW:
I have used a lot of different and expensive gloves in the past 20 years of winter. The best by far have been...
http://www.screwfix.com/p/skytec-argon-thermal-general-handling-gloves-size...
And they were the cheapest too. Have a punt at £7 before you shell out the big bucks.
James e

In reply to James Edwards:

Looks good, though it also looks like they'd get a bit bunchy/baggy when you close your fingers.
How well do they stand up to rope-wear?

In reply to nufkin:

They've got great dexterity for leading ice and mixed or even rock, if you buy the right size. They are very durable compared to normal gloves. You need to try them on first to get the sizing right. I bought several pairs about three years ago and I'm still using my first pair. I've used them throughout the winter guiding and throughout the summer in the Alps - the best £6-7 I've spent!!!

Cheers Ron

In reply to Ron Walker:

I got mine from Mo and Co
See http://www.moandco.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flyp...

In reply to James Edwards:

Hi James,

I use a variant of that....they're £3.98....

http://www.briersltd.co.uk/gardening-gloves-1/workwear-gloves/general-worke...

The textured latex is excellent and if you get the right size it gives you great grip on the shaft for double-handers and means you don't have to tape the shaft.
Also means you don't need a new mortgage when you lose one/both!

ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Not sure I like cotton gloves for snow and ice in the winter. I'll stick to Argon's or Ninja's!

In reply to KlaasW: I've heard lots of good reports about these:http://shop.snowshepherd.co.uk/epages/es122028.sf/?Locale=en_GB&ObjectP...

but I've no personal experience.

In reply to KlaasW: I get quite cold hands so have found the work gloves do not keep my hands warm enough. I have found the me guide and bd glissade pretty good for Scottish winter stuff and they are not massively expensive especially of you can find them on sale.

In reply to KlaasW:

I used the Skytec Argons last winter for work and play. They were great for leading but the rubber grip didn't like abseiling too much.

They take a while to fully dry out some I am going to get a few more pairs as they are so cheap.

The venitex gloves from Snow Shepherd are great as a warm, back up pair but I struggled to break in the leather so didn't find them very dextrous.

Thinking of getting a pair of ME Randonees as I've heard loads of great reports on them.

In reply to GridNorth: I'm a big fan of leather work gloves for winter http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.fi/2012/10/marmot-basic-work-glove-review... but the one thing I don't use them for is technical ice climbing as so often ice is too wet for a non-waterproof glove. If its really cold (-10 or below) the ice MIGHT be dry enough, but then the gloves are getting a bit thin for that sort of temp.

In reply to KlaasW: I agree with having cheap gloves. better to have 4 dry pairs in your bag than one or two expensive pairs that always end up wet however fancy they are.

In reply to TobyA: I've got some BD Guide gloves which seem to offer a reasonable compromise between dexterity and warmth but achieving the ideal of warmth and dexterity seems to be impossible. Last year I tried some wrist gaiters which helped quite a lot. I don't like the built in thumb loops which I have on a Rab Powerstretch top as they tend to rub between my thumb and forefinger.

In reply to Ron Walker:

...depends how hot your hands run...I've always been lucky in this regard and just take 2/3 pairs of Briers on the hill...when one gets ridiculously wet, I just put another pair on....

ANdy

In reply to KlaasW: For the past two years I have been using BD Impuls gloves made from powershield. I find them dexterous enough for fine work while placing a gear and are, most of the time, warm enough. I also like the fact, that there is no liner to pull out from a glove when taking them off. The new Montane Tigertooth pro are also looking very promising.

The Argons served me well last winter.

In reply to Milesy:

...hijack...did you get my email about Thursday mate?

ANdy

Not checked my mails yet. Will do at lunchtime when I get a 3G signal on my phone

In reply to Ron Walker:

Hi Ron,

Can now get these for £5.16 a pair (free delivery!) from Dortech....search online.....

ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

The Briers? I have a pair but how do you deal with the massive cuffs?

Thanks guys. However, I might possibly be even more confused than before... Will try one of these cheap options indoors first.

In reply to James Edwards:

Various people I know have bought the Argon gloves with the knitted backs no one I know likes them except Ron. I find either my hands get wet from dripping water on the ice fall (this has even occurred on euroice), and / or they just aren't warm enough (various locations). I've tried them multiple times and have never managed to keep them on for a whole pitch! I tried them in conjunction with thick mitts for belaying with.

I bought some BD punishers at the end of last year and so far am happy with them.

In reply to CurlyStevo:
I nikwaxed the back on my first pair to avoid this, but didnt bother on subsequent pairs.
I find them to be the perfect compromise in price / durability / dexterity and warmth. But it is a compromise.

I do however have very warm hands and have only ever on one occasion possibly had hot aches (and i'm not convinced that wasn't just nausa from the possibility of an iminant and arbitary death whilst down climbing a coliour in the alps with out gloves on). Thus my hands are not your hands.

They do take a full day partially inside out on a radiator to dry though.

James e

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

...this is the best price I can find for the Skytech Argons.....

ANdy

In reply to Milesy:

...mine don't have massive cuffs, infact they're quite tight....I'll show you when we meet....

ANdy

In reply to James Edwards:
perhaps I just got mine a size too small so are too tight?

In reply to James Edwards:

Hi James,
The point for me is that ANY gloves are a compromise...and I've never used anything that works 100% in all conditions....I'd therefore much rather compromise for £5 rather than £50+ !
I, like you, run "hands hot" and so the insulation side of the equation is not so important for me...
ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:
"I, like you, run "hands hot" and so the insulation side of the equation is not so important for me..."

Maybe this is the key, I would guess my hands run fairly averagely the friends I know who have used the argons and not liked them are similar.

In reply to KlaasW:

Dachstein woolen mitts are cheap and great belay gloves. These:

http://www.upandunder.co.uk/Outdoor/Clothing/Mitts-and-Gloves/Mitts/P---Ext...

In reply to KlaasW: I tried Argon's but my hands were too cold, with base layer gloves. Guess we are all different and I'll carry them regardless as back ups

In reply to Cameron94:
I had a nasty experience with ME Couloirs. I took a brand new pair, one size larger than my hand size, on a winter outing to the Cairngorm plateau. I took them off in freezing rain sleety conditions and because of the sticky internal pile, my now wet hands couldn't get them back on before my hands froze to useless. I had to get a friend to force them on. I hate to think the consequences if this had happened on a route.
I quite happily use them for skiing though.

In reply to Raskye: That's common with pile and fleece lined gloves. Try a really skinny pair of liners (silk/merino if you can afford them). These hold no moisture so you don't have to take them off once on and can change gloves easily no matter how damp your hands are.

In reply to Raskye: As Al said a super thin liner does the job brilliantly but I've never had a problem with pile only gloves, just with fleece or fleece/pile hybrids.

In reply to nickcj:


Pretty cheap and with warm berber pile the ME Randonees are good apart from the velcro wrist strap. I cut cut off the strap and all the velcro as it faces the wrong way and trashes your clothing and slings...

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Thanks but if it's the Argon's I'll probably have retired from climbing long before my last pair of the six pairs I bought a few years ago for £30 plus postage run out...

In reply to CurlyStevo:

I'd get cold hands too seconding but as I'm usually guiding or leading the grip and dexterity is more important. I thought about getting oversized Buffalo Mitts for standing around at belays and pulling them over the Argon's. It would save changing from one pair of gloves to another and avoid the problem of getting my hands back into damp gloves. BTW I store them down my front to keep them from freezing up...

I just purchased a pair of Mountain Hardwear Hydra Ext while in London. They seem pretty cool to me, hope it was a good choice. I think it was the snot-removal-patch that swayed me...