In reply to Temp Lemming:
I thought cold was good for climbing, at least thats what the climbing wall we use tell us
Spare a thought for people who cant climb like me(Operation) and cant move about much to stay warm. 2-3 hours i have to spend at the wall and having had a metal plate inserted in my leg recently i can actually feel it getting colder the longer i stay. I get home and have to warm up slowly incase i have frostbite.
Must admit we have a complete arsenal of items to help my daughter combat the cold at the wall.
1) Multiple reusable handwarmers
2) Cuddly toy with microwaveable wheat bag inside
3) Gloves, Hat, tops. Down jacket
The trouble i find with the intense cold for her is that she warms up,, warm up climbs then climbs. She doesnt really get tired easily so its more the coldness of the holds which bring about breaks in her climbing (Bouldering). By the time we manage to warm the hands back up she has lost any temperature in her muscles to get back on the walls safely. She should really be doing another warm up routine before she gets back on the wall.
Thankfully the temperature has got below zero and the auto heaters have kicked in which means you can go and stand in front of them for 5 mins to get a quick preheat