Tech Tip || How to stay warm scottish winter climbing
Posted In "Tech Tip" on "September 27th, 2024"Scottish winter has to be the toughest climate for us climbers to keep warm in. The mixture of cold but often wet conditions makes it hard work to stay on top of. I definitely had a couple of winters where I thought it was just a part of the “game” — I would get hot aches most days. Looking back at that makes me giggle. Many winter seasons down the line, I have my warmth much more under control. This is the result of following the tips below, having some better kit, and ultimately knowing when it is suitable to be out, and selecting routes with conditions and weather in mind.
A cold morning in the Cairngorms, climbing easier routes to stay warm.
Don’t start sweaty – Easier said than done when you have an uphill two-hour walk-in! I often go for the dreaded base-layer change at the bottom of the route, meaning I have a dry base layer, which results in being warmer and not having to wear as many layers while on the route. Short-term pain for long-term gain!
Hot hands – What winter climbers dream of! A lot of gloves is the answer. I’ll have a pair for walking in and multiple pairs for the climb. Sometimes, I’ll take a thin pair for every lead I’m doing if the route is hard for me (don’t worry, our routes are short in Scotland). As well as the lighter gloves I take a medium thickness set for easier leads and seconding. At every belay, I pop on a big pair of mitts, even if I’m not cold at the time. I store a spare ste of gloves tucked down my jacket, so they are warm and ready to go when I need them (rember to grab them out before you take your harness off at the end of the day, otherwise they will fall out of the botttom!).
Gloves to check out – I always have a pair of the Showa 282-02 Temres in my bag. These gloves are the most waterproof gloves I have ever worn (I also don’t find them too sweaty). These gloves only cost £20 — result! The Mountain Equipment Super Alpine gloves are my first choice if I am going to climb a harder pitch.
Zero Gully, Ben Nevis.
Bomber belay jacket – A beefy belay jacket is essential for Scottish winter climbing. I’ve had some very long belays and have been very grateful. Synthetic or down? Synthetic is very often the correct answer here, and if I had to pick only one jacket, I would choose synthetic. The main reason for this is due to down not keeping you warm if it gets wet, while a synthetic jacket will. I will occasionally take a down jacket on cold but dry days; the warmth-to-weight ratio always makes me happy.
Top tip – I often carry mine in a running vest when I’m leading; this means you don’t have a big dry bag dangling off your harness. Check out the Blue Ice running vests and the Mountain Equipment Citadel (best for winter climbing). The Mountain Equipment Fitzroy often gets reccomeded but is defintely not warm enough for long winter belays, it works well for mountaineering days when you are on the move.
Down Jacket, on a cold but dry day.
Warm toesies – A good pair of well-insulated boots is the answer. I use an old pair of Scarpa Guides (these are well-tough and you can pick them up fairly cheap second-hand). If I’m particularly sweaty, I will occasionally go for a sock change at the base of the route — what a treat. I find the sock change only works well if the weather is not too wild; otherwise, snow getting into your boots outweighs the benefits.
Still feeling cold? I have had a couple of friends use heated socks. Although expensive, they will definitely take the edge off. Brands to check out are Lenz and Therm-ic. I am definitely tempted to try some this coming winter.
Would you like to learn how to Scottish winter climb?
We offer instruction and guided experiences in Scottish winter. Head over to our Winter pages on the website or get in touch to book a private course.