Alright, us Brits don't half like to whinge. It's too cold, too wet, too windy, and at the moment, way way waaaay too hot! Seriously, I've only just walked out of the shop and my Solero is already running down my elbows. Well don't let that spoil your fun, here's some of my favourite tips to keep climbing in the heat when the mercury shoots sky high. Most of these are really quite obvious, but there might be one or two that you've not considered.
Choose your venue wisely!
Check the compass – north facing crags are generally your best bet, or you may have to move around to avoid the sun, starting on a west facing crag in the morning before moving to an east-facing one in the afternoon. Don’t forget that this advice completely changes in the southern hemisphere! On my first trip to South Africa I thought I was being smart by picking a north-facing crag to climb on, only once the sun had started to get high did I realise my mistake!
Check the wind direction – even a slight breeze can help reduce your body temperature. Be careful though, you might feel totally chill but end up burning to a crisp from the sun.
Shady zawns and obscure little holes – if you can’t find a suitable north facing crag, you’ll just have to make do with what you’ve got. Seek out gullies, slots, zawns, caves and blowholes. Even a small corner/groove line can provide some respite on an otherwise completely exposed crag.
Get high – Gain some altitude! In dry air you can expect a temperature drop of almost 1˚C for every 100m gained (in saturated air the lapse rate will less pronounced, maybe around 0.3˚C per 100m) so get yourself to those high mountain crags. Wind velocity also increases with altitude, adding to the cooling effect.
Bonus tip - there's often an icecream van situated on top of Sea Walls at Avon, don't forget to bring some pennies with you!
Adjust your body clock
All other thing being equal, the coolest time of the day occurs half an hour after sunrise, so go to bed early, set your alarm and get to it. You’ll also get the smug satisfaction of seeing the sunrise and being first on the crag. Try not to gloat (well not too much anyway) as you pass all the losers while you stroll back for mid-morning pastries having sent your project already. Catch a late lunch and a snoozy siesta (or go to work?!) before heading back out in the evening for another session.
Get in the Sea!
Proximity to water is good for the soul, and your body temperature. Go deep water soloing, try hard, fall off, it’s all good fun! If you’re nowhere near the sea, then riverside crags are the place to be. Dunk your feet in the stream between routes and your whole body will feel the effects.
Baggy Boots
Feet swell in the heat. Your already tight climbing shoes will become instruments of torture, capable of reducing a grown man to tears, so break out your sloppy comfy pair. I’ve actually had a Pink Anasazi physically pop off my heel mid crux on a slabby, runout E4 before - not an experience I’d like to repeat! If you do need to stop and loosen your laces mid-pitch, make sure you’re in a position where you can do them up again (yup I’ve made that mistake too!)
Wear Sunscreen
Seriously. Just do it. Pick something non-greasy so your hands don’t get too slippery (or have someone else do it for you), choose factor 50 and re-apply often. You don’t want this to happen to you…
Appropriate Attire
What, you want me to tell you how to dress? I’m not your mum! Well just one hint… a proper shirt, light cotton or linen. Wear that, unbutton all but two and pop that collar.
Stay Hydrated
Super-important, and you probably don’t need reminding of this, but remember to keep your salt intake up when you're sweating and drinking – adding an electrolyte mix to your water will help your body to absorb it more effectively and reduce cramping. Slightly less obvious is filling a wide-mouth Nalgene with ice, or even better, a vacuum flask. They keep drinks cold as well as hot you know.
Curb your enthusiasm
Baggy boots and sweaty hands, honestly, now is not the time for hard climbing. Find some classic easy thing to climb, with good sharp jugs that you can just romp up.
Improvise
If you’ve not heeded any of this advice, you’re gonna have to deal with it as best you can. My favourite is the impromptu legionnaire’s cap – take a t-shirt, drape it over your head so the sleeves hang over your ears and the body hangs over your neck, and secure with a helmet or long sling. This’ll keep the sun off your neck and face while allowing the breeze to pass through, and prevent sweat from dripping into your eyes. Certainly not stylish in the least, but who cares?
Don’t Bother
This is the last resort. If it’s really that hot just sack it in, go for a swim, find some shady trees for slacklining. Seriously, this is Britain, it’ll be freezing cold again in a day or two.