Five things to check before going climbing
Outdoor climbing can be a fickle pastime. The natural world is a constantly shifting thing - weather can turn on a dime, rocks can fall down, or a rare species of bird can decide to build its nest on your favourite crag. Forgetting just one thing out of dozens of pieces of kit can turn a lovely day out into a nightmare. There’s a lot to remember if you’re going on a climbing trip, and it’s easy to miss something. In this article I’ve boiled down your prep into a simple tick list - check these five things every time you head out, and you should (hopefully!) avoid any unwelcome surprises, unplanned epics, or angry farmers with shotguns!
Weather
Let’s face it - we live in a damp country. All the careful planning in the world can’t get round the fact that it sometimes snows in July! Checking the weather should be your first port of call when going outdoor climbing. There’s a few different ways to do this, and it’s worth having a few sources for your weather info, to compare what can often be quite different sets of data. Here’s the ones that I use:
Met Office - these forecasts are still (on the whole) the most reliable across the board. If you’re comparing different areas and trying to decide where to climb then their app is dead handy - you can save your favourite locations (choose the nearest town to the crag) and see which looks most inviting on the day. They also have a useful mountain weather service (take a look at the box above to see the live weather for Snowdonia).
MWIS - standing for Mountain Weather Information Service, this forecast comes in a written format, rather than numbers, giving you a much clearer idea about what the conditions will actually feel like on the ground. Theirs is usually the most pessimistic of the forecasts, but you won’t get caught out. Anyway, isn’t it nice when things are better than you were expecting?
Yr.no - like the Met Office, this Norwegian weather service gives forecast data for specific areas, and they also have an app to compare different locations. What really sets Yr apart though, is that they predict hourly rainfall by mm. Rain icons in most forecasts often don’t give much away, so it’s really useful to know this - you won’t be cancelling a trip to Portland because of 0.2mm of rain!
Precipitation is obviously the big one here. Most rock isn’t great to climb in the rain, and there are several rock types that you absolutely mustn’t climb when wet - sandstone and gritstone are big no nos, as you’ll damage the surfaces, and limestone will become very slippery in wet conditions.
It’s worth looking at the forecast for the days before you head out - some crags suffer seepage for some time after rainfall; even if it’s dry on the day that you’re there, the rock could still be very wet if it’s rained recently.
It’s not all about the rain though - wind is also an important factor; anything above about 10mph, and you’ll start to really know about it. Wind chill can be serious - the ambient temperature will feel appreciably colder if you’re exposed to the elements. Consider the aspect of the crag that you’re climbing on - is it facing into the prevailing wind? If yes, and it’s a strong wind, it may be best to think about climbing elsewhere.
If it’s going to be sunny, great! But then make sure that you take suncream with a high SPF, as well as plenty of fluids.
2. Guidebooks
Guidebooks are great - treasure troves full of exciting routes to try, tempting lines to beckon and inspire. There’s a great deal more information in there than just the climbing though, and you do need to do the homework - it’s no good turning up to a crag, opening the guidebook for the first time and finding out that the approach can only be accessed for a few hours either side of low tide!
If you’re climbing in a new area, make sure that you have read the information about how to get to the crag, and whether or not there are any restrictions in place. It might be that you need to abseil in, in which case, how long does your ab line need to be? There might be seasonal nesting birds, or you might be near an army firing range. Most sea cliffs are affected by the tide - check your guidebook, and then make a note of the high and low tide times before you set out. Some approaches, especially in more remote areas, might require a map and compass, or GPS. Your guidebook should warn you about this, but you will need to read all the small print - don’t just open it straight onto the page of the route you want to climb.
Often you will find useful hints about what gear to take, or what length of rope to climb with. Read through the route descriptions before you set out, check the topos, and make sure that your ropes are long enough!
It’s also worth pointing out that each area will likely have more than one guidebook written for it. It’s not a bad idea to compare a couple of different versions, to make sure that you get as much info as possible. Also, who doesn’t like buying new guidebooks?
3. BMC RAD
RAD stands for Regional Access Database; here you will find up to date information about any seasonal restrictions or access issues, as well as any potential hazards such as loose rock or recent rockfall. The BMC have done an amazing job with this - it’s free to download as an app here, and as well as letting you search for individual crags by name, it also has a map feature where you can explore the climbing available in your chosen area. It’s well worth a quick glance at the RAD before heading to the crag, even somewhere that you visit regularly. Not only are guidebooks often out of date, but restrictions, especially seasonal nesting, can change year on year. Most crags are on privately-owned land, and access rights can be withdrawn. Topping out to find the police waiting for you can really ruin your day…
4. UKC
UKClimbing.com is another great free resource for climbers. If you haven’t checked them out already, have a browse through - there’s articles, videos, reviews, forums and, crucially, just about the most comprehensive logbook of worldwide routes and crags that you’ll find anywhere on the interwebs. On their Find Crags page, you can access information about climbs anywhere in the world, invaluable for planning a trip, but also crucial for keeping up to date with any new routes, rockfall, or just for gaining some useful beta about the routes themselves. Climbers can leave comments about climbs, and you’ll often find some helpful notes about potential pitfalls, as well as feedback about the grades and what gear you might usefully take with you. Don’t assume that everything you read in a guidebook is set in stone (pun intended) - sometimes routes fall down! UKC is usually the most up to date source of info for any hazards en route.
5. Kit
Confession time. I have, over the years, turned up to the crag without: harness, helmet, ropes, gear, guidebook, climbing shoes, and even, on one occasion, trousers! These days, I have a checklist, or rather a series of different checklists, depending upon what kind of climbing I’m off to do (sport, trad, bouldering, client days etc). Be like Santa - make a list and check it twice!
As well as all of your climbing clobber and guidebook, make sure that you have a fully charged phone, first aid kit, and enough food and spare clothing to cover all eventualities.
