Rock climbing when everyone else is on a ski tour - isn't that complete madness? We explain why it's not. And give you five tips on how to keep your fingers warm even in the icy season.
Admittedly, you need to be a bit of a rock fanatic to climb outdoors all winter long. But once you get into the right mood, you'll keep coming back to the rock despite sub-zero temperatures. Provided, of course, that you are in the right place at the right time. But more on that later.
"It's all about the grip, baby!" is probably the best way to summarize the motivation for winter climbing. Because for really small ledges and really tiny footholds, you need not only the necessary power but also the necessary friction. And friction is at its best when temperatures are low and humidity is low. In other words, in winter. That's why the toughest projects are usually climbed in conditions where others prefer to go ski touring or tobogganing. But even those who are not on the eleventh degree of difficulty will quickly notice the difference: The nasty overhang that you were still constantly smearing down from in August, it suddenly "holds". And the small step that you never dared to climb is no longer a problem at all. "It's all about the grip, baby!", and that's why climbing in winter is so much fun! Once your fingers are warm.
5 tips for winter climbing 1. warm up properly
Especially in winter, it is essential to get your body up to the right operating temperature to prevent injuries. Climbing areas with a 10 to 20 minute approach are therefore recommended. On the rock, it is important to get your fingers warm first and start with the easiest possible routes with large holds. If you knock down ledges that are too small too quickly, you will quickly damage your ligaments. If there are no suitable routes in the area, a small fingerboard is recommended to prepare the tendons and ligaments properly for the strain.
2. down with, up without
Down jacket we mean. It's a strange dress code that can be seen in sunny climbing gardens on cold winter days: below are the belayers, thickly wrapped up in down jackets and caps, above are the climbers in T-shirts and tank tops. How does this fit together? The answer lies in the microclimate that forms on sunny rock faces: When the sun is low, as it is in winter, the rays hit the rock almost vertically and heat it up. This means that even temperatures in the single digits can create a summer feeling when climbing.
Winter climbing: The belayer is well wrapped up, the climber climbs in a T-shirt, photo: Simon Schöpf
3. shoes under the jacket
Admittedly, it often takes a bit of effort to get out of grandma's warm woollen socks and into tight climbing shoes. Especially when they are almost frozen stiff. - It is therefore advisable not to carelessly lay the pair of shoes on the ground after climbing, but to stuff them under your down jacket. This way you can slip into pleasantly warm climbing shoes before every new route!
In winter, it's best to warm your climbing shoes under your down jacket before putting them on, photo: Simon Schöpf
4th chalk bag with heating
Not quite practical, but still seen from time to time: In addition to the classic warm-up exercises, you can also help out with artificial heat and use heat pads. Or, quite martially, heat a stone (not too big, not too hot) with the gas stove and then cheat it into the chalk bag. A small hand heater for in between, so to speak!
5. keep warm from the inside
And of course - the thermos flask. It's a climber's best friend on cold winter days, a warm sip is always good. Of course, you should also have the right equipment with you: long underpants, gloves for belaying, buff, warm jacket. And perhaps not the very tightest climbing shoes, so that you can still fit in with socks.
A hot cup of tea warms you up from the inside during winter climbing, photo: Simon Schöpf
So where do you go climbing in Tyrol in winter?
5 tips for sunny climbing gardens in Tyrol 1st Jungle Book, Martinswand
In the "Jungle Book" in the immediate vicinity of Innsbruck (the wall can even be reached by bike from the Tyrolean capital), you can usually climb all winter long, as the wall is located right next to the Inn in the valley. Provided the sky is clear and there is no wind. If the conditions are right, you can still see climbers in shorts here in December.
In the "Jungle Book", it is often really warm on the rock face even in winter, photo: Simon Schöpf
2nd Affenhimmel/Starkenbach
Like the "Jungle Book", the "Affenhimmel" is also located at the bottom of the Inn Valley, with the rocks facing south. Here you will also find a large number of routes in the lower and medium levels of difficulty, snow is rarely a problem on the approach.
3rd Plangeross, Pitztal
In Plangeross there is a route with the name "Hitzeschlag im November". That's all you really need to know. Except that Plangeross is located at an altitude of almost 2,000 meters in the Pitztal. So if there is already good snow, the approach will probably be difficult or even dangerous. But this often only comes sometime in December, until then: bomb gneiss, banging south side!
4th Chinese Wall, Leutasch
The "Great Wall of China" is also a little higher up, at 1,700 meters, but faces south. The sun shines on the wall from around 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. There are routes in the middle section (rockfall sector) and at the very top (strip sector) where the belayer is also in full sun.
In winter on the "Chinese Wall", photo: Simon Schöpf
5th Schleier Waterfall, Wilder Kaiser
A real area for hard movers: the large overhang at Schleierwasserfall forms a kind of mirror where you can sunbathe, but there are only a few routes in the lower and medium difficulty range. And with an hour's approach, you also need the right motivation!
The approach in particular often requires a lot of motivation in winter, photo: Simon Schöpf
