Winter bouldering is not for everyone; your feet and hands can get cold, your fingers can hurt like hell, and the melting snow can make everything soaking wet. That being said, I personally much prefer bouldering in the winter over any other time of year. The friction is perfect in the lower temperatures, the sun is low in the sky and sharp, and there is almost no need for chalk. The inherent nature of bouldering, short routes, frequent attempts, and quick returns to the ground, allow for climbing in colder temperatures than sport climbing or trad climbing. Noone wants to stand around stomping your feet while you partner works a move or endure a freezing cold belay on a wind swept ledge (unless you are into ice climbing, which is a whole different level of suffering).

If you haven't clicked to another page by now, winter bouldering may be for you. The following tips will help you better enjoy a cold, crisp day of winter bouldering:

1. Keep your feet warm!

The single most important thing to do is to make sure your feet stay warm. Your feet are the hardest to get warm once they get cold. Therefore, how you start out is key. As you are driving to the boulders, place your climbing shoes on the dashboard or on the floor near a heating vent, and crank the heat up. Get your shoes toasty warm. The only drawback to this is if your shoes stink, so will your car. Once you get to the boulders, place your shoes inside your jacket whenever you are not wearing them. This will keep them warm at all times.

2. Invest in microfleece

The most important pieces of clothing are microfleece pants and a microfleece shirt. These items will keep you nice and warm, and will not let you get cold if you work up a sweat.

3. Wear a really warm jacket

This may seem obvious, but err on the side of caution here: wear the warmest jacket you own, preferably down. This is to keep you warm between problems and to keep your shoes warm as described above.

4. Bring a thermos of hot tea, coffee, or cocoa

This serves two purposes: 1. there is nothing better than a nice hot drink on a cold day, and 2. the hot liquid works wonders for warming up frozen hands. Pour a cup of the hot beverage, and just hold the cup (drinking it is optional).

5. Find a south facing boulder or a boulder out of the wind

This again may seem obvious, but it is very important. The south faces of boulders are always sunny. There can be a 10 degree difference between the north and south faces of a boulder. This benefit really becomes apparent while bouldering. When sport or trad climbing, most cliffs only face one direction. With bouldering, you can usually climb on any side of a boulder, and can find the sunny and/or sheltered side.

6. Bring a tarp

This only applies if there is snow on the ground. A good 8'x10' tarp can provide a nice dry area to shoe up and spot, keeping your shoes ready for sending. We sometimes will clear the snow off of the tops of south-facing boulders and around the landings, to allow for climbing on sunny days.

7. Place a handwarmer in your chalkbag

This can make the difference for some people, and definitely increases the comforting factor of working your hands into the chalkbag.