Last winter was my first full season of climbing in the cold, and I shared a blog post with my favorite cold weather tips. Now, well into an even colder winter season, I have learned some new tricks for making below-freezing temps tolerable and even pleasant!

1. Down Booties

   These are a game changer. I noticed that I had to leave the crag due to frozen feet, despite the rest of my body being pretty warm. I first tried a pair of booties that were big enough to slip my entire climbing shoe inside of. They’re super convenient because I don’t have to remove my shoes in between climbs. However, my feet inevitably get cold because the close-fitting climbing shoes cuts off circulation. I now prefer booties that are closer to my foot size and I remove my climbing shoes before putting on the booties. Down or Synthetic booties both do the trick!

2. 10,000mAH Hand Warmers

Last year, I recommended USB rechargeable handwarmers. There are many on the market and it can be overwhelming to pick a good one. I’ve tried a few different companies, shapes, and power. I personally prefer rectangular shapes and found that the 10,000mAH seem to keep my hands cozy.. My current set comes with three levels of heat. I typically use level 1 because level 2 is so hot it hurts! I also recommend owning two so that you don’t have to sacrifice one hand to cold. When I’m climbing, I put one handwarmer in each bootie to keep them nice and toasty!!

3. Hooded Vests

I also recommended vests last year, but I have recently discovered vests with hoods! Now I can really keep my core, neck, and head warm without losing any mobility!

4. Traction Footwear

These are spikey attachments that you can easily add to your approach shoes or hiking boots. They come in various levels of “spikey-ness” that are good for ice, snow, and slush and everything in between. I used to slip and slide while hiking downhill in the snow and ice with crash pads on my back. Okay, it’s true—I would still fall without the crash pads, but with my traction footwear, I feel and look a lot steadier on my feet. I can handle whatever wintry mix comes my way.

5. Mittens

I wear mittens on the approach so that I can start the day with warm hands (notice a theme here?—I get cold easily!). It’s hard to warm up, if you’re starting your warm-up with popsicle fingers. This advice still holds true. Mittens are a worthwhile investment!

6. Build a Fort

It’s something most of us did as kids and now I’ve started to do this again to shield myself from the wind. Being protected from the elements absolutely makes a huge difference.

7. Dog Coat

Likely if you need to use these tips, your canine partner will also be cold. My doggo is much happier now that he has a water repellent winter coat and an ear hood!

I hope these are helpful! If you have any cold weather tricks, I’d love to know! Share them in the comments below!