Bouldering after the clocks go back: how to keep climbing outside through the dark months

The hour that goes missing

The clocks go back at 2am on Sunday 25 October, and British Summer Time ends for another year. Overnight the sun starts setting an hour earlier. Across most of England it is gone before five o'clock, and by the time most people have left work it is properly dark.

For a lot of climbers that is the signal to pack the pads away until spring. It does not have to be. The cold months are when gritstone and sandstone are at their best, and a head torch session on a dry, breezy evening can feel better than anything you climbed all summer. It just takes a bit more planning.

Why the dark months are worth it

Friction loves the cold. Skin sweats less, rubber grips better and the rock itself feels sharper when the air is cool and dry. The problems that felt greasy and impossible in July often go first try in November. Why climbers obsess over conditions goes into the detail, but the short version is that a cold, dry evening with a bit of wind is close to perfect.

The catch is that cold, dry and windy are not guaranteed. Winter rock stays damp for longer, especially in the trees or on north-facing faces, and soft rock like sandstone needs to be fully dry before you touch it. Wet sandstone explains why that one is not optional.

Picking a venue for an evening session

The best after-dark venues share a few things.

Close to the car. Five or ten minutes' walk on a clear path, not half an hour across a moor. You will walk out in the dark with pads on your back, so keep it short and easy to follow.

Problems you can find. Spread-out venues are hard work by torchlight. A cluster of boulders, or an edge where the problems sit side by side, means less time hunting and more time climbing.

Faces that catch the wind and dry quickly. Open hillsides beat sheltered woods at this time of year. A crag that was lovely and shady in August will often be the last to dry in December.

Problems you already know. Evening sessions are a good time for circuits and repeats rather than onsighting highballs. You already know the landings, the holds and the top outs. Save the new stuff for a weekend when you have daylight.

Semi-urban gritstone venues come into their own now. Places like Shipley Glen above Baildon, or the boulders a few minutes from the road at the classic Peak edges, are made for an hour or two after work.

What to pack

A head torch each, plus a spare. One per climber and a bright one for whoever is spotting. Batteries die faster in the cold, so a spare torch or a power bank in the bag saves an early finish.

A second light for the problem. A small lantern or a torch propped on a pad lighting the holds makes a big difference. Climbing by your own head torch alone is fine on easy ground, but on anything hard you want the wall lit, not just the patch in front of your face.

Warm layers for between goes. A big jacket to throw on as soon as you step off, and a hat. Warm up properly before you pull on, because cold fingers and cold tendons are a poor mix.

A brush and a shoe towel. Damp grass and leaves end up on your soles, and the holds pick up dew as the evening goes on. Wipe your feet every go.

Something to sit on. A spare pad or a bag. Standing around on wet ground is how you get cold and give up early.

Staying safe once the light has gone

Never boulder alone in the dark. In daylight it is a risk. At night, with nobody passing, a twisted ankle a few hundred metres from the car becomes a real problem.

Spot properly. It is harder to judge where someone will land by torchlight, so the spotter needs their own light and full attention. Arms up, eyes on the hips, steer them to the pad. How to spot a boulderer covers the technique.

Keep the pads lit. Before every go, check where the pads are and that the landing is clear of bags, flasks and shoes. Things that were obvious at half four are invisible at six.

Tell someone where you are. A quick message with the venue and when you expect to be back.

Know the way out. Walk the path back once while there is still a bit of light, or pick somewhere you have been many times.

Be a good neighbour

Evening sessions often mean climbing near houses, roads and footpaths that other people use after dark too. Park considerately and leave room for gateways and farm machinery. Keep noise down, point torches at the rock rather than at windows or dog walkers, and take everything home, including tape and orange peel. Check the BMC Regional Access Database before you go, because open access land can still be restricted for part of the year.

When the weather says no

There will be plenty of evenings when it is wet, or the wind has dropped and everything is greasy. That is the time to be indoors, working the board or a project at the wall, so you have something to bring outside on the next good night. Programming a board session is a good place to start, and logging your sessions in Sendit means you can see whether those indoor weeks are actually moving you on.

The clocks going back is not the end of the outdoor season. For a lot of boulderers it is the start of the good bit.