When the weather's hot and sticky...

Where do you go climbing in NH? The forecast for this coming week (6/24 - 28) is daunting. Hot, muggy, and thunderstorms. Before coming, we had hopes of climbing at Cannon, but now that doesn't seem like a good idea. Would anyone care to offer some insider advice to some visiting climbers? Maybe when the weather is like this, it's just best to hit the swimming holes? We're experienced, easy-grade climbers up for sport or trad. Thanks.

Rumney might not be a bad idea, not far from Cannon in any case. The river is right there so you can sneak some swimming in with your climbing.

Although mostly south-facing, you can plan your day to follow the shade. Whatever you do, don't go to Main Cliff/Iron Man wall before 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Bonsai has several 5.10's and keeps relatively cool with shade and a slight breeze. I'm sure there's better and more shaded options than Rumney, but shaded and cool comes with the bugs.

To be honest, there's really no escaping the heat once it's 85+, humid, and sunny. I'm sweating just typing this in my house...wherever you go, bring about a gallon of water and bucket of sunscreen.

Cathedral actually gets shade all afternoon and can be quite reasonable even on hot days. If the threat of T-storms is keeping you off of Cannon consider some of the other Franconia Notch crags like Echo.

Also, don't get discouraged since any forecast extending beyond tomorrow is not really a forecast at all.

That title made me think of an old spray painted saying (@ a PA crag...)

When the air is hot & sticky. That's no time for dunking dicky.
But when there's frost upon the pumpkin. That's the time for dicky dunking.

Trivia: What climbing area in PA says that?

bellefont?

wild river or just get a 12 pack and hit the swift...

not it Slim...

hint: it is a popular spot in PA

High rocks/ralph stover

Nope...

2nd Hint: Central Pennsylvania

stop being a baby and climb in the heat...

Wild River if you climb 12a sport otherwise

Elephants head in the morning cathedral in the afternoon

mountainproject.com/v/eleph…

Hey Cor, you win this thread. That's the ditty I was thinking of (although I don't know about the PA crag)

Yeah, I was ordering if you could stay cool at Rumney. That might work.

Does Cathedral dry out all right after the previous day's thunderstorms?

Ok, I'll give it up.... Safe Harbor, PA

There's no escaping it, even up north at and elevation. I climb early (it's cool at 7am) and then swim in the afternoon as it gets hot.

Also, if you do much bouldering, there are some spots at Blackjack boulders in Rumney where natural air conditioning comes out of the ground (this also happens halfway up the slabby bottom section of the climb Metamorphosis). It can drop 10-20 degrees, depending on where you stand in the boulder field. Hunt around for the cool spots!

Safe Harbor's in direct sun all day. i wouldn't go there in the summer; however, you're close as far a a good summer destination is concerned.

Cor wrote:That title made me think of an old spray painted saying (@ a PA crag...) When the air is hot & sticky. That's no time for dunking dicky. But when there's frost upon the pumpkin. That's the time for dicky dunking. Trivia: What climbing area in PA says that?

I was gonna say.. Safe Harbor. Bellefontes was "Take me down to the Bellefonte Quarry where the water is green and the girls are horny" Well.. ONE of the spray painted sayings.

and, yeah, Cathedral would work as long as you bailed when T-Storms came through. Just don't leave your draws or the boogie man will get them.