"Alpine Climbing" - (Cold weather climbing???)

Hey I just started climbing rock, so haven't been through this wringer. What do you guys do specific to extend your climbing season into the cold weather.

Specifically. I am in New England, looking to climb in the whites until the ice shows up. I know body layering. But Socks? Gloves? Do you just over-do your core, hoping some flows to the hands/feet?

I hear ppl talk about liner socks. Can someone recommend a sock to try to cram into my already well-fitted TC Pros? Is this what people do, or when the cold comes do you resort to rock climbing in boots?

Same goes for gloves, specific glove for rock climbing or do most people just go bare-hand and then warm up after a run?

I really wanted to get on a few more things this season, but seems to just be getting colder and colder. Anyway was going to buy a pack online, and would appreciate a sock suggestion to throw in if there is a typical or standard thing ppl do. Thanks

Climb on south facing aspects in the sun. Liner socks can be nice to help keep feet warm. You can tape a hand warmer on your wrist of your long sleeve shirt to help keep blood flowing, and hand warmers in your chalk bag. Belay with warm gloves and lots of extra layers. If its too cold to climb bear handed and in rocks shoes, then it's time for another activity.

1st question - do you have Reynaud's Syndrome? Do your fingers & toes get cold easily? If yes, then read Dorcas Miller's article in the Climbing magazine archives. They will mail/ email a copy to you.

2nd - minimize intake of capillary constrictors; caffeine, & nicotine really hammer your circulation.

3rd - increase intake of capillary dilators; niacin, ginger & capsacin (the active ingredient in hot peppers). I found that shifting from coffee to ginger chai for the winters made a difference

4th- mildly cold? IronClad brand Framer's gloves

5th- cold. IronClad brand Cold Conditions gloves. Downgrade the difficulty

6th - wicked cold. Shift to ice climbing. Takes less finger pressure to hang on to an ice axe handle.

Liner socks might help at first, I would find a thin Smart Wool sock. Next, I'd get a 1/2 size bigger rock shoe, and a medium thick wool sock. Finally, get out your alpine boots, and start bouldering in those. Then, when you head from Lincoln Woods up to the Whites, you'll be seriously in tune with your boots, and how you can move. If you search around here in the Ice forum, I think you'll find a thread about keeping warm in boots, and the whole single/ double/ insulated or not gaiter thing.

I was able to lead some 5.8s cracks in gloves, down to about 19F at Pawtuckaway. I think face climbing gets more difficult faster than cracks; a 5.8 offwidth hand/fist stack might become a 5.7 fist crack with gloves on. Coach tape the wrists of your gloves to keep them sliding off while you flail around setting pro.

Your torso probably won't get cold while leading; you will freeze your butt while belaying... bring some ensolite pads to sit on. Climb in your hardshell/ softshell, and belay in a big ol' down jacket with a two way zip. Top roping is kind of fun in the cold; make a day of it, bring your stoves, be more serious about the pancakes than the climbing grade and have a blast.