Clothing for Scottish Winter Climbing

Keeping warm and dry in Scotland is a challenge! In this article I will explain the layers and tactics which have worked well for me in the past. But… remember that nothing is actually going to keep you properly dry on the worst Scottish winter days in the rain. These days my golden rule for winter climbing is, that if it's raining in the car park, we're not going climbing! 

Feet

I've used Scarpa boots for years because they fit my feet well. For technical climbing the latest Scarpa Phantom Tech is pretty hard to beat. For mountaineering the Mont Blanc Pro and for winter walking the classic Scarpa Manta. 

The important thing for me is having the right boot for the day. No one is going to have fun trying to ice climb in a pair of soft B2s which aren't very warm. Conversely, wearing a pair of super technical B3s for winter hillwalking days is tiring. Pick a good quality boot which fits well and is appropriate for you chosen activity. 

I wear Smartwool Mountaineer socks and find they're a good comfortable weight. Remember, your boots should give you all the warmth you need, not your socks which are just there for comfort. I don’t wear liner socks. To me, they feel sweaty and slippery against the outer wool sock, which isn't ideal for climbing, so I just wear one thick pair. This keeps my feet dryer and thus warmer.

I have friends who choose to take a spare of socks with them for a big winter day out and will change into this dry pair when they rack up at the base of a route. I have tried this, it does make a difference, but unless it's a windless, blue sky day I think any gains are lost when your boots fill up with wind blown snow! 

The Phantoms and Mont Blancs (and their equivalents from La Sportiva, the G5/Nepal etc.) all have good built in gaiters which I find keeps the snow out of my boots. If I'm wearing Mantas or boots without built in gaiters I will use a pair of gaiters to keep my boots dry when walking through deep snow. 

Legs

I have worn Rab Vapourise Guide pants for years. I think they are just about the best thing for Scottish winter walking and climbing. They're a thin windproof Pertex outer with a thin microflece lining. They are similar to Paramo and Buffalo but with less warmth, bulk, and weather protection. Deep zips allow good venting, they are comfortable when wet and they dry really quickly when you're wearing them, even under Goretex trousers. Usually, the only trousers I wear on the walk in are my softshells to stop overheating and sweating at the beginning of the day.

I always wear a pair of synthetic boxers. Cotton absorbs too much moisture and gets cold quickly, so some fast drying thing synthetic boxers are the way to go. Longer legged ones are preferable for a bit more warmth and comfort.

For technical winter climbing routes, I will always take a pair of Goretex over trousers with me and put these on when I rack up for the climb. I really like a high-bib salopette style which keeps all my top layers tucked in and stops my back getting exposed to the cold. Currently I'm wearing an old pair of Patagonia Super Alpine bibs, but there are a few other options out there for this style of pant. 

If I'm going winter walking and the weather looks mild, dry and not too windy, I might swap the full bib salopettes for some simple lightweight waterproof trousers to save on weight and to use as an extra windproof layer or in case of a sudden weather change (it is Scotland after all).

Top

Upper body layering has so many options, it's hard to know what to choose. This is my personal preference as a starting point. 

The one rule I have for winter layers is everything must be synthetic: no cotton, polycotton or wool. Natural fibres hold moisture too well and don't dry quickly enough under several layers of clothing to keep you warm. Wool is slightly better than cotton but I don't recommend it. The various options of blended natural fibres, such as Cocona made from coconut etc, don't work as well as pure synthetic fibres either. 

The most important thing is that you keep dry and keep warm. If you don't keep dry then you won't be able to keep warm! 

I start the day wearing a medium weight synthetic base layer and lightweight softshell jacket for the walk in. Normally in Scotland, the walk in will leave you hot and sweaty, having marched uphill for two hours with a heavy rucksack. Keeping the layering light should stop you sweating too much and dehydrating yourself at the start of the day. I find this layering fine even in the most cold and windy conditions if I'm working hard and walking quickly. If the weather is a bit unpleasant I might put my waterproof on instead of a softshell or wear a heavyweight base layer.

I always take a spare baselayer to change into when I gear up. I find this makes the most difference to my day in terms of keeping warm and dry. Stripping out of the damp walk in layer and putting a dry one on is always bracing in the cold, but it's well worth it. I find the best fabrics for a heavyweight baselayer to change into for the the day are the 'waffle' textured fleece such as the old Rab AL Pull On or the Patagonia R1. Make sure this is tucked into your trousers to help keep your lower back warm and stop it riding up once you've got your harness on and are waving your axes above your head. 

My thin baselayer from the walk in gets stuffed into the bottom of my bag to be dealt with when I get home. If it's a glorious day and we will be moving quickly, I might keep my softshell out, otherwise this goes into the bottom of the bag along with the wet baselayer. 

Next, on top of my baselayer goes a high loft fleece such as a Patagonia R2. If it's a freezing day I often boost this with a light synthetic gillet, currently a Patagonia Nanoair. If it's a really grim day, and we will be moving slowly on a hard technical mixed route, I'll wear a thin synthetic jacket rather than a gillet. On a good weather day, when I'm moving quickly, or walking/mountaineering I might just wear my baselayer and high-loft fleece with my softshell or waterproof on top. All these layers are then covered with the bib of my waterpoof sallopettes. 

On top of everything goes a waterproof jacket. I think the most important thing for a Scottish winter waterproof is denier of face fabric. Anything made of less then 70d fabric isn't robust enough for gnarly Scottish mixed climbing where you're squirming about in chimneys and rubbing the fabric against the rock. I can think of a few routes which I've only managed to climb by using the frictional properties of my goretex jacket. I'm currently using my 4th Patagonia Triolet jacket, because they keep breaking and Patagonia keep replacing them. Amazing customer service but I'm not sure it's a recommendation for using that jacket in Scotland! 

For technical winter climbs with a lot of standing around and belaying, I will always take a heavyweight belay jacket. Currently I'm using a 2019 Rab Photon X which is perfect. Previously I've used the Mountain Equipment Citadel too, which is another good choice. The important thing is to look for a jacket with at least 180gsm of insulation. Both these jackets are made with Primaloft Gold which really is the gold standard for synthetic insulation. Primaloft also has the added bonus of being basically waterpoof and warm when wet, so it's possible to wear it over the top of your waterproof even if it's raining. 

If you search the internet for 'belay jacket' recommendations the jacket which always gets mentioned is the Mountain Equipment Fitzroy. I can only assume that the people recommending this jacket, or similar things, have never endured a three hour winter belay. I would not recommend a jacket like this. Lightweight 100-120gsm synthetic jackets are not warm enough for Scotland! Invest in the biggest synthetic duvet jacket you can find and afford, sized up to fit over the top of all your clothes. You will be pleased every time you put it on! I can’t emphasis enough how much of a difference it makes having a true winter weight belay jacket versus a lightweight synthetic.

Head and Hands

A simple beanie hat with a fleece insert to keep the ears warm is perfect for most days out. Make sure it fits comfortable under your climbing helmet and covers your ears. A pair of ski goggles with transparent or low light lenses are vital for when the weather deteriorates. I keep mine wrapped in a Buff to put around my neck when the goggles come out. 

Glove choice is another area where personal choice really comes into play. Good fit is vital when you are trying to climb at your limit. Having gloves where the fingers flop around and get caught in carabineer gate when you're pumped and trying to get an emergency wire in isn't a good feeling! 

I find Black Diamond gloves fit me really well and on a standard day out I will take: one pair of light leather BD Work Gloves for the walk in, two pairs of BD Punishers to climb in and one pair of BD Guide Gloves to belay in. For freezing cold winter walking days, I often find one pair of well insulated Primaloft gloves will last the whole day. I was using some old Arcteryx Zentas but these have fallen apart and I've not found a suitable replacement yet! 

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