Had it again today while out ice climbing, so annoying, I know it only lasts for a maximum of 5 minutes but what a long and painful 5 minutes, how do YOU cope with hotaches ?

Do you mean "screaming barfy's"? If so I usually scream and curse. I find repeating "mother fu*ker" over and over helps. (Well actually it doesn't help, but I do it anyway).

mills wrote:Had it again today while out ice climbing, so annoying, I know it only lasts for a maximum of 5 minutes but what a long and painful 5 minutes, how do YOU cope with hotaches ?

Reciting the "Litany Against Fear" seems to work for Paul Atreides.

While I can't argue with with the scientifically proven fact that the greater the profanity the faster the relief (assisted by volume) ....

I usually get them when I've been over-gripping my tool (!) due to fear, bad ice, or just not being a very good climber. Of course just telling you to loosen up and improve your technique is probably not what you were after, even if it is the answer

Certainly going leashless can help, as you can drop your hands and get the blood flowing a lot easier, or at least use clipper leashes (worn in my profile pic) to unhook easier. Before clippers I did a thing I'd read in the UK somewhere, where though you may hold the tool tight for the swing, once it's in good, you make a conscious effort to just loosen your grip slightly right after it's in and wiggle your fingers just slightly - don't keep a constant hard grip all the time. Done automatically every time, after a while without thinking about it, this seemed to make a difference, but it's no substitute for being more relaxed and confident.

D

bird wrote:Do you mean "screaming barfy's"? If so I usually scream and curse. I find repeating "mother fu*ker" over and over helps. (Well actually it doesn't help, but I do it anyway).

Ha ha exactly what I do, sometimes I just want to

mills wrote:Had it again today while out ice climbing, so annoying, I know it only lasts for a maximum of 5 minutes but what a long and painful 5 minutes, how do YOU cope with hotaches ?

What in tarnation is a hotache?

Oh, you're Welsh. You probably mean "heartache" but with that terriblih Brihtish ahccent of yoahs.

Well, for a heartache I find copious amounts of grain alcohol helps. Until the next morning and then not only does your "hot" ache but your head aches, too.

MarthaP wrote:

mills wrote:Had it again today while out ice climbing, so annoying, I know it only lasts for a maximum of 5 minutes but what a long and painful 5 minutes, how do YOU cope with hotaches ?

What in tarnation is a hotache?

Oh, you're Welsh. You probably mean "heartache" but with that terriblih Brihtish ahccent of yoahs.

Well, for a heartache I find copious amounts of grain alcohol helps. Until the next morning and then not only does your "hot" ache but your head aches, too.

No dude I really mean `hotaches` I love this forum the amazing vocabulary of you guys across the pond always always makes me smile Merry Christmas everyone

And a Happy Boxing day to you!

Hot Aches: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_aches

I hardened my hands as a kid when I did the milk round - delivering 100s of milk bottles to doorsteps and picking up empties, a finger in each empty bottle. Winter was a painful time. Though I had perfect circulation - until stress came into my work and relationship.

Thus, circulation is highly affected by the reaction of sympathetic nervous system (or the way we react to or perceive stress). Accordingly, peripheral circulation is withdrawn to protect the organs at the sacrifice of the limbs. I've recovered much of my cold adaptation by cognition techniques, and recently had great benefits with aromatherapy oils rubbed into hands and feet, so much so that I'm back to walking around on cold floors with just socks and my feet are okay now.

screaming barfies! Just got them again yesterday. The best I can do to come up with a way to avoid them is to describe two different pitches yesterday:

1) On lead. Leashless. Stopping often to make route decisions, place screws, recover mental and physical strength. Keep the calves strong. For one reason or another, ended up taking a hand off a tool at least once every rest stop. Hands were warm from bottom to top.

2) same gloves, same temp. On TR. Climbing quickly and smoothly but not stopping much at all. Hands were overhead most of the time. Hands were cold till lowering off when they immediately got "hotaches"

At last winter has gone and spring is finally upon us, have just arived back from Spain via bus, train, taxi, ferry and hire car ! (due to the Icelandic volcano erruption) !!!
I really dont do winter, actually I hate it, cold I hate the cold what sane person likes being cold ?
Alps, ah the Alps, off to Chamonix in July, loads of stuff on my ticklist, hopefully will have some amazing images on this trip and will post as soon as i arrive back, will keep in touch, all the best,

mills

mills wrote:At last winter has gone and spring is finally upon us, have just arived back from Spain via bus, train, taxi, ferry and hire car ! (due to the Icelandic volcano erruption) !!!
I really dont do winter, actually I hate it, cold I hate the cold what sane person likes being cold ?
Alps, ah the Alps, off to Chamonix in July, loads of stuff on my ticklist, hopefully will have some amazing images on this trip and will post as soon as i arrive back, will keep in touch, all the best,

mills

It has snowed here the last 4 days in a row, including a foot on Thursday. Supposed to snow 5 of the next 7 days as well.

mconnell wrote:
It has snowed here the last 4 days in a row, including a foot on Thursday. Supposed to snow 5 of the next 7 days as well.

Jealous - wish the entire NE gets dumped 100inches in the upcoming week or two!

And re: screaming barfies, one wise guide told me that it only happens once per day, and he is so right - I noticed that they never repeat after the first time.

mills wrote:At last winter has gone and spring is finally upon us, have just arived back from Spain via bus, train, taxi, ferry and hire car ! (due to the Icelandic volcano erruption) !!!
I really dont do winter, actually I hate it, cold I hate the cold what sane person likes being cold ?
Alps, ah the Alps, off to Chamonix in July, loads of stuff on my ticklist, hopefully will have some amazing images on this trip and will post as soon as i arrive back, will keep in touch, all the best,

mills

Spain! What the heck did you go there for!? We've had an awesome few weeks right here in Wales; blue skys and sunshine all round:

Croeso nôl anyway
Dan

Yup, Nanuls. "Climate change" has turned southern UK into the Costa Sole'.

Back to hotaches. I realise that I had absolutely normal circulation for most of my climbing life, which gave me, by comparison, extremely good resistance to cold Quite phenomenal, actually. Stress is what screws things up. The body goes into defence mode and the circulation withdraws from the extremities. (As I mention in more detail above).

Live for the moment and stay "chilled out and cool" is the way to stay healthy.