Climbing spur gaffs slipped on a wet maple in Ohio, now I check bark texture first

Last month I was up a big sugar maple after a rain and my gaffs just slid right out about 15 feet up. Scraped my shin pretty good on the way down, but it made me realize how much I relied on dry conditions. Anyone else change their climb plan when bark is wet, or do you just wait it out?

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cole35621d ago

That "check bark texture first" line really stuck with me. I read somewhere that wet bark can lose like half its friction grip, so it's not just you being careless, the wood literally changes. I've started carrying a small folding saw just to poke the bark and see if it's still solid before I even put my boots on.