Quark Handles Icing Up

Anyone have ideas for preventing the rubber handle on the Quarks from icing up when climbing in snowy conditions? Thanks! 

Do you climb in Showa 282 gloves by any chance?

I have the same problem, especially when I climb in the Showas.  Is this not happening to other tool's handles for people in showa gloves? Is it particular to the Quarks? Regardless, if anyone has an answer besides 'don't climb in showas,' please let us know.

Does this happen with the latest gen quarks or just the older style

Jake wanderwrote:

Does this happen with the latest gen quarks or just the older style

I have the newest gen.

Has anyone wrapped the handle with tape? Makes for a wider and maybe pumpier grip, but maybe prevents the icing.

Nol Hwrote:

Do you climb in Showa 282 gloves by any chance?

Yes. It hasn't been an issue at all until I climbed a really snowed up mixed pitch. I think using my hands to clear away snow might have been contributing to the icing. 

You think the weird material on those gloves is to blame? 

For what it's worth my partner was also using Quarks and had no issues. I think he was wearing regular leather palmed gloves. 

I haven’t had any issues with smooth rubber icing up, even when clearing snow with my hands.  

Generally, snow will stick to any surface that is highly textured.  The heat and pressure from your hands can then create ice from that snow (like making a snowball).  

John Goodlanderwrote:

Yes. It hasn't been an issue at all until I climbed a really snowed up mixed pitch. I think using my hands to clear away snow might have been contributing to the icing. 

You think the weird material on those gloves is to blame? 

For what it's worth my partner was also using Quarks and had no issues. I think he was wearing regular leather palmed gloves. 

Yeah both partners and I have run into this issue with Nomics and Tech Machines. The common denominator is the Showas. We have a few theories as to why, but regardless it is a phenomenon that seems to be much more common with those gloves. Suffice to say first experience with this was terrifying, and I haven't had that happen so quickly and severely when climbing in thin leather gloves before. Axes were so caked I had to chop and bite the ice off.

My roommate and I split shipping to get our hands on them a bit back. I told him about my axes icing over and just a day or two later he came back from Smuggs with his handles still coated with half an inch of ice when he walked in the door - "so is this what you were talking about??"

Just started using the Showas this weekend and had my upper handles ice up pretty darn quick. I was of course climbing a dripping wet pitch in temps well below 32F.

 Just a thin coating. I was nervous for a second since it definitely was more slippery than I was used to, until I realized there was still plenty of grip. I know this has happened to me before, however, what I noticed this time is that it didn’t melt off as quickly. My theory is that these gloves effectively block the transfer of heat from your hands. Basically it’s the reason why these gloves are so warm. Typically when my tools have started to ice up while wearing my leather gloves, I’ve noticed them melt so rapidly, and significantly more so than this time around.

Excluding the gloves, the conditions were definitely there for this to happen, not to mention the freezing water binding with aluminum of the tools. Maybe this wouldn’t happen if I switched to carbon fiber tools? Oh well, like I said, didn’t seem to really cause any issues while climbing, just annoying and a bit concerning. 

Just a thought. Not sure if it will work and I’m not sure I want to be the one to try.

Could you rub a fine layer of Musher’s wax (Musher’s secret for dog paws) on the handle? Give it some time to dry up around the handle before climbing.

I’m thinking it will work to avoid the snow and ice but won’t be much better since it will be slippery anyway. 

A V wrote:

There is a specific type of 3M tape that will prevent it from happening. It can cause some serious issues while climbing - the handles icing up that is. If you find yourself in a precarious position with no pro and icy handles - then it can be one of several variables that make a pitch go from fine to scary imo. 

It's interesting you mention the 3M, tape as I have my tools taped with 3M (2155) from where the handle's rubber ends, up the rest of the tool's shaft. Can't recall if it iced up where the tape was or not...thanks for the heads up, maybe I'll do some experimenting.

The handles melt out after a very short time and can be dealt with before leaving for a pitch. Grab the handles and twist your hands to melt the ice. It happens in the Showa gloves because they don't suck up the water as it melts from the tool's handle where as a leather glove absorbs the water. Not absorbing water is one of the main benefits of the Showas.

jselwynwrote:

The handles melt out after a very short time and can be dealt with before leaving for a pitch. Grab the handles and twist your hands to melt the ice. It happens in the Showa gloves because they don't suck up the water as it melts from the tool's handle where as a leather glove absorbs the water. Not absorbing water is one of the main benefits of the Showas.

Ah, it's so obvious now that you mention the leather gloves absorbing most of the water. I'd say you're right on.

As far as getting the ice to melt before leaving for the pitch, the problem happened for me during the pitch. So a little more difficult to manage mid climb. They did eventually melt out when I decided to ignore it and keep climbing. 

IMO, the icing issue has everything to do with texture.  Snow collects on highly textured ice tool surface or glove surfaces and is transformed into ice when you compress the collected snow by gripping your tools.

Highly textured gloves (Showas, etc.) used on highly textured handles / shafts results in the worst icing.  I have never had a significant icing issue with smooth gloves on smooth surfaces.  

If you want to experiment, wrap your part of your shafts with a highly textured tape (e.g., athletic tape, 3M gripping material) and another part with relatively smooth tape (e.g., rubber splicing tape, bike inner tubes, Gamma overgrip, etc.).