I'm pretty sure I agree with your sentiment, but the way you present things I'm finding myself thinking "that's not what I meant".

If we are really talking about a 1% difference then I am inclined to say "sack up and climb harder" 'cause I think technique and focus should be worth a lot more than a 1% difference. I can understand that if this is your project you are going to want optimal conditions, but if it is your project you should be learning and pushing yourself to improve at least by 1%, so it's almost a moot point. I would say from recent experience that I think the difference in friction at low temps can be way more than 1% though, so for me that casts it in a different light.

Also, it seems to me that the friction drops off much more when things get too cold than as they get hotter, but that could just be my experience. As has been pointed out, numb extremities and sweaty fingers are big variables too, so any conclusions should be taken with a big-ass grain of salt. I'd expect the temperature to have affects on the rock's surface as well. Frozen dew that makes the rock moist or something along those lines.

What I was hoping to find but doesn't seem to be out there was some kind of a graph that shows that friction doesn't follow a bell curve with regard to temperature. My belief is that the curve drops off steeply when things get too cold.

Because its not that important. Working on your technique and strength will do a hell of a lot more for you then figuring out the optimal shoe temp. When Sharma wakes up do you think he says, "fuck, its not the optimal temperature for maximum friction today, I am going back to bed"?

I know this doesn't answer your question but I thought it somewhat relevant and an interesting read (the site seems to have gone down so I've linked to the archive).

http://web.archive.org/...eatures/friction.htm

the rubber works best when it is warm because it is softer and stickier but you get best grip from your hands at around freezing temp.

Because its not that important. Working on your technique and strength will do a hell of a lot more for you then figuring out the optimal shoe temp. When Sharma wakes up do you think he says, "fuck, its not the optimal temperature for maximum friction today, I am going back to bed"?

While I started this thread to gather more information, your assertions do not fit the majority of the reports I have read.

I know this doesn't answer your question but I thought it somewhat relevant and an interesting read (the site seems to have gone down so I've linked to the archive).

http://web.archive.org/...eatures/friction.htm

There are a lot of climbs around here that are well known to be 'temperature dependent' because when they are too warm, or in direct sun, they become substantially more difficult.

Colder temps make the rubber harder, and warmer temps make it softer. This is similar to why drag-racers do burnouts to warm up their tires. If not, why wouldn't they just design a tire rubber that had maximum friction at ambient temperature?

If it's cold then it is likely that there will be lower humidity so the rock stays drier and also if it is cold then your hands are less likely to get sweaty. All rubber will get softer i.e. stickier when warm so you'll get more grip.
This why so many of the hard grit routes in the UK are done late autumn through to spring after that it gets too warm and humid.

While I started this thread to gather more information, your assertions do not fit the majority of the reports I have read.

that's because his assertions are wrong.

More difficult because the temperature of the rubber is not "optimal" or more difficult because any physical activity is more strenuous in high heat? Would you be referring to Echo Cliffs by chance?

That's the great thing about the internet. Anyone can post anything--no matter how wrong they are.

Curt