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The Great Grading Debate 4-Jul-2006 At 8:34:33 PM Hardware

Message

I was checking out sites from abroad and came across a climb forum from South Africa, well its kind of like Chockstone but with alot more sponsors banners blinking away. Well I got to reading some of the forum posts and this was one of them, discussing their grading and how similar it is to (aussie) ours.
This is a post from a person called Guy from Capetown

Personally I like grades, because they are useful. They tell you how hard something is (approximately), if you are progressing as a climber and if you are following the correct line.

The downside of grades is when people start to think that they are important - ie a route is better because it is harder! Or that climbing harder routes will make you into a nicer person... Clearly that is bollox, although I suspect that there could be a school of thought that says that people who don't like grades are people who think that they are important.

What is "important" is if the climbing is good.

Summary: Use grades as a tool to improve your day, don't take them seriously as there will always be people with a different assessment of a grade a certain route.

Grading.

South Africa Australia French USA UIAA
13 13 4 5.5
14 14 4+ 5.6
15 15 5a 5.7
16 16 5b 5.8
17 17 5c 5.9
18 18 6a 5.9+
19 19 6a+ 5.10a VI+
20 6b 5.10b VI+/VII-
21 20 6b+ 5.10c/d VII
22 21 6c 5.11a/b VII+
23 22 6c+ 5.11c VII+/VIII-
24 23 7a 5.11d VIII-
25 24 7a+ 5.12a VIII
26 25 7b 5.12b VIII+
27 26 7b+ 5.12c VIII+/IX-
28 27 7c 5.12d IX-
29 28 7c+ 5.13a IX
30 29 8a 5.13b IX+/X-
31 30 8a+ 5.13c X-
32 31 8b 5.13d X-
33 32 8b+ 5.14a X
34 33 8c 5.14b X+
35 34 8c+ 5.14c XI-
36 35 9a 5.14d XI
37 36 9a+ 5.15a XI+
38 37 9b 5.15b XII-