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Topic Date User

Tuesday Night Bouldering: The rating game 26-Mar-2011 At 9:04:16 AM egosan

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On 26/03/2011 davidn wrote:

>And I'm talking about technical difficulty of moves. Where at two different
>areas pulling on the same size crimp using the same reach from the same
>size footholds is a difference of 3 grades - that's a problem isn't it?

It is? Grading systems are inherently subjective. There will be at times wild discrepancies. To be human means to be fallible, baby. Look at the problems the police have corroborating eye witness statements. You can't get two eye witnesses to agree on the color, make and model of the get away car. Grading relies on our memory of the difficulty of a route. Our memory blows. It is subject to all kind of influences. There isn't a problem. That is just the way it is.

If you want to remove subjectivity in grading, well more power to you. Change your user name to alonsoq and start accurately mapping every climb in the guide book. Create 3D models. Labor for hours, days, weeks, months and years carefully documenting the mean distances between holds on every climb, the total surface area of every crimp and publish your New and Improved Grading system. You can even name it after yourself.

Me? I am going climbing. If that route I do is a sandbag at the grade, Great! That uncertainty is not a bad thing, mate. It is the spice of life.