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General Climbing Discussion

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Tuesday Night Bouldering: The rating game 27-Mar-2011 At 9:54:46 PM Paz

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>I agree with M9 that sport climbing has bastardised grading - in fact
>we've long agreed on it. The question is what will you route climbers
>do about it?
>
>(a) do nothing; it fits my style of climbing and/or I know people will
>always pick holes in all grading systems (this preference breaks down over
>time as old climbers take their last grounder and newer climbers come to
>replace them - much like the sanctity of trad climbing areas eh?)
>(b) create a separate system for grading sport climbs, because there are
>factors you can grade about trad climbs that never or rarely occur in sport
>climbs (lack of protection would be one glaringly obvious thing that occurs
>on trad climbs or a pitch of a trad climb, but by definition doesn't occur
>on sport climbs)

Is Black Hill one bolt route a sport climb? What about Peroxide Blonde? Is it a sport route if it has rings or carrots? If it's been retrobolted? Who's to decide what constitutes a runout sport route as opposed to overly safe adventure route? What about a new system for indoors? What about top-rope? Top-rope solo? What about if you forget chalk? What about if I'm ripped?

The real question is, is your motivation to find a new consistent system as all graders have a responsibility, or is it so if you fall off a 21 in front of your friend, you don't have to bullshiit about how you ran into some 24 moves?