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Are slash grades proper grades these days? (Read 18003 times)

Wellsy

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Grades are quite interesting from a philosophical point of view. An attempt to apply a relatively simple system of overall difficulty to something completely ahuman  I.e not designed for that, or even designed at all.

I'd say tall people need to accept that tracksides is just easier for them and short light people just need to accept that ratty crimps on a limestone 40 degree overhang is easier for them. I suppose you could take it one step further; being tall is genetic, being small and light is genetic. Being good at pulling really hard on holds has a strong genetic element, as does finger strength, as does everything really. Would someone say "easy for me I've got genetically talented fingers" or "hard for me cos I'm naturally not suited to climbing" they would not. Height and reach are areas we sort of accept that it is okay though cos you can literally do fuck all about it (whereas you can get stronger fingers even if genetically you might be predisposed towards weaker ones).

Anyway I think a consensus should arise based on what an "average" climber would be required to do. If you can lank the crux well done, it's easier for you and you know it, so long as you can sleep at night all is well.

mrjonathanr

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Absolutely. The confusion arises around what a grade is.

It’s an attempt to give an idea of the difficulty most people will encounter. Pulling it apart because it does not accurately predict the level of difficulty every climber will experience is nonsensical, because it is a simple impossibility to do that, people being hugely variable.

SA Chris

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Anyway I think a consensus should arise based on what an "average" climber would be required to do. If you can lank the crux well done, it's easier for you and you know it, so long as you can sleep at night all is well.

It is.

dunnyg

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I thought lanky Will just decided and chatted away until no one else cared anymore?

Wellsy

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Anyway I think a consensus should arise based on what an "average" climber would be required to do. If you can lank the crux well done, it's easier for you and you know it, so long as you can sleep at night all is well.

It is.

Tbh I'm not even really joking! If someone lanks it then they can hardly help that. Of course if someone goes looking for stuff that's morpho, suits them, is easy for their body type, and is saying yeah I've done stuff at X grade when really for them it's not been that... well again if they can sleep at night no worries. Nbd.

Fultonius

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I have already fixed all this with a nice elegant plot to replace the silly fixed grades.

DAVETHOMAS90

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That's the illusion though isn't it, and we encounter it similarly everywhere. Grades are seen as "Tags" that are attached to things (in a fixed way).

This is nice and succinct (from MrJR), and expresses how unconnected the grade (whichever sign we use) is to some thing in the rock:

Absolutely. The confusion arises around what a grade is.

It’s an attempt to give an idea of the difficulty most people will encounter. Pulling it apart because it does not accurately predict the level of difficulty every climber will experience is nonsensical, because it is a simple impossibility to do that, people being hugely variable.

It's annoying isn't it, that all too often, grades are just a sign of our ineptitude and weakness. We don't like it when they point to how crap we are, and would rather they pointed the other way occasionally  ;D

 

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