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What does a slash grade signify? (Read 7922 times)

abarro81

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#50 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 02:39:19 pm
I'm with jwi, I don't think I've heard anyone say that they're "an 8a climber", for example, for many years. Mostly people would say something more sensible and descriptive like "the hardest I've done is 8a" or "I've climbed a few 8as". Anecdotally I think I heard more about being "a grade x climber" in the early days of my climbing - I don't know whether that says something about the phrase falling out of use or about it being something that people tend to drop as they gain experience


Actually, you probably need to do 3 different climbs at X+1, to know you've climbed grade X. In various styles, at different locations, and on different rock. In fact, better make that 5 different climbs, just to be safe :P
Steve Mac used to tell me he felt you had to do 3 of a grade to really feel like you'd climbed that grade, so I feel like 3 of the [grade +1] should be safe enough

Carliios

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#51 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 03:04:28 pm
I'm with jwi, I don't think I've heard anyone say that they're "an 8a climber", for example, for many years. Mostly people would say something more sensible and descriptive like "the hardest I've done is 8a" or "I've climbed a few 8as". Anecdotally I think I heard more about being "a grade x climber" in the early days of my climbing - I don't know whether that says something about the phrase falling out of use or about it being something that people tend to drop as they gain experience


Actually, you probably need to do 3 different climbs at X+1, to know you've climbed grade X. In various styles, at different locations, and on different rock. In fact, better make that 5 different climbs, just to be safe :P
Steve Mac used to tell me he felt you had to do 3 of a grade to really feel like you'd climbed that grade, so I feel like 3 of the [grade +1] should be safe enough

Yes I guess calling ourselves “x climber” is reserved for us lowly punters, thanks Alex!

abarro81

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#52 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 03:21:52 pm
It did cross my mind that my post might seem jabby coming straight after yours... but that is what I feel like I've observed. But... my guess would be that usage drops off with time rather than with grade, so it's more that it's for relative newbies than punters  ;)

Carliios

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#53 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 03:23:13 pm
It did cross my mind that you might take offense at my post... but that is what I seem to have observed. My guess would be that usage drops off with time rather than with grade, so it's more that it's for relative newbies than punters  ;)

Hook, line and sinker  :lol:

SA Chris

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#54 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 03:46:44 pm
I only ever heard it used when referring to a third person. I am too self-aware / inconsistent to ever apply it to myself.

Will Hunt

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#55 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:16:46 pm
I think I stopped saying it at E1 or E2 which is probably when most people stop saying it? Can't think what the sport/bouldering equivalent level might be where one realises that there's a huge difference between what you can guarantee you'll get up, what you might get up fairly quickly, and what you might do after lots of effort.

Someone recently described me in the 3rd person as a "7c climber" and my brain simultaneously said "I've done harder than that, you cheeky git" and "That's very generous".

Carliios

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#56 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:30:06 pm
I’ve had people ask me what level I climb at before and my rule of thumb is “you’re an x climber when you’ve done 10 climbs at that grade” I think it’s ok to say you’re generally climbing at a specific grade when you’ve done 10+ lines at that grade  :shrug:

Liamhutch89

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#57 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:34:49 pm
...there's a huge difference between what you can guarantee you'll get up, what you might get up fairly quickly, and what you might do after lots of effort.

I imagine that's a spread of about 5 grades for most, unless they're really well rounded or haven't actually tried anything hard!

Guaranteed ascent in a session in any style? I'd probably only back myself for 7A+

Wellsy

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#58 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:36:38 pm
I've done ten 7As and there are 7As I will probably never do so I dunno how accurate that is.

Carliios

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#59 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:48:04 pm
I've done ten 7As and there are 7As I will probably never do so I dunno how accurate that is.

That doesn’t mean you’re not a solid 7A climber? That’s why 10 is a good spread Vs 3 or 5. It’s likely that the ones you’ll never do are either massive sandbags or maybe something broke on them or they’re too morpho.

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#60 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:52:23 pm
There's plenty of (correctly graded) 7A's I'll never do, and I've (just about) got up 8A. I wouldn't consider myself a particularly one dimensional climber either, and I'm close to average height.
Climbing is just very varied, and grades are unavoidably limited in capturing that

Wellsy

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#61 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:53:40 pm
I've done ten 7As and there are 7As I will probably never do so I dunno how accurate that is.

That doesn’t mean you’re not a solid 7A climber? That’s why 10 is a good spread Vs 3 or 5. It’s likely that the ones you’ll never do are either massive sandbags or maybe something broke on them or they’re too morpho.

Tbh I'm more thinking of the ones that are really high that I just dont want to do, but yes you are right I guess

remus

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#62 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:55:07 pm
There's plenty of (correctly graded) 7A's I'll never do, and I've (just about) got up 8A. I wouldn't consider myself a particularly one dimensional climber either, and I'm close to average height.
Climbing is just very varied, and grades are unavoidably limited in capturing that

Word. There's a vid somewhere of Paul Robinson chatting about a V4 he couldn't do. Bogey problems are real.

Bradders

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#63 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 04:59:42 pm
I only ever heard it used when referring to a third person. I am too self-aware / inconsistent to ever apply it to myself.

Yes, this. I've heard it loads on American podcasts, so maybe it's just a bit of an Americanism.

I’ve had people ask me what level I climb at before

I've found it quite amusing when I've been asked this (or, "what grade do you climb? Strangely been asked quite a lot recently, no idea why), since it's such a nebulously changeable thing....how can anyone ever give an answer other than "it depends"! As a for instance, I've done over 70 7Cs (humblebrag) but have managed only 1 so far this year...am I a 7C climber?

Actually, you probably need to do 3 different climbs at X+1, to know you've climbed grade X. In various styles, at different locations, and on different rock. In fact, better make that 5 different climbs, just to be safe :P

Yeah 100%. I know you were saying this a bit tongue on cheek, but climbing well across multiple styles and rock types is far more respectable in my opinion than pushing it on just one.

SA Chris

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#64 Re: What does a slash grade signify?
August 23, 2022, 05:10:23 pm
Word. There's a vid somewhere of Paul Robinson chatting about a V4 he couldn't do. Bogey problems are real.

There's a vid online of a wad (Rustam?) failing on Font 5s and 6s repeatedly. I don't think he even flashed Marie Rose, which makes me better than him.

 

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