World cup qualifiers are normally about as hard as our BBC finals (or maybe a little harder), but with 6 problems instead of 5. In my world, that would mean the easiest problem would be hard V8, and the hardest a stern V9. However, these numbers mean nothing in the real world!
Finals will start about V8+ and stop about V10 - again these grades only work in the minds of the route-setters. We would hope that the hardest problem will only be climbed by one person, and bearing in mind how good on plastic the competitors are, this would mean that it will be quite a hard problem!
Problems vary in style from dynos and stamnia fests to your basic bearing down and disgusting technical funk. I order to do well, you have to be able to bear down in every style of climbing.
