[Bubba]

Not that I do many routes these days, but have seen this idea proposed before:

for example, E6 6b or E6 V5 ?

Stupid idea? Brilliant idea?

[dave]

I think Mark Sharrat proposed this on cocktalk a while back and all the punters ripped it apart, i actually thought it was quite a good idea.

I don't think it should replace the tech grade, but more as supplimentary info, a bit like on jon read's site where he gives french grades. To be honest a V-grade of the crux sequence is probably more useful these days than a french grade.

[Bubba]

I'm sure I downloaded some ClimbXMedia sportcliming vids where people were talking like "it's 100ft of climbing to a V7 crux", etc.

In fact, on the excellent Realisation Sharma vid they're describing the crux as a 7c+ boulder problem.

I think it''s a good idea, and I'd be happy to see the british tech grade being scrapped altogether, but I can see how it'd have a lot of opposition from non-boulderers. Took me a while, but now I think in V grades and don't really worry about the tech grade as it's just too vague... 6a - usually ok, 6b generally a struggle, 6c - a lot of work needed, or, more usually, "must try harder"  

[dave]

I'm not for scrapping tech grades, cos to be honest they seem to work well on routes the majority of us are doing, i.e. 5b-6b. Plus using v-grades exclusivley would be a bit elitist since only routes E2/3 and above would really be effected.

Also there that much debate going on already about tech grades on paricular routes routes i think if we sub-divided them further into Vs all hell would brake loose on cocktalk. Imagine every route that was concensus at 5c would be like "deffinetley V1", "now way its V3" etc etc etc.

[Bubba]

Oh I can't see it ever being used in place of what we've got , but I see you're point coz you'd have everying from Diff (v0-) to E1 (v0-) which wouldn't be very useful, would it?

Ha ha, now there's an idea for a thread on Cocktalk  - "we're producing a new guidebook for xxxx and will be using v-grades in place of tech grades". I can just see the ethical outrage, the red-hot keyboards and the descent into utter frenzy

[Big Frank]

I also have proposed it on RT, V grades are the way forward across the board.

but hey, arse to E0

[Bubba]

Aaaagghhh - don't start with that E0 thing  

Mind you.....he says quietly......what about V8+ ?