[T.H.]

Apologies for this cocktalk style thread.

But,

What's the deal with grading long traverses?

If the moves aren't that hard, surely the problem can't be given a hard grade?  But what if the traverse is totally sustained - i.e. no  move harder than english 6b, but every move is about that grade?  What about if it's really tough to work out the moves, and their sequence?  If it's really long, can you just give it a route grading?

Sorry it's all a bit confused, but so am I.

[dave]

I would say see how hard the whole problem feels, then grade it accordingly.

[dobbin]

It does kinda work on the effort to climb the problem as a whole, so if in the case of a sustained problem with 15 6b moves then it would probably get a sport grade of about 7c+/8a, or about v9???

[Bubba]

Yeah, no real hard and fast rules. A long traverse of 6b on a slab would still be easier than a long, powerful traverse.  I suppose all you can do is compare it to all the other long hard boulder traverses. Errm there's Powerband and that thing at Craig Y Longridge and Inertia Reel Traverse....not sure about any in your area though!

[dave]

...oh and compare to existing problems.

[dobbin]

There are two traverses at Craig Y Longridge worth the drive for, one gets a hefty 8c route grade (for the whole thing) nd the other is about 7c (the bend in the rainbow). Mr Lincoln will confirm the grades I'm sure.

But then for someone like Ian Vickers who managed to talk to me whilst traversing the entire crag and didn't get out of breath perhaps its not so hard? I guess your grade depends on your level of fitness when you grade it?

[Bubba]

Wasn't the hard one done by Tony Mitchell in the 80's?

[dobbin]

yeah! double hard core! theres only him and vickers I have ever heard of doing it! I bet Gaz can too though, he grew up round there and was probably forced onto it by his parents or something.

[dave]

I got an OTE with a photo of Neil "remember him?" Carson doing it. I assume he had the relevent credentials to assume sucess.

[dobbin]

oh yeah. He did it too! anyone else? On the subject of Mr carson, he did that Big Bang thing on LPT too - thus he is double hard and superfit, wonder why he's so unknown?

[dave]

he was all over the mags in 95/96/97, then shazam, he's gone.

[dobbin]

maybe he's gotten involved in a cult or something?

[(woz)]

didnt he move to france or summat? dont know why though...