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news / Re: The inevitable E grade thread
« Last post by Nemo on Today at 02:20:00 am »Should have added a bit of small print to the above before it gets pointed out.
As said previously on here, whilst for the most part you'll get the same answer whichever style you pick to compare routes with, sometimes there's a difference, in which case roughly:
for routes roughly under E7 compare via onsight (because noone gives a toss if it's a bit easier to headpoint a few E2's because almost everyone is at least attempting to onsight them) - which gives the completely standard E grade definition in most guidebooks.
And for routes roughly over E7 compare via headpoint (because quite a lot of very hard routes would be ridiculous to try to onsight, need a variety of unusual gear etc - and noone really gives a toss if a few E11's would actually be more like E20 to onsight, as noone is going to try and onsight them - anyone going anywhere near flashing or onsighting really hard routes tends to pick their routes very carefully and have a certain amount of knowledge as to whether attempting such a thing is a remotely good idea (usually obvious by just going and looking at the route).
Sure, around E5-E8 there's lots of people trying to onsight, flash and headpoint, but there isn't some grade where it all falls to pieces as mostly you get a very similar answer as to what number it should be whichever style you pick to compare with.
As said previously on here, whilst for the most part you'll get the same answer whichever style you pick to compare routes with, sometimes there's a difference, in which case roughly:
for routes roughly under E7 compare via onsight (because noone gives a toss if it's a bit easier to headpoint a few E2's because almost everyone is at least attempting to onsight them) - which gives the completely standard E grade definition in most guidebooks.
And for routes roughly over E7 compare via headpoint (because quite a lot of very hard routes would be ridiculous to try to onsight, need a variety of unusual gear etc - and noone really gives a toss if a few E11's would actually be more like E20 to onsight, as noone is going to try and onsight them - anyone going anywhere near flashing or onsighting really hard routes tends to pick their routes very carefully and have a certain amount of knowledge as to whether attempting such a thing is a remotely good idea (usually obvious by just going and looking at the route).
Sure, around E5-E8 there's lots of people trying to onsight, flash and headpoint, but there isn't some grade where it all falls to pieces as mostly you get a very similar answer as to what number it should be whichever style you pick to compare with.