I think that's the central hypocracy in the argument that you shouldn't headpoint or top rope because it damages the route.
Not if you're honest with yourself.
You're right, it is a valid point. Working boulders to death isn't going to do them any good. But unlike for routes, its hard to come up with a simple ethical guideline that will help. Bouldering is still climbing from the ground up though, and as I said above, that means the problem's difficulty raises a bar to suitors that top-ropes do not. I really don't see any hypocrisy.
Well the point only really applies to starting holds.
Many of the routes on natural grit are best classified as highball boulder problems, which is why I like the idea (adopted in the Northumberland bouldering guide) of grading them as such, e.g. Font 7a (H). This also conveniently solves the problem of the Great E-grade Swindle, where tiny climbs are given gigantic grades.
Many of the routes on natural grit are best classified as highball boulder problems,
Quote from: tc on November 12, 2009, 08:03:10 pmMany of the routes on natural grit are best classified as highball boulder problems,They already are in the current BMC guides.