[Andy F]

Over on cocktalk there's actually a good discussion about how many people have climbed at least 1 8a in the UK. My estimate is 1000+. Anyone know of a more accurate figure and what are you basing it on? 

[dave]

do you mean people who've climbed an 8a in the UK, or people in the UK who've climbed 8a, or people in the UK who've climbed 8a in the UK?

[Andy F]

Ok, UK based climbers who have climbed an 8a in the UK.

[Johnny Brown]

Argghh. Why do cocktalkers love guessing at statistics?

[GCW]

JB:  A wise man once said "There are lies.  There are damned lies.  And there's Cocktalk"
So there.
If it helps you at all AndyF, I don't do sport climbing so you can take me off your list.   ???

[Andy F]

Argghh. Why do cocktalkers love guessing at statistics?

Erm, can I politely point you in the direction of this thread: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,3686.0.html

[Ru]

Argghh. Why do cocktalkers love guessing at statistics?

Erm, can I politely point you in the direction of this thread: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,3686.0.html

To be fair this old thread wasn't so much guessing statistics as actually counting people. Not that that made it a worthwhile exercise. I have no idea how you would even start guessing at the answer to the question without making some really vague assumptions.

[Andy F]

Ian P has some good maths to work out an estimate, gives a figure close(ish) to 1000.

[jwi]

You want numbers? I give you numbers! steepstone.com have a list of 49 Norwegians having done at least one 8b (http://www.steepstone.com/artikler/lista/liste_8b.asp). Norway have a pop. of 4,610,820 people, UK have 60,609,153 people, so given that the average ability in UK and Norway is about the same there should be 644 climbers having done at least one 8b in UK

[IanP]

so given that the average ability in UK and Norway is about the same

Assuming of course that the UK isn't full of overweight wasters when compared to the super fit outdoor loving Norwegians

[soapy]

so what's that in real money, eh??

 

[Stubbs]

The obesity rate in the UK is twice that of Norway (22 compared to 10%), so perhaps only half as many of the overall population will have climbed 8b?  There's some really awful maths.....

[IanP]

The obesity rate in the UK is twice that of Norway (22 compared to 10%), so perhaps only half as many of the overall population will have climbed 8b?  There's some really awful maths.....

And given that the number of people who live in the south east away from any quality climbing maybe more like 25% giving us something like 150 - 200 UK 8bers which doesn't sound too unlikely I guess (and would fit it with the 20 or so 8c climbers that those on 'the other site' came up with) - can't beat some broad generalisations and assumptions.

[Paz]

They have 8bs in Norway or they all did them in France?  Where? Lofoten, or futher south.  We went to this bigish sport crag a fair few hours from Oslo, but in sweden once, south of the Mecca of Bohuslan, that the locals were delighted to inform us that Steve Mclure and Big Frank and possibly Yuji had visited. 

Photo not great sorry, but it'd be excellent if there were more crags like that.

[fatdoc]

i reckon there's more than 1000....

no science, just the huge numbers of us in times gone by that did the lycra thing / buoux at easter LPT in summer etc.... sort of climbing....

[AndiT]

no science, just the huge numbers of us in times gone by that did the lycra thing / buoux at easter LPT in summer etc.... sort of climbing....

But it is asking who is currently climbing the grade, I think this is much less, because people don't do the whole lycra thing anymore. Probably lots who are capable, but people just aren't into it anymore.

[Pantontino]

The question clearly asks how many have 'climbed' (i.e. past tense).

There must be loads of old duffers like me an fat doc who did the deed in our youth but have long since drifted out of the sport climbing scene. Even in a crappy little town like Huddersfield (where I used to live) about 10 of us IIRC ticked the (once) magic grade back in the early 90s.

[Pantontino]

Oops, just seen the thread on UKC. Apologies Andi.

[jwi]

They have 8bs in Norway or they all did them in France?  Where? Lofoten, or futher south.  We went to this bigish sport crag a fair few hours from Oslo, but in sweden once, south of the Mecca of Bohuslan, that the locals were delighted to inform us that Steve Mclure and Big Frank and possibly Yuji had visited. 
[pic]
Photo not great sorry, but it'd be excellent if there were more crags like that.

That is one shitty pic of Svanvik(?) I think? For sport I also rate Viks kile on the same island. Gothenburg to the south also have a decent sport crag.

Oh, yeah. They have quite a few 8b's in Norway. The sports-climbing around Stavanger and Bergen is supposedly really good. I would guess that the most popular 8b in Norway would be Marathon, at, umm, ohh, some crag really close to Oslo, Damtjern perhaps?

Located just outside Trondheim right smack in the middle of Norway, in the village Hell, is arguably Norway's best sport crag, and one of my favorite crags ever, with quite a few routes in the 7c-8b+ bracket.

I don't know of any 8b's in Lofoten.

[Paz]

Cheers man, think I've been to the other swedish place too (made of Gneiss) -it was very good-  and to Utby, but for trad.  The Norwegian stuff sounds worth bearing in mind if I ever get round to going.  We oggled some big trad `new route potential' slabs in the OTE in 1999, but it's probably all been done by now

[Falling Down]

The sports-climbing around Stavanger and Bergen is supposedly really good....

On the one day in the year when it isn't clag bound or pouring with rain!

[Sloper]

I've no idea but then again I hate limestone.

How hard is Bubbles Wall direct?

[nash1]

There are quite a few 8b's in Norway. Bergen has a good concentration especially on the staminafest crag of Loddefjord (where Steve M onsighted lots). Stavanger has only 5 ish 8b's dotted around. Oslo has quite a few, and Trondheim has some at Hell. No 8b's in Lofoten, there is a trad 8a+ and a few 8a's.
I would say the level of climbing is higher in the UK than in Norway. Only 4 Norwegians have ever done 8c routes. One or two have bouldered 8b/+. Between 5 and 10 have bouldered 8b.
There are very few numpties in Norway though, if you climb then you will climb 6a and upwards on bolts or E1 trad. If you don't do this then you don't really bother (generally), so there are no hoards of Severe leaders like the UK.

[Paz]

What rock is this on?  There's no website is there?

[jwi]

Only 4 Norwegians have ever done 8c routes.

That would translate to 55 people in UK having done 8c routes.