[Jaspersharpe]

Interesting that 3 years ago we struggled find 100 UK boulderers who had climbed 8a

Nah, we pissed it, there were loads, and that was only counting those who people on here knew.

Interesting thread that 8A one. It certainly wasn't an exhaustive list. None of you fuckers mentioned me for starters.   

However, the number was only hovering around 110 so to have 40ish at 8B and above now is pretty cool.

[dave]

el mocho has done 8ball, but scoffs at the grade which doesn't really mean anything tho, justin critch has done it as well

Justin has done Full Power, not 8 Ball!

Wouldn't want false rumours getting around.

I thought 8ball was regarded 8a+ these days?

Dave Barrans has done 8ball. Here's a video:

http://davebarrans.blogspot.com/2008/02/8-ball.html

as i said above, isn't this regarded as 8a+ these days?

Hello hello hello, can anyone see this? are my fucking posts invisible?

For the third and final time of asking, is 8-ball not considered 8a+ these days? people on 8a.nu seem to be giving this 8a+, and I'm sure there have been numerous statements of this opinion over the years.

[GCW]

That's why it's in ITALICS.


EDIT:  I've modded the list, Dave.

[Jaspersharpe]

Why what's in italics? I never said anything about italics, who the fuck are you replying to?

Oh, sorry Dave, didn't see your post there.

[dave]

nice one GWCGCGW - i was going to say even i've done plenty of problems that aren't 8b.

[Kingy]

I would tend to put Jason Myers in the proper list. I don't think there can be many moves harder than BP the way it was first done!

[GCW]

i was going to say even i've done plenty of problems that aren't 8b.

Don't you dare turn this into a "who hasn't done Dreamcatcher Potato Snack 8b" thread.  This is a SCIENCE thread.

[GCW]

I would tend to put Jason Myers in the proper list. I don't think there can be many moves harder than BP the way it was first done!

Possibly, but I put it there as Willenberg said 8a+/8b when he repeated it 

[TomP]

I would tend to put Jason Myers in the proper list. I don't think there can be many moves harder than BP the way it was first done!

I agree. Thought Brad Pitt origional was at least 8b, although height dependant. Willenburg did that stupidly long reach sit start to it at 8b+. Pleny of excellent climber have treid the origional way but have been totally shut down

[dave]

I'd be amazed if anyone recently of 8b form has put any time into it though - I mean why would you when theres a 7c sequence? Basically the only grades we've got to go on is myres (did he actually give it 8b himself or is that just from other people reading between the lines?) from back when people didn't really know what 8b was (back when deliverance was 8a) and the giant german fella who said 8a+/b but was clearly beneath him to some extent since he added the sitter.

[Jaspersharpe]

In which case you'd have to put Myers in the same "good enough to climb 8B but without an actual tick" category as Sean. i.e. Not on the list.

[Greg C]

8b or above

Paul B- Voyager
Matt Birch- The Swarm
Jordan Buys- Isla de Encanta
Jamie Cassidy- Director's Cut
Danny Cattell- Louis Armstrong
Greg C- Anesthesia
Nick Clement- Anesthesia
Tim Clifford- Singularity
Chris Davies- Daisy from Concrete
Steve Dunning- High Fidelity
Neil Dyer- Silk Cut
Andy Earl- High Fidelity
Mark Katz- Isla de Encanta
John Gaskins- Isla de Encanta
Tyler Landman- The Ace
Dave MacLeod- Pressure
Steve McClure- Close of Business
Jerry Moffatt- The Ace
Ben Moon- High Fidelity
Si Moore- Nutin' but Sunshine
Dave Noden- Full Circle
Mickey Paige- Kheops Assis
Gaz Parry- Isla de Encanta
Ryan Pasquill- Spectre
James Pearson- General Disarray
Tom Peckitt- Real Keelhaul
Rich Simpson- Malc's Start
Malc Smith-  The Ace
Paul Smitton- Staminaband/ Pump up the Power
Unc- Gourmandise
Ian Vickers- Anesthesia
Stewart Watson- The Riverbed
Terrace Ghost- General Disarray

It's embarrassing being on that list. Most of those gents could climb bloc 8b in a few sessions - they are proper 8b climbers! It took me 2 years of on off effort to climb a borderline 8b traverse! Probably best taking me off. Maybe change the list to multiple 8b climbers only, that'll sort the wheat from the chaff. It would certainly get rid of all the one hit wonders and local siege merchants like me. 

[GCW]

I would have thought the amount of effort you put in would merit a place on the list.....

[Jaspersharpe]

Utter rubbish Greg. Doesn't matter if it's the hardest thing you ever manage and it takes years of sieging, if you climb 8B you deserve to be on the list. More so in some ways if it took such effort!

[TomP]

I'd be amazed if anyone recently of 8b form has put any time into it though - I mean why would you when theres a 7c sequence? Basically the only grades we've got to go on is myres (did he actually give it 8b himself or is that just from other people reading between the lines?) from back when people didn't really know what 8b was (back when deliverance was 8a) and the giant german fella who said 8a+/b but was clearly beneath him to some extent since he added the sitter.

Fair point Dave. but isn't the reason a 7c sequence was found is because no one else could do it Jason's way? There only one way to tell: we should conduct an experiment. Which 8b climbers want to take on the challenge of doing Brad Pitt the origonal method? Then the sit start. It would be interesting. I tried the sitter (with an aim to link into the 7c method) a few years ago and was about a foot away of spanning the first move, unbeleivabley reachy.

[dave]

In which case you'd have to put Myers in the same "good enough to climb 8B but without an actual tick" category as Sean. i.e. Not on the list.

You'd have to put Travs on too - just a crying shame there was a peakwide shortage of 8bs for him to crush back in the day:

I do not believe I am stronger now than I was 10 years ago yet I fimrly believe I will complete Bigger Belly at 8a+/8b before the end of the year so how doeas that work? It works because I probably had the capacity to climb this problem 10 years ago but the problem did not exist then!

[Kingy]

I'd be amazed if anyone recently of 8b form has put any time into it

Admittedly not recently but Ben Moon tried it without success in the mid-nineties after Jason did it and said it continued to remain as impossible as before. He said it was a phenomenal effort from Jason to jump his way up the problem. This from the man who put up Hubble Font 8b/8b+.

[a dense loner]

are we talking about doing problems with utter shit sequences then giving bigger grades? no shit sherlock

as an aside i wasn't having a go at greg or nick with my visual downgrading. this may shock you greg but i do think you're a very good climber, nick too. i, like everyone else i have spoke to who have seen/tried it don't honestly think it's 8b. as for paul saying he found a stopper move, what you didn't do a hard prob in a day paul? when i said i thought it looked piss i obviously meant as opposed to 8b. there are many climbers out there guilty of this.

i notice that dave hasn't been lambasted for suggesting that 8 ball is 8a+. which, of course, it is

no i can't climb 8b

[Jaspersharpe]

You'd have to put Travs on too - just a crying shame there was a peakwide shortage of 8bs for him to crush back in the day:

I do not believe I am stronger now than I was 10 years ago yet I fimrly believe I will complete Bigger Belly at 8a+/8b before the end of the year so how doeas that work? It works because I probably had the capacity to climb this problem 10 years ago but the problem did not exist then!

I was going to comment on that quote of Neil's when he wrote it. I actually think he's quite a lot stronger than he was 10 years ago (or at least stronger than when I used to climb which is only a bit further back through the mists of time). He's just being modest about / underestimating his current strength I think.

Off topic but as you mention it Ted, has anyone really suggested 8B/8B+ for Hubble? I thought Ben said it would make more sense in a way to give it a bouldering grade of 8B rather than 8c+ route grade, where did the 8B+ bit come from? I could be wrong but I certainly don't think it's that hard.

[Kingy]

Off topic but as you mention it Ted, has anyone really suggested 8B/8B+ for Hubble? I thought Ben said it would make more sense in a way to give it a bouldering grade of 8B rather than 8c+ route grade, where did the 8B+ bit come from? I could be wrong but I certainly don't think it's that hard.

I have def seen it given 8b/8b+ Jasper, can't remember where, perhaps in OTE. Ben always used to say it was 8b but then I think it gained a bit with grade inflation in the last few years. Interesting comparisons with boulder problems but I guess its all a bit pointless in the end!

[dave]

8b is always what hubble was refered to as far as I know.

[TomP]

My mate Rich Ames (now a local Peakie so watch out!) did an 8b somwhere in Swizzy recently. Made it look piss on the vid.

It's brilliant that nearly all on the list have done 8bs in the UK.
Consensus is that 8Ball is 8a+, although I have no personal experience to judge that by.

[GCW]

Tell us the problems and we'll add him on.  That'll be 34 I guess.

[a dense loner]

you don't need any personal experience if there's a consensus tom. for instance, i know voyager is 8b. i don't need to have tried this to know. apologies if this sounds a bit patronising, it's not meant to be

[aly]

Off topic but as you mention it Ted, has anyone really suggested 8B/8B+ for Hubble? I thought Ben said it would make more sense in a way to give it a bouldering grade of 8B rather than 8c+ route grade, where did the 8B+ bit come from? I could be wrong but I certainly don't think it's that hard.

http://www.moonclimbing.com/PhotoDetail.aspx?ID=17

From the horses mouth: "The world's fist 8c+ but hard for the grade and still the hardest single bit of climbing I have done. Perhaps the grade of font 8b/8b+ would be more appropriate."
Not that I'd know the difference of course