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General Climbing Discussion

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French grade our sport climbs 10-Feb-2013 At 10:33:07 PM Ben_E

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I know "we've always done things this way, why change it?" is a pretty poor argument for the status quo* but to me it does seem to apply here.

Have not read Mike Law's article, maybe it has some compelling reasons for change embedded in it. But why so hung up on grades and grading systems anyway?

I'm perfectly happy with the concept of my being capable (or willing) to climb a few grades harder when clipping bolts** than when trying to wiggle in wires***, whether that be in the Ewbank system or the YD system or whatever.

I'm a bit of a Euro troglodyte and am not all that familiar with the French system, but unless it contains more info than is present in the Ewbank system (and it would not seem to?) I really can't see all that much reason to use it over the Ewbank.

When we've already had a thread running over the past few weeks lamenting the lack of crossover between sport and trad (especially in that direction), why widen the gulf?

*Except in the case of usage of US customary units of measurements; we don't want to confuse our American friends any more than we have to, they get angry.
**As long as they're really closely spaced bolts and I have a vocal audience urging me on, that is.
***And apparently capable of climbing a few grades harder in the Grampians than at Buffalo or at Yosemite than at Joshua Tree...