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Your grading system is f#@ked 22-Sep-2004 At 5:37:19 PM Archangel in Oz

Message

>On 21/09/2004 dalai wrote:
>
>If the concept of the Ewbank grading system is so scary, shocking and
>repulses you so much, you could just go to a cliff sans guide book and
>just climb!! Or I am sure there are a few early guide books in the State
>libraries which still use the old grading system you hold so dear.

Not scary, nor repulsive, and I am going to say this for the howmanyeth time I AM NOT SAYING THE UK SYSTEM IS BETTER. I am suggesting the concept of having one system for sport routes and another for trad may be a more effective grading system. The Ewbank system has history, value and applicability but IMHO not for both forms of the sport and it would appear there are some Australians who agree with me.

>Also for saying England has taken the high moral ground with grading...

Did I say this? I don't think so.

>The technical grade is still listed for many boulder problems. Even the
>newer B grading which is Englands own version of V grades don't match,
>only adding to the mess.

You’re absolutely right that bouldering grades are in a mess in the UK. (I think you should address this on a different thread though as it has nothing to do with what we are talking about here). btw that mess isn’t ‘adding to' a pre-existing mess elsewhere in the sport, UK grades are in perfect harmony and UK climbers understand them (once their six years of apprenticeship is served).

Biggup Frillypants. (Is Biggup an expression here?).

Right I'm off to Stanage.