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General Climbing Discussion

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Grading 28-Apr-2005 At 2:04:56 PM Ben

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I also think +-3 is about right. Assuming I climb 20s without too much effort, I should be able to accurately grade 17,18,19,20,21,22,23. That's probably about right for me - I don't really notice much difference between 14/15 and I've been on 16's I thought were really easy, only to have people who are climbing closer to that limit correct me.

And as for 24/25/26+ my grading gets as far as 'hard'. But inside the 17-23 range I feel I can be pretty accurate and split hairs.

The obvious exception to this is that it's not just the grade, but also the style of the climb.

A 14 crack is going to feel 17+ to me. Slabs may likewise feel harder.

As an aside there was a good article on another climbing website regarding grading which pointed out that, since grades are at best an approximation that varies depending upon bodytype, a climb is probably graded accurately if you can find people who believe it is undergraded and people who believe it is overgraded.

This doesn't play well with the tendancy for people to brag about the climbs they found easy, but maintain embaressed silence about those they found really hard.

But it's all just a guide so...

(maybe guidebooks should have a giggle conversion table at the front: a mapping of consensus grade for climbs vs the grade Mike Law could say without laughing.)