Should climbing grades be lowered in certain parts of the world due to lack of gravitational force?

Arlo F Niederer wrote:Just to get the physics correct... The force of gravity varies as the inverse square of the distance from the center of the earth, and linearly with lateral changes in mass. F = G*m1*m2 ------- 2 r So the higher you move, the more rapid the force of gravity decreases, by an exponential factor.

But if it's an INVERSE square, then it drops off most quickly initially as you move away from the earth, right? The change in gravity from 2,000,000 miles to 2,000,100 miles above the earth is a lot smaller than the change from earth's surface to 100 mi altitude.

Just to get the physics correct... :-)

wow there are some pretty smart dirtbags out there :)

IF there was any variance, it would already be baked into the grade because your body couldn't tell what caused the increased difficulty - was that hold just a bit smaller, or was it a high gravity area? So the answer is - no, they already are.

Peter L K wrote:IF there was any variance, it would already be baked into the grade because your body couldn't tell what caused the increased difficulty - was that hold just a bit smaller, or was it a high gravity area? So the answer is - no, they already are.

Lets make a scale that goes through and measures the size of each hold to the miliimeter, relative coefficient of friction for every 3 degrees C, angle of hold down to the 1/10th of a degree, and distance between each hold down to the millimeter. Then we can make a massive chart for all the factors to create a grading system, and then all this will be necessary :)

Just for the record, I didn't say anything about my weight, I was instead referring to the weight of the atmosphere pressing down on me.

Have you ever taken a sealed bag of potato chips from low altitude to high altitude and seen the thing puff up? That's because the atmospheric pressure has changed.

Now whether or now I can actually feel this is what you can debate.

Jean Scott wrote: ...Have you ever taken a sealed bag of potato chips from low altitude to high altitude and seen the thing puff up? That's because the atmospheric pressure has changed. Now whether or now I can actually feel this is what you can debate.

I would be willing to bet that the fact that you eat potato chips has more to do with how hard you climb than any gravitational effect not directly related to uhm, well, the fact that you eat potato chips...*

* allow myself to introduce...myself.

I try to avoid going for the redpoint on high gravity days

I think we are being short sighted with just looking at variations in gravity. Grades should be raised for people with bigger feet because we suffer from greater amounts of torque on our toes.. Just my two cents.

//BS-Mathematics

JeremyA1987 wrote:I think we are being short sighted with just looking at variations in gravity. Grades should be raised for people with bigger feet because we suffer from greater amounts of torque on our toes.. Just my two cents. //BS-Mathematics

+1. I'm gonna use that excuse now for my size 12 1/2 flat feet causing my demise on most hard routes the last few years.

Sp, good one, normally, but not for me!

Unfortunately for you, I am perpetually thin and full of energy and maintain 3 other people's health as well as my own.

I have outhiked many a flatlanding male on the uphill, on skis, or on foot, with or without a baby on my back, at altitude. Sometimes food is food.
V8 gives me much longer, richer energy than soda pop, and packs smaller, I'll grant you that. I used to drink it when I ate my lunch at 10,500.
But somebody somewhere might need the salt. I was so "clean" one summer, I used to faint because I didn't have enough salt in my diet, turns out.

However, the point was the BAG, what happens to the sealed bag as you go from high to low or low to high altitude. I don't care what you eat, silly.
See in non pressurized aircraft you can see it happen. Don't ask why I know this, but I do.
Also, people who send and process chips from low to high altitudes in those bags have to do something about it, so let's go ask.

Is this honestly a serious question?

czuke wrote:Is this honestly a serious question?

It was a dead question until you posted, I wished it stayed that way...

Josh Olson wrote: INCONCEIVABLE! (did anyone else see vizzini and the dread pirate roberts bantering over the wine?)

Good eye, Josh!

Brendan Blanchard wrote: It was a dead question until you posted, I wished it stayed that way...

Haha my bad. still dont get how someone is that ridiculous

holy crap, call 5-0, adam winters is friggin Sasquatch; or a damn near close relation

Riddle solved... its why ratings get fluffed up... cuz all the meteorites that hit the earth since the FA... the gravity got stronger... so that 5.9 might really be a 10a! ;)

LOL... Funny thread.

Anyway, here is my useless contribution.

It is the most up to date gravity map.

It is based up data taken over the last decade by NASA's GRACE project (Gravity Recover and Climate Experiment)

grace.jpl.nasa.gov/

-Glenn

My 2 @@ no they shouldn't be different.

What you really got to watch out for is an increase in your relativistic mass due to climbing fast. Dynoing is making you heavier!

Glenn Gordon wrote:LOL... Funny thread. Anyway, here is my useless contribution. It is the most up to date gravity map. It is based up data taken over the last decade by NASA's GRACE project (Gravity Recover and Climate Experiment) grace.jpl.nasa.gov/ -Glenn

Not sure how recent this is, but GPS readings in Japan have moved 10ft or more because of the earthquake and tsunami. They may have to completely redo their climbing scale now, or at least adjust the old one.