Most Sandbagged Climbing Areas in America

Fern Gullywrote:

Don’t know about elsewhere in the country/world, but in Colorado both Eldo and S Platte climbing feel pretty tough for their grading compared to surrounding areas in the front range. S platte is the first place I ever took a leader fall on 5.7 after years of being a “5.10” leader. The difference is shockingly noticeable when comparing to front range sport crags in particular. Might as well call out Veadauvoo since it feels like it belongs in this sandbaggy category amongst other crags in the front range area (but I am an off-width weenie). 

I suspect that's more because Eldo and the Splatte have a lot of fairly old routes, and were the laboratories of the styles they were known for. Vedauwoo is very much the same way. Curiously, 5.8 crack climbs in Eldo feel soft to me compared to most crack climbing areas, but 5.8 face climbs at vedauwoo are noticably soft compared to most anywhere that's predominantly face climbing.

Vedauwoo definitely has some egregious sandbags, but as an area, I don't know that the average 5.10 there is much harder than any 5.10 at any other predominantly *crack* (not simply trad) climbing area.

Nobody mentioned wild iris yet…

Nick Budkawrote:

Nobody mentioned wild iris yet…

Wild Iris is not sandbagged, it's just bouldery. So sport climbers that have better endurance than top end power find it hard, whereas sport climbers who boulder find it normal. For example I find Wild Iris easier than the Killer Cave in Sinks because I tend to boulder more.

Carderock in Maryland on the other hand - so sandbagged. I started climbing there in the early 90s. I now can boulder V9, but I'm not sure if I can get up some of the 5.11s there.

The Canadian Rockies

I see a lot of mentions of places like Carderock, Granite Mt., Seneca. It’s a shame to call them sandbagged. That’s what grades were. Still are a lot of places. The old school isn’t sandbagged. It came first. Everywhere else is just soft. (Oh, and Gallatin Canyon should get a mention). 

Tim Mwrote:

I see a lot of mentions of places like Carderock, Granite Mt., Seneca. It’s a shame to call them sandbagged. That’s what grades were. Still are a lot of places. The old school isn’t sandbagged. It came first. Everywhere else is just soft. (Oh, and Gallatin Canyon should get a mention). 

Yes, though some of the places being mentioned--Devil's Lake and Carderock being 2 examples I am familiar with ( along with Quincy Quarries), were considered to be 'stiffly-graded' 50 years ago.

Almost every new place I climb...

Northern Arizona. Sedona/Flagstaff.

Jim Uwrote:

Debbie and Banana up to gunsight notch probably were 5.6 and 5.7 once a upon a time....but now that half the hold have been broken off....

That’s them. I learned how to aid on Banana haha

The moon board :)

Connecticut 

Unaweep

Somehow every place I've climbed is the most sandbagged. 

Craeg Dubhwrote:

Unaweep

Depends, most older routes there are quite stiff, but I've climbed plenty of routes from the last 10 years that didn't seem sand bagged at all

I’m from CT and climb a lot in the Gunks. Most places I go seem a bit easier.  Red Rock and Hueco much easier. But Granite Mountain, AZ is full of routes that seem SO much harder for the grades than anywhere else.  

Vedauwoo, Seneca

wisamwrote:

The moon board :)

Lol, it’s not even the most sandbagged board

Little cottonwood 5.9

Speaks for itself

Finn Lanverswrote:

Little cottonwood 5.9

Speaks for itself

hard to tell the angle there, but dang that looks hard. Does it at least get a plus?

Nolan Bwrote:

Northern Arizona. Sedona/Flagstaff.

Really??? Not that everything is super soft around flag, but it feels like modern grades to me. (Except Jacks. Jacks is soft.) Maybe some older routes in Sedona? But I feel like the Mace, for instance, is pretty much spot on.