What does 5.10 even mean?

Ok guys. What the feck? Here’s the issue: climbing grades are many things: egotistical, sadistic, flattering, insane, bilingual, nationalistic, relaxed, uptight, and passive-aggressive. Now, I like diversity as much as the next guy, (or girl, or beautiful gay transgender human being) but sometimes this moderate climber gets a little frustrated that climbing grades are rarely what they should be, which is accurate and straightforward.

And nobody is even upset about this. How does buttering the rock of Vedauwoo with your precious skin, as you sweat, pant and shit your way upward (upward, if you’re lucky) some route that is graded 5.6 not raise the question “Why am I ok with being lied to?” There are many great feelings that come from climbing, but to be sure, one of them is not the feeling of watching your beloved #2 Camalot fade into the distance as you are shamefully lowered down some “casual 5.10” in Yosemite. Knowing that your dear #2 will be added to the rack of some Dean Potter wannabe is kind of like knowing the schoolyard bully was better fed with your lunch money back in 2nd grade.

Seriously guys, and I’m looking at you, The South. You’re prideful, you have debaucherously rowdy frats, southern belles, great football and some of the best unhealthy food around. You have great climbing. You also probably have a little chip on your shoulder from losing that “War of Northern Aggression,” and maybe also from being late to the climbing game. That doesn’t mean that a 5.12 should be a 5.10+ at every crag except the Red.

Not to place the blame solely on our southern brethren. Raised as a Colorado climber, I’ve always felt at home among the fair and true grades of Eldo and Clear Creek, from Shelf Road to Longs Peak. Whenever I venture outside of my rectangular borders, I feel tricked, swindled, and lied to. Sometimes it’s because I feel that I finally “sent 5.12” only to return home and only to have my hopes of greatness dashed as I realize I am the same sorry 5.11 climber I was before I left. Sometimes it’s because I return home with one third of the bail biners I set out with; also not a wonderful feeling. Whether the route is harder or easier than the grade, the only thing that is consistent about climbing grades in the inconsistency.

Don’t even get me started on French grading. And while we are talking about the international scene, why can’t we find some common ground already? We should leave the exchange rates to currency, not climbing grades. British grades see the same amount of use as British dentist offices. Australia…well as long as we refuse to acknowledge the existence of their scale, which is at 38 and counting, we’ll be ok.
The most ridiculous part of this whole problem is that routes which saw their First Ascent back when grades only reached 5.10, ARE STILL RATED LIKE THE GRADE SCALE ONLY REACHES 5.10! People, c’mon. In the 1960’s those grades actually correlated with the difficulty of the route. Just because our climbing forefathers think we are soft and spoiled for using niceties such as “harnesses” instead of a loop of hemp rope tied off with a bowline, does not mean we need to “walk in their shoes” every time we go out to send. I mean, we upgraded to chalk, nylon rope, expansion bolts, cams, and TC Pros, so why not modernize the grading structure to at least post-millennium? Or would you like some “rope chocks” to protect your way up that Kor classic?

Ok, the horse is dead, and I’m done beating it with this rack of Chouinard Equipment pitons I stole from the basement of a museum. There are plenty of whiney critics out there, and I’m not trying to add to their numbers. The world needs a hero, not another rawk tawk. So I propose a solution. Something that everyone can get behind; something that represents all of us fairly, equally, and effectively. Something that has the authority to say:

“No, Chattanooga, you may not grade that 5.12 a 5.8, just because Jimmy Webb sent in hiking boots.”

“No, Adirondacks, that overhanging, icy finger crack is not 5.7+”

And “No Earth treks, the YDS grading scale does not begin at 5.11a.”

The climbing community needs something it should have had a long time ago, when Honnold was free soloing out of his crib and Royal Robbins was more than a clothing brand for golfers.

We need bureaucratic governing body to set things straight.
Vote for climbing reform in 2016.

...Just kidding. Carry on, you crazy kids, the world needs you.

How about finding correlations between climber dimensions (height/ape index) and grades of specific boulder problems? i.e. "78% of statistically shorter climbers grade this problem v6, while only 10% of taller ones agree."

Well, now the Whole Damned Rebel Army is coming down the road!

This is a great post....us from the South are just gettin' even for all them Yankee Carpet Baggers - from 1865 to perpetuity (that's everybody outside of Virginia, NC, SC, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas - Texas,that's stretchin' thangs abit as Texas has always done their own thing - parts of Southern West Virginia and Kentucky - those Kentucky folks were a bit wishy washy back in the day and never got down with the War of Northern Aggression Fully Committed - so the ratings may actually be somewhere close to accurate!)

Really though - You got a point Sachmo - I got rating whacked pretty good back in the day at Sentinel Rocks on Muscle Beach - that sand bag was Whispering Death the higher I climbed - I should have had my teeth replaced, I was grinding them so hard.

PS - Real Grits are good - add some Smoked Gouda Cheese, 1/2 cup of Half/Half and even Quaker Grits come off not bad! Cheap Climber Food except for the Gouda...'bought the only thing I can eat now after the Seneca Adventure!

One of the better posts of rant I have read in some time.

Score: 9.25 out of a possible 10.0 (This may be subjective depending on the reader, for it could go a full 9.25c, if not turn into an x rated 9.10... reader's discretion.)

Damn Southerners...

In the future, please refer to the search feature located in the top right corner of this webpage.

Yeah, well, you can always get some Southerner to do something crazy and insane - helps when we can't count!

rDerrick wrote:Ok guys. What the feck? Here’s the issue: climbing grades are many things: egotistical, sadistic, flattering, insane, bilingual, nationalistic, relaxed, uptight, and passive-aggressive. Now, I like diversity as much as the next guy, (or girl, or beautiful gay transgender human being) but sometimes this moderate climber gets a little frustrated that climbing grades are rarely what they should be, which is accurate and straightforward. And nobody is even upset about this. How does buttering the rock of Vedauwoo with your precious skin, as you sweat, pant and shit your way upward (upward, if you’re lucky) some route that is graded 5.6 not raise the question “Why am I ok with being lied to?” There are many great feelings that come from climbing, but to be sure, one of them is not the feeling of watching your beloved #2 Camalot fade into the distance as you are shamefully lowered down some “casual 5.10” in Yosemite. Knowing that your dear #2 will be added to the rack of some Dean Potter wannabe is kind of like knowing the schoolyard bully was better fed with your lunch money back in 2nd grade. Seriously guys, and I’m looking at you, The South. You’re prideful, you have debaucherously rowdy frats, southern belles, great football and some of the best unhealthy food around. You have great climbing. You also probably have a little chip on your shoulder from losing that “War of Northern Aggression,” and maybe also from being late to the climbing game. That doesn’t mean that a 5.12 should be a 5.10+ at every crag except the Red. Not to place the blame solely on our southern brethren. Raised as a Colorado climber, I’ve always felt at home among the fair and true grades of Eldo and Clear Creek, from Shelf Road to Longs Peak. Whenever I venture outside of my rectangular borders, I feel tricked, swindled, and lied to. Sometimes it’s because I feel that I finally “sent 5.12” only to return home and only to have my hopes of greatness dashed as I realize I am the same sorry 5.11 climber I was before I left. Sometimes it’s because I return home with one third of the bail biners I set out with; also not a wonderful feeling. Whether the route is harder or easier than the grade, the only thing that is consistent about climbing grades in the inconsistency. Don’t even get me started on French grading. And while we are talking about the international scene, why can’t we find some common ground already? We should leave the exchange rates to currency, not climbing grades. British grades see the same amount of use as British dentist offices. Australia…well as long as we refuse to acknowledge the existence of their scale, which is at 38 and counting, we’ll be ok. The most ridiculous part of this whole problem is that routes which saw their First Ascent back when grades only reached 5.10, ARE STILL RATED LIKE THE GRADE SCALE ONLY REACHES 5.10! People, c’mon. In the 1960’s those grades actually correlated with the difficulty of the route. Just because our climbing forefathers think we are soft and spoiled for using niceties such as “harnesses” instead of a loop of hemp rope tied off with a bowline, does not mean we need to “walk in their shoes” every time we go out to send. I mean, we upgraded to chalk, nylon rope, expansion bolts, cams, and TC Pros, so why not modernize the grading structure to at least post-millennium? Or would you like some “rope chocks” to protect your way up that Kor classic? Ok, the horse is dead, and I’m done beating it with this rack of Chouinard Equipment pitons I stole from the basement of a museum. There are plenty of whiney critics out there, and I’m not trying to add to their numbers. The world needs a hero, not another rawk tawk. So I propose a solution. Something that everyone can get behind; something that represents all of us fairly, equally, and effectively. Something that has the authority to say: “No, Chattanooga, you may not grade that 5.12 a 5.8, just because Jimmy Webb sent in hiking boots.” “No, Adirondacks, that overhanging, icy finger crack is not 5.7+” And “No Earth treks, the YDS grading scale does not begin at 5.11a.” The climbing community needs something it should have had a long time ago, when Honnold was free soloing out of his crib and Royal Robbins was more than a clothing brand for golfers. We need bureaucratic governing body to set things straight. Vote for climbing reform in 2016. ...Just kidding. Carry on, you crazy kids, the world needs you.

Blame those crazy free lovin Valley Peps! YDS. To quote Captin Barbosa" it's more of a guide than a code!" I still Love taking plastic pulling gym rats who claim to climb 5.11 and taking them out into the world and watch them freak on a 5.6 with run out bolts! Happy climbing. Keep,it,up

Depends...an investment opportunity!

Routes? You're supposed to follow a route??? Daaannggg.

Grades?! Not necessary

....I can't wait to go climbing on the front range... I am going to be so strong!

So sorry that we opt to humble ourselves rather than stroke our egos by inflating grades. Sounds like somebody some humble pie on a 5.9+...

On the other hand, who the fuck cares! It's a fucking number, and you should know that it is extremely subjective. If you can't figure that out, perhaps it is time to find a new activity.

It's just rock climbing. Who cares!!!!

We are not curing cancer.

5.10?

The grade I would like to think that I can climb any day of the week, any style of climbing, on any type of rock. Seriously, that's been my goal for a while now. Gotten close, then I spent 12 days in Vedauwoo last summer...my perception of self was shattered and it was back to training and calling myself a 5.9 climber...

Good rant though, I think you managed to say something mean about everyone of consequence.

rDerrick wrote:And while we are talking about the international scene, why can’t we find some common ground already? We should leave the exchange rates to currency, not climbing grades.

rDerrick wrote:. Seriously guys, and I’m looking at you, The South. You’re prideful, you have debaucherously rowdy frats, southern belles, great football and some of the best unhealthy food around. You have great climbing.

How about crush the 5.10 (and yes that includes vedauwoo) rather than whine about it?

Just kidding, the world needs whiners.

or, err...NOT

Stop being a fucking pussy

turd furgeson wrote:Stop being a fucking pussy