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phrozen_clmberchic
Apr 25, 2002, 6:47 PM
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I've heard of regular climbs, being a 5.5a or something like that.......what are the ones that are rated "V-something" is that a whole different scale or what?
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qacwac
Apr 25, 2002, 7:03 PM
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The V is for bouldering, climbs that you aren't roped in for.
There are other scales also that are foreign.
The scale you referred to (5.5) is the YDS, Yosemite Decimal System. It is the common US grading scale for routes.
Here's a link to an article on this forum that shows a rough conversion.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/rankingguide.php
The letters on the left stand for the type of climbing.
[ This Message was edited by: qacwac on 2002-04-25 12:07 ]
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findaway
Apr 25, 2002, 7:11 PM
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Most climbs, in North America are rated using the Yosimite decimal system. In this system 1.0 wold be for flat hikeable terrain and grades above 5.0 indicate vertical routes.
First of all forget what you what you learned in math class, when your dealing with climbs it is only the numbers after the decimal that count, so 5.10 is harder (greater) than 5.9. each number is also broken down into parts that go from a to d (with d being the hardest) so it would go 5.9c - 5.9d - 5.10a - 5.10b etc. (easiest to hardest).
The Heuco system is for bouldering (doing short climbs witout a rope) and it is really easy. Basically the higher the number after the "V" the harder the boulder. V1 - V2 - V3 etc. easiest to hardest.
Keep in mind that there are other grading systems used in different areas of the world. Just search this site for the conversion table.
Hope this helps, the whole grading system is just something you need to be around to get familiar with. You shouldn't have any problem picking it up, you just need the experience.
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jt512
Apr 25, 2002, 9:49 PM
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The letter sub-grades -- a, b, c, and d -- aren't applied to grades 5.9 or less. Just to 5.10 and up.
-Jay
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ilookfunnyinrolleduppants
Apr 26, 2002, 1:20 AM
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Now you've got me thinking... Can't routes below 5.9 or something be rated as +/- also?
So 5.7+ would be a bit harder than 5.7 and 5.7- would be a bit easier? Something to that effect...?
Maybe I'm just imagining things...who knows.
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clam
Apr 26, 2002, 2:37 AM
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I've seen the plus sign after 5.8 (Thrill Hammer, 5.8+) and 5.9 (Trauma, 5.9+) in David Rubine's book Climber's Guide, Pinnacles National Monument (California). He also uses the plus sign on some climbs with higher ratings, e.g. The Great Spectacular (5.12+) but also the letter system, e.g. Kamikaze Kommute (5.11a).
Reid, Yosemite Free Climbs, does not use either the plus sign or the letters a,b,c,d to distinguish climbs rated 5.9 or below and only the a,b,c,d system for climbs 5.10 and above.
I have also seen the plus sign after 5.9 and V0 in the gym (Berkeley Iron Works).
[ This Message was edited by: clam on 2002-04-25 19:41 ]
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jgorris
Apr 26, 2002, 3:55 AM
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Those other rating systems are bogus.
Here's the modified Bridwell/Mayfield system:
WFE = Way F*&*ing Easy
E = Easy
EFJ = Easy for Jeff
NSE = Not So Easy
H = Hard
THFJ = To Hard for Jeff
PDH = Pretty Darn Hard
WFH = Way F*&*ing Hard
OK, not so good.....
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clam
Apr 26, 2002, 3:25 PM
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Todd Swain, The Gunks (New York) Guide (3rd edition) uses only the plus an minus signs for all routes, e.g. Betty 5.3-, Burning Bush 5.11+, but never uses the a,b,c,d distinctions.
So whether signs or letters are used seems to depend on the author, the local area/gym practice, and the route setters.
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