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Grading

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Started 8 months ago by kent dunham
Latest reply from Brannon

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kent dunham
Member

Grading routes/problems is such a dark art. Even outdoors the grades can be so subjective and a consensus is often only reached after years of reapeats (something I hope is not going on with any gym route). How do you grade your problems? How do you keep your grades accurate during the winter, when you haven't been outdoors on established grades for reference (is this hard, or am I out of shape)?

Also, why do so many gyms grade so soft? At the gym where I set we have an unofficial policy of sandbagging our grades. The rationale is this: we would rather see our customers struggle indoors and crush it outdoors than the other way around. If you project V4 at our gym, then you should be able to go and send V4 outdoors in a day. I have found the opposite to be true in other gyms (I have flashed "V9" in some gyms, which, if you have ever seen me climb, you will know to be rediculous). I worry that grading this way will keep the average climber inside, where his or her ego will be coddled by inflated grades, and will leave them humiliated if they ever venture out into the "real world."

thoughts, criticisms, comments?

Posted 8 months ago #
brent.leeper
Member

Here in lies the problem with grades: They're subjective.

We grade our problems through consensus. We have all the employees climb all the problems they can, and figure out a grade from that. We hit our intended grades 90% of the time, and have the same unofficial policy of sandbagging. One thing that we're good about is keeping our eyes and ears open to our members, we watch the things they struggle on, and like to get thier opinions on what grades are.

The winter time shouldn't effect your setting at all. You may be weaker, but you also shouldn't forget what a v4 move feels like, or the technical movements involed in doing an overhanging v6. Its true, that doing each move seperately doesn't give the best accuracy when it comes to grades, but theres where getting a consensus is so important.

It should also be noted that consistantcy is also very important. I've been to gyms where I can go in and crush a v5, and then get spat off a v3and that, to me, is not good grading.

Posted 8 months ago #
smokeNmirrors
Member

We list out our local classic outdoor boulder problems within our local bouldering areas at each grade. Those are then used as the benchmarks for grading. Every routesetter is expected to have outdoor climbing experience. Grades are placed on the card with a whole number (ex V4) and spaced is reserved to edit (+/-) that grade after the other setters and core members climb the problem.

We also agree a little perceived sandbagging actually keeps our grades more honest.

One of my biggest pet peeve's is the home brewed grading system. One, it's a hassle for visiting climbers. Two, I feel it's a disservice to new climbers to not educate them to the widely universal system of grading. The idea that I can pick up a magazine, see a route, read it's grade, and I immediately have an idea whether or not I may be able to climb it is a great asset to have.

Posted 8 months ago #
kent dunham
Member

I'm with you on the home brewed grading system. I can only see one real reason for doing it: it is a chicken-shit way of avoiding complaints and the hard work of grading! Our sport has enough problems with lack of unity in grades (Font, Yosemite Decimal, V-grades, Ewebank etc. . ) Man up and slap a real grade on it!

Posted 8 months ago #
Brannon
Member

When it comes to grading routes I have always been of fan of consistency within the four walls of the gym, while striving to keep grades close to what can be found outside. Grading in the gym is a very inbred process: The same group of setters and gym rats are grading the same walls year after year. Eventually personal preference and style will effect the grading system.

I am all for grading with accepted systems (Hueco, YDS, etc) but I have stopped caring about how a gym rating compares to outside. Gym climbing is a different sport the same way that bouldering and multi-pitch trad are different sports. As long as there is some effort to keep things realistically close to outside ratings and consistant within the gym...all is good.

Posted 8 months ago #

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