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Yosemite ratings?


chucK

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So, since the CC.com day is slow enough that DFA's query on nutz minutiae can get a fairly rollicking response...

 

How about you galz/guyz giving me your views on Valley ratings as gauged by Index ratings? Last night, Mattp (under the influence of an unknown volume of beer) told me that the ratings are comparable and, if anything, Index was a bit harder. On the other hand, there was some guy down at the Rock one day who seemed to get scared just talking about climbing in the Valley. He said a 5.8 in the Valley was like 10b at Index. His GF was backing him up.

 

So what say you Index-Valley vets? Valley virgins wanna know!

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Good topic.

 

I agree with Mattp. It seems like Index ratings are more difficult than Yosemite. It seems to me Index has more difficult/sandbagged individual technical moves and features but the valley rating are harder in terms of length and sustained character. Example, Godzilla has a couple crux moves and a couple good rests but not sustained. I felt the second pitch or Reeds Direct (long 5.9 crack you can see from the road) and Jo-Jo , alternative start to the Prow I think, are sustained and although an easier technically in the grade they have the same sustained hard moves from beginning to end.

 

Wallstein should have a good opinion on this one.

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By definition, the Valley is the touchstone by which all other YDS rated climbs are compared. In my limited experience with Index, the ratings are pretty similar (but I've assumed that high star ratings infer a sustained quality to the climbs).

BTW, IMHO Squamish is a bit soft.

But as long as ratings are consistent in a given climbing area, does it matter what the numbers are? Do numbers matter?

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freeclimb9 said:

But as long as ratings are consistent in a given climbing area, does it matter what the numbers are? Do numbers matter?

 

It matters if you've never climbed there, but are trying to figure out what would be good things to shoot for.

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My opinion:

 

I think grades are always sandbags when you are new to an area. I would love to see some of you smiff types on a few of the "mid 10" squamish slabs!

 

New kinds of climbing, and new kinds of rock always mess us up for awhile. Getting used to big long exposed routes, or short hard routes makes people squeal that the routes are sandbagged!

 

I think the real value of grades is to give people an idea of relative stuff in the area. It is idealistic to think that they will seamlessly go from one area to an other.

 

Of course Skaha is an exception to this whole discussion! wink.gif

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TimL said:

Good topic.

 

Wallstein should have a good opinion on this one.

 

too bad that worthless sack is off to australia for two months!

 

i have a climbed a fair amount at all 3 places and i think the difference breaks down between each individual grade as opposed to the whole area in general.

 

in reality, i see .10 and take it at that. and like specialed said all the areas have their ups and downs.

 

chuck you will style the valley!

 

bigdrink.gifbigdrink.gifbigdrink.gifbigdrink.gifbigdrink.gif

 

 

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IMHO, A lot of it has to do with when the climb was put up, who rated it, and several other factors. Back in the day in Yosemite when no one could imagine a climb being harder than 5.10, the easier routes were often sandbagged. Thus climbs in the 5.6 to 5.8 range that were put up in the 60's and early 70s are often tough for the grade as we know it today. The newer climbs tend to fall more in line with what we're used to.

 

In my opinion, that's why people freak so much about Yosemite ratings....they start on a 'nice' 'classic' 5.6 or 5.7 to warm up on, end up getting spanked, and don't ever try any of the newer climbs.

 

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ratings of american climbs are soft. yosemite and other american places are not hard for russian climber.

if climber trains hard these ratings are not to be concerned about.

every day i am running five miles and eating four times meals of red meat and climbing much. americans are drinking their starbuck and eating crybabie sugar cookies to make them feel good after missing redpoint. this is not the way to train for strong climber.

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Miloshk_Antonopov said:

ratings of american climbs are soft. yosemite and other american places are not hard for russian climber.

if climber trains hard these ratings are not to be concerned about.

every day i am running five miles and eating four times meals of red meat and climbing much. americans are drinking their starbuck and eating crybabie sugar cookies to make them feel good after missing redpoint. this is not the way to train for strong climber.

 

Have you met Polish Bob?

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i am not familiar with polanders or american. i am russian living in canada and climbing at squamish everyday. routes are not so soft here. not soft like in america but not hard like in Urals.

when you are running five miles everyday and eating four meals red meat and climbing hard everyday in approach shoes you will no what hard climbing is to.

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Yeah...but they feel much softer than 5.10 slab climbing anywhere else in the world (like stone mountain, great falls, yosemite, etc.)...DUH!!

 

As far as that goes, they don't feel any worse than smiff 10's...which, by the way, aren't true slab climbs, now are they?? They are more face routes than friction climbing, so why the comparison? Of course, if you've never climbed friction b4, its gonna feel insecure...most people take to face climbing better than friction climbing at first... its more natural...BUT it doesn't mean that the ratings are softer or harder...

Edited by RuMR
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  • 4 weeks later...
erik said:

 

 

too bad that worthless sack is off to australia for two months!

 

 

 

Yo bitch who you callin a worthless sack of shit. You fuckin washed up wanabee secretery...

 

There is no difference between the 3 places mentioned....Everyplace has hard 5.9 and 5.10 and easy 5.11 I can't really tell any difference between these places.

 

Thats my month late opinion

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Wallstein said:

erik said:

 

 

too bad that worthless sack is off to australia for two months!

 

 

 

Yo bitch who you callin a worthless sack of shit. You fuckin washed up wanabee secretery...

 

There is no difference between the 3 places mentioned....Everyplace has hard 5.9 and 5.10 and easy 5.11 I can't really tell any difference between these places.

 

Thats my month late opinion

No shit. I heard Erik was in sales

now or something. I'm here to tell ya,

he couldn't sell pussy on a troop train.

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