Best routes!

[Peter_Puget]

The recent thread about the Freeway Gun Club route brought to my mind the seemingly increasing "Best route" phenomenon. It seems that with increasing frequency the word "best" is used to describe a route. For example in Exit 32 a route is described as the best crack in WA. The Tieton guide calls Orange Sunshine one of the best finger cracks in WA. Smoot calls the Freeway route one of the best slabs in WA. The Index guide calls the Jap. Gardens/10% link up possibly the best crag route in WA. I can't recall anything like this in the Leavenworth guide so maybe Viktor is immune. Certainly the Squamish guide is a hotbed of hyperbole.

 

So my question is what qualifies one to make a best route statement and are these guys just marketing or are they correct.

 

By the way I have climbed all these route (except for the Freeway) and have my own opinions.

 

Should we set up an ongoing poll of best routes by type here on CC.com?

 

PP

[Juneriver]

Anytime I get up something that my partner can't... It's the best route in the world.

[Off_White]

quote:

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Originally posted by Juneriver:

Anytime I get up something that my partner can't... It's the best route in the world.

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I guess the reverse works to define the worst route at the crag too!