How do route "Grades" work?

[G-spotter]

Grade You might see a Snafflehound

Grade You will probably see a Snafflehound

Grade You will definitely see a snafflehound

Grade You will see many snafflehounds during the day. They will try to eat your lunch.

Grade You will see snafflehounds every 5 or ten minutes. During the daytime, they will nibble on your rope while you are leading a pitch. At night, they will chew holes in your cached food bag and in your tent. A will steal one of your boots and crap in the other one.

 

Grade You will be killed and eaten by snafflehounds.

[Mos_Chillin]

Where does the Richard Gere grade fit in?

[eric8]

I think Dru's description was pretty good. Though he maybe factoring in approach times too which i don't. I know the approach/hike out on the ne butt on slesse took about as long if not longer than the climb. I also think lots of quote classic grade V are know grade IV thanks to rising standards, liberty crack, slesse ne but, beckey-chounaird etc.

 

ps. Jens I am sure your route on johanessburg was harder and longer than slesse but you can't really compare times for new routes with times on well travelled classics!

[G-spotter]

Approach length and difficulty are not considered in the NCCS grade. A Grade I single pitch crack, with a 2 day bushwack approach, does not become Grade VI thereby.