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I'm getting better without trying


Blake

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I looked at a new book called "Weekend Rock" the other day, and noticed, among the non-alpine pictures of AlpineDave and AlpinFox, that several routes I've done have gotten harder since I began climbing a couple years ago. At least 2 or 3 routes at Mt. Erie even got an upgrade from the new guidebook that came out just in the last couple years. Just for an example, Springboard went from 5.8 to 5.9R. Is this because the book is aimed at the very moderate crag climber who wont be climbing 5.10 anyways? It still seems weird to have such obvious grade jumps though.

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i noticed the same thing in the Weekend Rock Oregon book. A couple of the old-school climbs got upped a grade from how they're listed in the Tim Olson or Alan Watts books.

Granted, the ones I noticed are indeed climbs that were usually considered hard for their grades, but i think that sticking with the old grades is a good way to keep myself honest. they can be a good ego check.

anyway, i hope that you're right and that it's just because the Weekend Rock books are aimed at people who don't climb so much, and that it's not indicative of grade inflation becoming more accepted.

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If they gained a consensus to change the grade, then I'd just want to hear about it - that'd be easy to mention in a route description. they certainly don't need my opinion, but how much of a consensus was there?

And having a consensus that "this climb is hard for 5.8" is different than having a consensus that "this climb should be re-rated 5.9".

 

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just list the names and locations, and let people experience adventure without preconception that colors the entirety of their experience.

 

I don't know if that's the goal of the book's target market. Another climb that was upgraded (5.7->5.8) was "False Impressions" at the powerline wall. I've taken a bunch of first-time-ever climbers to Mt. Erie and everyone has been able to TR this route. That wouldn't happen with a 5.8 in Leavenworth or Squamish.

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They should have kept the grades capped at 5.10. That way climbs could only ever be downgraded. I guess too many stoned egomaniacs thought 'Spinal Tap' was for real.

 

Hey, I saw Spinal Tap and they were for real, played their own instruments and all.

 

Seriously, I think it should be possible to regrade a climb, but it should probably also be very rare and usually done because the route has actually changed - erosion, vandalism, or the like.

 

It preserves the history of the sport to have "old school" rated routes mixed with more newly created routes and makes people think about what climbing was like 30+ years ago.

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