British Trad Grades Explained

[David Trippett]

From: http://www.rockfax.com/publications/grades.html

 

Grade conversions - Bold Routes

 

The table below has been adapted to take account of the unique nature of bold traditional climbing. Not all traditional climbing is bold but where there is a danger associated with a route due to the lack of natural protection, the grade comparison tables often fail to give a realistic impression of the actual difficulty. A route with limited or poor natural protection will have a much higher E grade than the actual technical difficulties on the route would merit. For example the route Indian Face at Cloggy in North Wales is graded E9 6c yet it is about 7b+(sport) on a top-rope, which doesn't fit into our normal conversion table very well, however a fall from the Indian Face would be fatal which is where the E9 comes from. The American 5.XX system caters with bold routes in a different way. They are given a grade and then a single letter suffix - 'R' for run-out routes and 'X' for really dangerous chop routes. ie. a 5.10a and a 5.10aX would be the same difficulty but the second one would be a lot more dangerous.

 

 

 

 

BRITISH TRAD GRADE - The grade is divided into two parts:

The adjectival grade (Diff, VDiff, ...to E10). This gives an overall picture of the route including how well protected it is, how sustained and an indication of the level of difficulty of the whole route.

The Technical grade - (4a, 4b, 4c,....to 7b). This refers to the difficulty of the hardest single move, or short section, on a route.

 

The British Trad Grade appears to be a mystery to those used to other systems and is thought to be the most versatile system by those who use it regularly. In practice it is now only used for traditionally protected routes (routes where you hand-place your own gear or where there is only very limited fixed protection - bolts, pegs, threads).

 

How to recognise a dangerous route from the British Trad Grade -

 

Any route with a high E grade and a technical grade lower than the one indicated at the top of the bar in the table above is likely to be poorly protected. (eg. E1 4c, E2 5a, ... E6 6a, E7 6b). This is only a general indication though since routes can also be bold within the parmeters indicated above.

 

 

 

 

 

[ivan]

jesus!

[ashw_justin]

Those crazy British. If a brit climbs a bolted route but doesn't clip any of the bolts, do they get to tack on a few grades to the bolted rating in order to account for their boldness?

[G-spotter]

johnny dawes did a one-handed free solo of an E4 once and said it was E8

[cj001f]

do they get to tack on a few grades to the bolted rating in order to account for their boldness?

 

ehh? It's not like the US doesn't us R and X for routes....

[HerbalTee]

I like the E grades. I sometimes wish I knew more that R and X when climbing a trad route.

[ashw_justin]

do they get to tack on a few grades to the bolted rating in order to account for their boldness?

 

ehh? It's not like the US doesn't us R and X for routes....

 

Yeah well eh, the E-rating comes FIRST! So neah!

Good for them though if it reduces the impulse to gridbolt, assuming the climbs can be toproped

[cj001f]

Yeah well eh, the E-rating comes FIRST! So neah!

Good for them though if it reduces the impulse to gridbolt, assuming the climbs can be toproped

 

gritstone country is the traddest motherfucking land around.

 

Funny to contrast the homeland with New Zealand where a single number (!) will suffice for alpine routes

[dom]

The E-rating makes a lot more sense once you've done a few routes and get a feel for the routes. Its good in that it tells you the single hardest move of the route, so you know if there is going to be a stopper crux move or if it is sustained.

 

For what its worth, i think the conversion to sport route grades in the table above needs to be taken down a couple notches. The E5's i've done were more like F6c-F7a (11a-11d), and the only E11 done is said to be around F8c+ (14c) not F9a+ to F9b+ (15a-15c) thats rediculous.

 

[Jens]

Those crazy British. If a brit climbs a bolted route but doesn't clip any of the bolts, do they get to tack on a few grades to the bolted rating in order to account for their boldness?

 

The methods of British headpointing and trad climbing are a little silly.