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Ok, southerners so who sets the hardest routes for the grade?
Craggy
Redhill
Crawley K2
Alton
Elmbridge
Midhurst
Guildford Uni
Any other in the area for consideration.
Craggy
Redhill
Crawley K2
Alton
Elmbridge
Midhurst
Guildford Uni
Any other in the area for consideration.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: craggy
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:
Craggy grades are very strange & have put many of my friends off from going there.
I went to the Westway last w/e & did a 6b+ that was like a cragy 5 for the first 2/3, then the remaining third was like a Craggy 6a. The same thing with a Westway 6c which was like a craggy 5+ but with a couple of harder moves (Craggy 6a+ ish)but just a couple of moves being this hard.
The difference with Craggy though is you can get 5+'s with totaly impossible moves & 6a's with moves that would be at least 6b anywhere else but with these moves Every move often with no rests. Other walls have easier bits between the hard moves sometimes with rests.
The place is very strange & totally out of kilter with most other walls I have been to.
Apart from putting most of my friends off from going, the grading puts you off trying harder routes as if you get spanked by a 5+, who's going to want to try a 6b ??
Craggy grades are very strange & have put many of my friends off from going there.
I went to the Westway last w/e & did a 6b+ that was like a cragy 5 for the first 2/3, then the remaining third was like a Craggy 6a. The same thing with a Westway 6c which was like a craggy 5+ but with a couple of harder moves (Craggy 6a+ ish)but just a couple of moves being this hard.
The difference with Craggy though is you can get 5+'s with totaly impossible moves & 6a's with moves that would be at least 6b anywhere else but with these moves Every move often with no rests. Other walls have easier bits between the hard moves sometimes with rests.
The place is very strange & totally out of kilter with most other walls I have been to.
Apart from putting most of my friends off from going, the grading puts you off trying harder routes as if you get spanked by a 5+, who's going to want to try a 6b ??
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: craggy grades are pretty stiff but i'd say calshot was possibly harder.
In reply to Reach>Talent: where is calshot? (me being lazy and not googling it).
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:
Craggy, but I wouldn't change a thing. It's nice to go to other walls and climb a whole grade harder. I do think that Craggy grades are very similar to Portland so perhaps the others are too easy.
Craggy, but I wouldn't change a thing. It's nice to go to other walls and climb a whole grade harder. I do think that Craggy grades are very similar to Portland so perhaps the others are too easy.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:
Nahhh. Not Craggy. My hardest climb has been at Craggy, typically i can climb 6a or 6b (french grade) but i pulled off a 7a+, which makes me think its not that hard.
The Castle is quite hard if this is included in the survey. In general upstairs is harder than downstairs, as the routes are longer, and if you're short on stamina it makes the french grade feel a lot harder, espcially near the top.
The wall on the side of my house is quite hardcore too. I haven't put a grade on it, but the pebble-dashed traverse between the last climbing hold and the patio doors is nails. If i put a grade of about 3 on it, it would make it the hardest 3 in the whole of the south of england....
Craggy does tend to be harder than redhill, alton, etc. etc...
Another one for the mix is Arethusa (Upnor, nr Rochester) as their holds can be quite tough (only for those with diamond finger-tips). Their boulder grades are hard with a capital H.
Nahhh. Not Craggy. My hardest climb has been at Craggy, typically i can climb 6a or 6b (french grade) but i pulled off a 7a+, which makes me think its not that hard.
The Castle is quite hard if this is included in the survey. In general upstairs is harder than downstairs, as the routes are longer, and if you're short on stamina it makes the french grade feel a lot harder, espcially near the top.
The wall on the side of my house is quite hardcore too. I haven't put a grade on it, but the pebble-dashed traverse between the last climbing hold and the patio doors is nails. If i put a grade of about 3 on it, it would make it the hardest 3 in the whole of the south of england....
Craggy does tend to be harder than redhill, alton, etc. etc...
Another one for the mix is Arethusa (Upnor, nr Rochester) as their holds can be quite tough (only for those with diamond finger-tips). Their boulder grades are hard with a capital H.
In reply to Skinny: Feel free to include other walls - we've already had Westway mentioned.
You are right about Arethusa - I still haven't clicked bouldering there although the lead walls inside and out I'd say are about right.
You are right about Arethusa - I still haven't clicked bouldering there although the lead walls inside and out I'd say are about right.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:
I'm not sure if it's the grading itself or just the styles of climbs that are different between the centres. Craggy does seem to have some hard 5s but there are some 5s at Redhill that can be tricky. I really dislike the style of the climbs upstairs at the Castle which brings my grade down a peg or two.
I'm interested to hear what people think of Calshot as that's my Plan B for this weekends trip to Dorset and I've never been there as we've not been rained off Portland yet.
I'm not sure if it's the grading itself or just the styles of climbs that are different between the centres. Craggy does seem to have some hard 5s but there are some 5s at Redhill that can be tricky. I really dislike the style of the climbs upstairs at the Castle which brings my grade down a peg or two.
I'm interested to hear what people think of Calshot as that's my Plan B for this weekends trip to Dorset and I've never been there as we've not been rained off Portland yet.
In reply to Ugly Kid Jo: calshot is pretty good but really cold when it is windy, i've seen more than one person wearing a down jacket while climbing there. Definitely worth a visit though.
In reply to To_Boldly_Go: Was at the Westway a few weeks ago and got talking to Slimfast who said that a group of them, pretty solid climbers, some up to f8, went to Craggy some time ago to check it out, and they all got spanked, even on lower grade climbs !!
More recently, a friend visiting from France, who climbs f7a on a good day, got systematically spanked on 6as. The highlight of her stay before she went home, was being able to cleanly lead a 6a+ !!
As Craggy's my local wall, after much complaining, I just put my ego to the side and feel particularly delighted when I'm able to redpoint a 6b. I've come to the conclusion that the routes, had as they are, are actually a good way to build strength and technique, and I feel that I reap the benefits when I'm playing on real rock.
I must say that lately, there have been a number of great routes in the 6a/6b range, a lot of which don't rely on microscopic holds to set their difficulty. The only thing that I still don't get my head around is the amount of lunging required on a lot of these routes. Gets to work contact strength and taking lobs I suppose...
More recently, a friend visiting from France, who climbs f7a on a good day, got systematically spanked on 6as. The highlight of her stay before she went home, was being able to cleanly lead a 6a+ !!
As Craggy's my local wall, after much complaining, I just put my ego to the side and feel particularly delighted when I'm able to redpoint a 6b. I've come to the conclusion that the routes, had as they are, are actually a good way to build strength and technique, and I feel that I reap the benefits when I'm playing on real rock.
I must say that lately, there have been a number of great routes in the 6a/6b range, a lot of which don't rely on microscopic holds to set their difficulty. The only thing that I still don't get my head around is the amount of lunging required on a lot of these routes. Gets to work contact strength and taking lobs I suppose...
In reply to Ugly Kid Jo:
I agree with you about the tricky 5s at Redhill. Some I just cant get up at all when at other times I can see off a 6a there without too much faff.
I've only climbed hard at Craggy once and found it really tricky in places and quite sustained on a lot of routes.
Crawley seemed quite accurate to me (I couldn't tell you what a route was by climbing it really), in as far as a 5 felt harden than 4 and a 6 harder than a 5. The thing I found here was that It's quite a high wall and I was quite nackered by the end of a route, even on a 4.
I agree with you about the tricky 5s at Redhill. Some I just cant get up at all when at other times I can see off a 6a there without too much faff.
I've only climbed hard at Craggy once and found it really tricky in places and quite sustained on a lot of routes.
Crawley seemed quite accurate to me (I couldn't tell you what a route was by climbing it really), in as far as a 5 felt harden than 4 and a 6 harder than a 5. The thing I found here was that It's quite a high wall and I was quite nackered by the end of a route, even on a 4.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: For those who don't know Calshot is just outside of Southampton.
It is pretty much my local wall and apparently the grades given are harder than Craggy according to the route climbers I know.
People who climb at Craggy should check it out for themselves.
It is true that Calshot is extremely cold...but that is only in winter.
Nice! :0)
It is pretty much my local wall and apparently the grades given are harder than Craggy according to the route climbers I know.
People who climb at Craggy should check it out for themselves.
It is true that Calshot is extremely cold...but that is only in winter.
Nice! :0)
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:
Does Guildford Uni do grades? Where are they?
I'd say at Craggy the grades are harder than at Elmbridge, but still easier than Portland or Costa Blanca.
Does Guildford Uni do grades? Where are they?
I'd say at Craggy the grades are harder than at Elmbridge, but still easier than Portland or Costa Blanca.
In reply to Sircumfrins:
Ah, that is why I was unfamiliar as to where it was.
> (In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat) For those who don't know Calshot is just outside of Southampton.
> It is pretty much my local wall and apparently the grades given are harder than Craggy according to the route climbers I know.
> People who climb at Craggy should check it out for themselves.
> It is true that Calshot is extremely cold...but that is only in winter.
> Nice! :0)
> It is pretty much my local wall and apparently the grades given are harder than Craggy according to the route climbers I know.
> People who climb at Craggy should check it out for themselves.
> It is true that Calshot is extremely cold...but that is only in winter.
> Nice! :0)
Ah, that is why I was unfamiliar as to where it was.
In reply to michel4388:
Dunno - thought I'd ask.
> (In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat)
>
> Does Guildford Uni do grades? Where are they?
>
> Does Guildford Uni do grades? Where are they?
Dunno - thought I'd ask.
>
> I'd say at Craggy the grades are harder than at Elmbridge, but still easier than Portland or Costa Blanca.
> I'd say at Craggy the grades are harder than at Elmbridge, but still easier than Portland or Costa Blanca.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:
Don't know about hardest, Craggy grades are certainly harder than high sports. At K2 though grades are hilarious, everything is about 2 grades overgraded.
Don't know about hardest, Craggy grades are certainly harder than high sports. At K2 though grades are hilarious, everything is about 2 grades overgraded.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: Craggy, but this is a good thing.
Find The Westway and The Castle all over the place, they have had some lovely routes when I have been. Although I hear the new boulder area at The Westway is much more consistant and really well set, must head up for a play.
I have seen many people blab about being 7a this 7a that then get spanked at Craggy, on lower grades. The good thing about the grades at Craggy and any other wall that is similar, is that it prepares you for outside. In particular when clipping, a lot of other centres do put you in a very confortable position on every clip. Craggy routes can make you work for the clip once past the 3nd or 3rd quick-draw.
I get completely destroyed by Craggy bouldering, but I boulder much harder outside thanks to it.
Find The Westway and The Castle all over the place, they have had some lovely routes when I have been. Although I hear the new boulder area at The Westway is much more consistant and really well set, must head up for a play.
I have seen many people blab about being 7a this 7a that then get spanked at Craggy, on lower grades. The good thing about the grades at Craggy and any other wall that is similar, is that it prepares you for outside. In particular when clipping, a lot of other centres do put you in a very confortable position on every clip. Craggy routes can make you work for the clip once past the 3nd or 3rd quick-draw.
I get completely destroyed by Craggy bouldering, but I boulder much harder outside thanks to it.
In reply to Sircumfrins: Calshot's great, though I think you only start getting good quality routes from 6a onwards. The 5+s tend to be all over the place; good for a warm-up though.
What's neat about Calshot is that the routes are hard mainly because they are technical and you need to use brain and not just bicep power to get up them. It's also a great place to work on endurance as the routes are longer than at Craggy, just like the Westway really.
The bouldering is good fun as well, especially that arch thingy.
What's neat about Calshot is that the routes are hard mainly because they are technical and you need to use brain and not just bicep power to get up them. It's also a great place to work on endurance as the routes are longer than at Craggy, just like the Westway really.
The bouldering is good fun as well, especially that arch thingy.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:
dunno about anywhere else, but at Westway there are a few Voodoo 5+'s.
I can happily get up 6as and a few 6bs and c's, but occassionally, the 5+'s kick my arse.
Voodoo 5+.
dunno about anywhere else, but at Westway there are a few Voodoo 5+'s.
I can happily get up 6as and a few 6bs and c's, but occassionally, the 5+'s kick my arse.
Voodoo 5+.
In reply to sasmojo:
You should try Arethusa - first I was dumbfounded (not unusual) then started getting the hang of the routes, stopped going there and went back and was dumbfounded again.
> (In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat) >
> I get completely destroyed by Craggy bouldering, but I boulder much harder outside thanks to it.
> I get completely destroyed by Craggy bouldering, but I boulder much harder outside thanks to it.
You should try Arethusa - first I was dumbfounded (not unusual) then started getting the hang of the routes, stopped going there and went back and was dumbfounded again.
I spoke to Mark Croxall at Craggy, he sets a lot of the routes/grades and said they were graded so that if you can climb/lead a 5+ at Craggy, you can do the same outdoors...
They'd re-routed some walls yesterday and it was great just jumping on to the walls without a clue what grade they were going to be, - If we failed it was a tricky 5, if we managed it, it was probably a 6c
I too enjoy the satisfaction of then going to Westway and storming up routes 1-2 grades harder than at Craggy.
They'd re-routed some walls yesterday and it was great just jumping on to the walls without a clue what grade they were going to be, - If we failed it was a tricky 5, if we managed it, it was probably a 6c
I too enjoy the satisfaction of then going to Westway and storming up routes 1-2 grades harder than at Craggy.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: mate the stairs at Craggy get me confused.
In reply to sasmojo: They're a 5+ if you don't use the handrail.
In reply to Ade7: using the handrail is aid.
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: Craggy,
We use it when we need to "toughen up a bit". Westway grades are very flattering in my opinion.
Interestingly there seems to be difference in top rope grading and leading (e.g. 4+ much harder on lead walls) at Calshot
We use it when we need to "toughen up a bit". Westway grades are very flattering in my opinion.
Interestingly there seems to be difference in top rope grading and leading (e.g. 4+ much harder on lead walls) at Calshot
In reply to Durbs:
That is a fair point as a lot of walls have 5+'s that wouldn't even be a 3 outdoors.
Although I criticised Craggy earlier, what i DO like is the way they are sometimes very imaginative with routes, somtimes putting in routes with silly traverses or dyno's & tufa's which you tend not to get elsewhere, & sometimes at Craggy even on lower grades (which you definitely donlt get elsewhere). The frustration there though is the huge inconsistency in grades which does tend to put people off trying harder routes (which sometimes really are quite do able)..
That is a fair point as a lot of walls have 5+'s that wouldn't even be a 3 outdoors.
Although I criticised Craggy earlier, what i DO like is the way they are sometimes very imaginative with routes, somtimes putting in routes with silly traverses or dyno's & tufa's which you tend not to get elsewhere, & sometimes at Craggy even on lower grades (which you definitely donlt get elsewhere). The frustration there though is the huge inconsistency in grades which does tend to put people off trying harder routes (which sometimes really are quite do able)..
In reply to RFWilkie:
new routes sometimes take a litle time to settle at a grade in the centre until a general consensus is reached. tom
new routes sometimes take a litle time to settle at a grade in the centre until a general consensus is reached. tom
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: IMHO Craggy has grades that closely match Portland/ Swanage quarries. Although I think they should use a more detailed grading system for the bouldering wall. There is just to much variation in difficulty to have only three grades (easy, medium and hard).
K2 in crawley is turning into a great wall. Fantastic routes and the freindliest atmosphere of all the local walls. ( but can we have some harder routes please).
K2 in crawley is turning into a great wall. Fantastic routes and the freindliest atmosphere of all the local walls. ( but can we have some harder routes please).
In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: Sunbury!
In reply to michel4388:
>
> Does Guildford Uni do grades?
>
Routes are generally set by the University Club members and as it's not very high (~6-8m) it's tricky to grade them so I don't think they bother. I could ask them to but I doubt it would be very accurate. > Does Guildford Uni do grades?
>
In reply to To_Boldly_Go:
Craggy's gradings are weird. A few months ago there were a couple of 6a or so's on the autobelays that seemed to involve a couple of successive fingertip campus moves to start start and didn't look much easier from there.The 6a routes on the autobelay 6 weeks ago were about two grades easier ie.stff for 6a but probably 6a.I find the Foundry at least a grade easier on average.
As someone else pointed out,there seems to a a plethora on semidyno lunges required even on the 5s at Craggy.
Craggy's gradings are weird. A few months ago there were a couple of 6a or so's on the autobelays that seemed to involve a couple of successive fingertip campus moves to start start and didn't look much easier from there.The 6a routes on the autobelay 6 weeks ago were about two grades easier ie.stff for 6a but probably 6a.I find the Foundry at least a grade easier on average.
As someone else pointed out,there seems to a a plethora on semidyno lunges required even on the 5s at Craggy.
In reply to Postmanpat: that's for all the young men that seem to love to dyno, perhaps.
In reply to deacondeacon: glad you enjoy the wall, we enjoy working there. a recent route set on all walls includes a 7a on tope rope line 18, and on the main lead wall routes including 7a+ 7b, and 7c.
tom
tom
In reply to thomasfoote: Excellent I'll pop down and have a look. Managed to do the 7a on the far right wall (on the autobelay) didn't have a chance to try the leading ones.
Shall lok forward to it.
Shall lok forward to it.
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