UKC

I've been to both this week (Calshot because its near and Westway because I had to be in London yesterday). An interesting difference between the grades I thought - I was climbing far better at Westway than at Calshot, on similar styles of routes I felt as though there was a good grade or two difference between routes of equivalent real difficulty.

I don't mind, as long as the grades are consistent within themselves, but I'm slightly curious as to which one as nearer to "benchmark" grades, if such a thing exists for indoor walls? I've always thought that Calshot is hard, but then I don't do routes indoors very much and so am open to correction if necessary

AJM

In reply to AJM:

I've always been of the opinion and so have the people that I climb with that Calshot is graded slightly too hard.

In reply to clgladiator:

I've always been of the opinion that Clshot grades are about right with other indoor places a bit on the soft side.

In reply to JimR:

Thats not what I've heard you claim before young Mr R....... I'm sure I've heard you mutter before about 6a+s which were more like 6c after being given a ritual spanking by Calshot.....

Pick up my email?

AJM

In reply to AJM:

Westway grades are *very* flattering - I get a full grade "better" there than at Amersham.

Very hard to relate to outdoors, but I guess I climb about a half grade "harder" indoors at Amersham than at Portland/Horseshoe, and about a grade harder than at most provincial french crags.

J

In reply to AJM:

yeah, bad news on the car, I'll give you a call tomorrow at some point. Spent the morning Leylandii slashing!

In reply to JimR:

Fair enough. I might head to The Arch on my way home tomorrow and check it out (still in London atm)

AJM

In reply to AJM: I think Craggy is harder than WW by a grade. I also think Craggy grades are spot on for sPortland. Logic says Craggy is graded right and WW is soft (but has better parking).

In reply to AJM:

Westway grades are fairly notoriously soft. Craggy top-rope grades are often stiffer than the lead grades, but I think that Craggy are probably about right (considering the shorter routes) compared to Portland and Swanage. I've not been to Calshot though, so can't comment.

In reply to AJM:

Some interesting views then..... looks like "the truth" may lie somewhere in between the two........

AJM

In reply to AJM: The only problem with Craggy grades is they are stiff from the ground up. No easing into the route, I understand its probably because they have limited height.

I can onsite the 7a's at Westway but not at Calshot, doesnt say much for me, but loads for the variety in how the grades are perceived by the route setters.

Perhaps the new wall that is due to open in Reading this Dec/Jan will provide a different set of problems.

In reply to riddle:


You what? Do you have any more information?

In reply to clgladiator: Calshot's my regular wall, and I reckon that the grades are mostly about right - with the odd one or two soft or steep for the grade.

On the other hand I'm over 6 foot and not that technical, so that might have something to do with it !

In reply to AJM:

7a on limestone is way easier than 7a at westway but that probably just says something about me... you climbing this weekend?

In reply to necromancer85:

Wow. you are joking! You must have fingers of steel and tiny biceps!

I'm just jealous. I wish I found real rock as easy as the Westway.

In reply to necromancer85:

If the weather's good, yeah. Jim is keen for Portland, Tom for Coronation Street so will see with the weather really.

If not, then Ali has a party I've been invited to in Cambridge so I might tie that in with a wall session, probably in London on my way through.

You're out and about then?

AJM

In reply to AJM:

I'll drop you a mail at some point today

In reply to Monk:

Sounds like a fair assesment of me... trying to fix that on the new bouldering wall. How have you climbed 7c+ indoors but only 6c+ outside though - with your worked grades you should be crushing on limestone with a bit of adaption to the rock type!

In reply to necromancer85:

I've never worked a route outdoors, whereas I have spent weeks working hard routes on winter evenings indoors. I can onsight 7a though, the 6c+ worked grade is simply because that is a route that I fell off but go 2nd go so the closest to a worked grade I had!