UKC

NEWS: Huber Brothers - Antarctic Adventure

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 Jack Geldard 28 Jan 2009
The Huber Brothers Alexander and Thomas have made three major first ascents in Antarctica.

The team encountered an average temperature of -30°c, however this dropped to -50°c at some points. The Huber's also commented on their website:

"But sometimes [the temperature went] up to -5°c - T-shirt weather!"

Read More: http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/older.html?month=01&year=2009#n45825
ff 28 Jan 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Interesting that you propose a regrade in terms of E-Grades for this amazing achievement. I think this is confusing, as well, as renaming the ascent (translation from German to English) is not OK. Should all Spanish routes then be translated or "Bain de Sang" be renamed to "Blood Bath"?

The route is originally named "Eiszeit" and was graded UIAA 7+ (translating into French 6b+), A4. In times of endless grading debates (particularly with respect to the British E-System) do you think it is really necessary, to introduce an E grade where none was proposed by the ascentonists?
 Doug 28 Jan 2009
In reply to ff: I agree, give the route name in the original language and, if you really think it necessary, add a translation. So Eiszeit (Ice Age). Likewise for grades.
 JDDD 28 Jan 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

> The team encountered an average temperature of -30°c, however this dropped to -50°c at some points. The Huber's also commented on their website:
>
> "But sometimes [the temperature went] up to -5°c - T-shirt weather!"

I was going to say - I bet they didn't do these ascents without their tops on!
 andyinglis 28 Jan 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: Totally agree. The huber's did not give these routes E grades so why should you? It really struck me as odd while reading the article and made more sense when I checked it out myself. I suspect most people can understand UIAA grades. Separately, I see this as the same level as 8a.nu speculating on the french grade of UK trad routes.

Andy
 Hugh Cottam 28 Jan 2009
In reply to ff:

And Well Done! - the Huber Brothers, and to Jack for reporting stuff outside our little English world.
Awesome effort, looking forward to seeing some of the film! Bo)
 petellis 28 Jan 2009
In reply to ff:
> (In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC)
>
> Interesting that you propose a regrade in terms of E-Grades for this amazing achievement. I think this is confusing, as well, as renaming the ascent (translation from German to English) is not OK. Should all Spanish routes then be translated or "Bain de Sang" be renamed to "Blood Bath"?

Oh come off it...

I'm not sure the grades given are very important? E4 / A4 are hardly cutting edge are they. Climbing in -30 C and actually getting to antarctica and doing the routes are what is amazing.

I'd assume the grade/name translation was largely to give realism to a predominantly UK readership. Maybe they could leave the original names/grades in for all the grade bores (maybe also the UKC team were working from an already translated press release?)...

I love the associated photo with the article, those peaks have a surreal beauty about them that words can't describe - aaah, I've got itchy feet now!
 Alex1 28 Jan 2009
In reply to andyinglis:

It makes perfect sense to give the E grade translation on a British climbing website as that way the majority of the readers will understand it. The comment about 8a.nu was stupid as UIAA grades are directly comparible to British E grades for big mountain routes like these unlike trad to sport. If they'd given a tech grade now... Sounds amazing E4 in minus 30 (shivers)
 koopa 28 Jan 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: Awsome stuff from the Huber bros once again!

P.S. just opened my popcorn will now sit back ans read all the whine about the E grade once again...
 Michael Ryan 28 Jan 2009
In reply to andyinglis:
> (In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC)

> I suspect most people can understand UIAA grades.

You suspect wrongly.

> Separately, I see this as the same level as 8a.nu speculating on the french grade of UK trad routes.

It gives a rough indication, that's all.

 jwi 28 Jan 2009
In reply to ff: Aha! When I read the news I thought the grade was slightly miss-typed and it was supposed to be ED2, A4. VII+ is well understood by anyone who stands a chance of repeating the route...
 andyinglis 28 Jan 2009
In reply to necromancer85: Is that from your experience..... cause I think your talkin' crap. UIAA grades compare directly to french grades.
OP Jack Geldard 28 Jan 2009
In reply to everyone:

I was translating the page from German - using my superb pre-GCSE German language skills, and of course the completely accurate Google Translate.

It probably isn't perfect, I probably should have given original names and grades, however, Good Effort Hubers! Is there anything you two haven't done?!

The original report is available for anyone interested on the Huber's site - http://www.huberbuam.de/e_index.htm and if your German is better than mine (I would guess so!) then it will no doubt make a better read than my report.

Cheers,

Jack
 NickD 28 Jan 2009
Antarctica totally needs a new grading system.

And UKC needs a separate forum for grade debates.
 220bpm 28 Jan 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

Cool as.

If such trivialities such work and money didn't come into it, Antartica is where I would head for some fun and frolics.

Top job by Der Hubers.
 Michael Ryan 28 Jan 2009
In reply to andyinglis:
> (In reply to necromancer85) Is that from your experience..... cause I think your talkin' crap. UIAA grades compare directly to french grades.

Yes. As someone who professionally deals with thousands of climbers and has done for over 20 years.

People have problems with the E grade never mind the UIAA. A little rough translation does no harm.

 Iron_Horse 28 Jan 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC: the Huber brother are simply amazing, always at the forefront of sport, trad, alpine, big wall climbing ect. it amazes me that a sad group of people still talk about how the routes in question have been graded, taking away from the hubers the deserved recognition for these far out routes, done in extreme climates. i'll bet the grade doubters will never even get close to putting up a new route little alone grading one. get over it and enjoy the experience rather than being a cyber critic.
 Damo 28 Jan 2009
In reply to rock_eccentric:

I don't think anyone would seriously suggest that this (very) minor spat takes anything away from a great effort. The comments are about Jack Geldard translating the grade to the UK E grade. Whilst debatable, and in IMO unnecessary in this case, it's far from a new thing to do. I'm sure in the past some have found such translations helpful, maybe nowadays not so much. And given how the E grade has evolved to allow headpointing, rather than just onsighting, perhaps it is increasingly ill-suited to big mountain rock routes. But maybe the Huber's dropped a top rope over Holtanna and practised the moves first. No? E4 doesn't sound so hard when E12 exists, but of course they're not the same thing - so should the same grading be used?

I personally couldn't give a penguin's ass about E grades, however ...

I AM well through writing the upcoming book 'Mountaineering In Antarctica', which is a guide as well as a history. It's due out next year, so will cover these Huber climbs, as well as other hard rock routes done in QML by all nationalities. I will record the grades as they were given by those who climbed them, as I did in a previous book (Norwegians used UIAA, Americans used YDS, Russians used Russian etc). If someone wants to get lost in translation, that is up to them. But until some Brits go down there and climb something new and give it an E grade, that system will remain, for me, confined to your green and pleasant isle(s).

D
 Michael Ryan 28 Jan 2009
In reply to Damo:

Quit the humour Damo and send Jack an article about your book.

Off climbing and I wish it was in the Antarctic, instead a baltic climbing wall.

Be well.
OP Jack Geldard 29 Jan 2009
In reply to Jon Dittman:
> (In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC)
>
> [...]
>
> I was going to say - I bet they didn't do these ascents without their tops on!

JON!!!! You were wrong!!!!!!

http://themountainworld.blogspot.com/2009/01/oops-wrong-planet.html
 Paz 03 Feb 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

An almightly well done bithces. Anyone want me to belay them on a repeat attempt?
 Arjen 03 Feb 2009
In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:

good work hubers!!

Shame about the English translations of the route names, its not necessary and comes across a bit arrogant and disrespectful to the first ascentionist.

I like the picture of the three guys standing topless in the snow... absolutely brilliant.
 Hugh Cottam 03 Feb 2009
In reply to Arjen:

No Arjen, it doesn't come across as "arrogant and disrespectful". I climbed in Germany for years and the German magazines regularly translated other grades into UIAA. Otherwise many German readers wouldn't have understood them.

This is a UK based site and clearly a large section of the readership have not climbed all over the world and are not familiar with the numerous grading systems. Assuming that they are or just ignoring their needs would be "arrogant and disrespectful".
 Arjen 03 Feb 2009
In reply to Hugh Cottam:

I was talking about the names, not the grades.

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