UKC

Just been checking out the grade charts for Trad on the Rockfax website. Seems pretty straight forward I thought. Then I found the chart for 'Bold' routes which apparently is slightly altered to take into account 'bolder' trad routes.

Now I thought that this is exactly what the standard chart did. For example, an HVS 5b would have more protection than an E1 or E2 5b. So what is the chart for bold trad routes for?

Am I completely missing something? I know grade charts are only a guide but wouldn't it be simpler to have just the one chart? Please forgive me, I am a trad newbie!

In reply to Steve Perry (Pezz):

The main table here - http://www.rockfax.com/publications/grades.html - is for routes which are well protected. The following text is under it which pretty much explains the difference:

BOLD ROUTES - The table below can only be used for comparing the grade of traditional routes which are reasonably well protected. A route where there is a possibility of a dangerous fall will have a much higher E grade than the actual technical difficulties on the route would merit.

... and then we link to the adapted table here - http://www.rockfax.com/publications/grades-bold.html which has stretched E-grades to account for the dnager with low technical difficulty factor.

Most of this is explained on the pages.

Alan

In reply to Alan James - UKC:

Just out of interest, it states in the blurb at the top of the bold chart that Indian face is E9 6c but 7b+ on a top rope.
How is the tech grade harder on a top rope?
Or were you referring to the moves being about F7b+ if done on a top rope?
Like I said, purely out of interest as I'll never be able to climb it, top rope or lead!

In reply to teflonpete:

French/sport grades.

In reply to teflonpete:
Is it 6c UK tech grade and F7b+ the equiv sport grade? (French sport grades not matching exactly to our tech grades) The french grade given as if it were a sport route as the top rope removes the lead risk.
If so you could say its either 6c GB or 7b+ French - both same??

In reply to blanchie14c:

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

READ this. It explains all.

End of discussion I think.

In reply to torbaytradclimber:
ooo look, the link explains that 6c GB equates to 7b+ french...
Thanks for the link but it wasn't something I needed to READ, I simply explained the difference as I saw it (not incorrectly) to a poster who asked the question.
Sometimes posters don't understand what is written about all sorts of things and telling them to READ this etc doesn't help and a simple explaination is all that is required.

In reply to blanchie14c:

I thought they (rockfax) meant English 6c as an equivalent to F7b+ but in the text it only says 7b+ ( not F7b+ ) and I just wondered whether that was due to having to take a straighter line at a harder grade on a top rope because the original E9 6c route had a 6c traverse under an overhang or something.

I was just enquiring out of interest.
Thanks for your reply Blanchie, it confirmed what I thought.

It's not worth shouting at each other about though eh?

In reply to teflonpete:
No worries mate, some folks just go off on one eh?!!