UKC

Is anyone else generally finding highly starred routes soft, and less of a struggle. Perhaps they just climb better? Dunno.
What are your observations?

In reply to zimpara:



For - More ascents, cleaner, moves indicated by chalk more often, more beta around about them, runner placements more obvious, grade less likely to be a complete sandbag.

Against - More polish, ... er that's about it.

So, yes, there are factors that make high starred routes easier to climb but not necessarily soft at the grade. There are plenty of three star routes that are high in their grades.

Alan

In reply to zimpara:


No, I'm at home and comfortable on walls, slabs, loose rock, and/or with long runouts/poor protection. I'm lost on vicious wide cracks.

In reply to abseil:

Most three-star routes will not (and should not, in my opinion) be a one-move wonder. In fact, A three star route will often be sustained, so in my experience, no, they are not. Most of the peak 3 star HVSs I can think of are not soft. More absolute brutes like Chequers Crack than really soft touches like Tody's Wall.

In reply to zimpara:

At least here, the more stars the route has, generally more sustained/continuous it is. Where as the non starred ones generally have a really nasty (luckily short) crux.

So the sustained ones can "feel" easier, where as the the cruxy one might feel really hard.

In reply to abseil:


nor overhangs, cracks, slopers,chimneys, jugs, anything more than 1m above the ground, aretes or ridges...

In reply to zimpara:

I would say that you have to work harder for more stars but enjoy the experience more so that usually equates to sustained climbing rather than one desperate move. When you are fit and climbing with confidence sustained routes can feel easy but bloc moves are always hard!

In reply to Trangia:


Overhangs - no problem. Chimneys - no thanks. More than 1m above the ground?!?! Please read my post again - long runouts = good: the higher the better to avoid decking.

In reply to zimpara:

You need to get thyself to Wimberry Rocks pal.

In reply to zimpara:


God, no. Have you even climbed in the Peak?

In reply to zimpara:

Not always. I climbed a 3* route at Black Rocks at the weekend which was both very good and very hard for the grade (as seems to be the norm at Black Rocks)

In reply to Cake:

Chequers Crack has a really short crux, and is easily soloable once you get it right, in fact it's easier to climb solo so possibly a mat instead of nuts and a rope!

In reply to zimpara:

Suicide Wall at Cratcliffe would be my counter example to your hypothesis. Three stars : hard as bloody nails!

In reply to zimpara:

Malbogies would be my counter example. Not only hard, but also serious.

In reply to zimpara:

I think the answer to your question is 'no'!

In reply to ChrisBrooke:

Good shout - best HVS on Peak grit and hard as nails.

In reply to ChrisBrooke:


Well, the first pitch has a hard move, but the second is pretty steady. Loads of harder, nastier ones I can think of.

In reply to Al Evans:

Isn't everything easier to solo? Doesn't mean it's the best way up it. I agree that it is probably on the HVS side of E1, but I wouldn't have said that on-sight it is a soft HVS solo with pads. Sunset slab on the other hand...

In reply to zimpara:

HVS*** grit is generally a warning for a right sandbag. Often cracks, so the HVS grade has nothing to do with difficulty, it's just telling you it's a crack that's usually bigger than fingers and is a bit easier than say Goliath - the actual difficulty is often around E2. The Hen Cloud "HVS"s are good examples, Batchelor's LH being the best (better than Suicide Wall even) and Hen Cloud Eliminate the hardest. Those cracks at Wimberry are similarly highly starred and highly sandbaggy; have a go at some Ramshaw HVS*** for more fun (I haven't). On Peak lime, 3* doesn't let you off the hook either...

HVS***s in Pembroke tend to be total paths, and so are many of the E1***s. But then if you're fit, in Pembroke "hard for the grade" generally isn't.