In reply to Cellinski:
> Well, put yourself in Bertles place. He had invested a lot into Meiose, more than in any other route before and finally managed the ascent. It felt harder to him than everything else he had done before. So suggesting half a grade more than what he had previously done does not seem overly optimistic.
I think it's more pronounced when you do it at the cutting edge of the sport. There are only 4 routes harder than 9b and only 2 climbers that have climbed harder. Because he was basing the grade as harder than his other routes obviously meant it was a bit dubious. His whole frame of reference was a bubble of his own making. Other climbers either climb established routes so they get a feel for what a certain grade is or, if they don't have the experience, they may not give a grade. A recent example is Baptiste Dherbilly, who did the long awaited second ascent of Fred Rouhling's route Salamandre. He did not suggest a grade, only that it was the hardest thing he had personally climbed.
Steve McClure was cautious with grading Rainman but he had at least done a confirmed 'hard 9a+' in a similar style at the same crag. The fact Rainman took him so much longer than Overshadow strongly suggests his 9b is a fair suggestion.
I think as HeMa points out all FA grades are only suggestions but some are obviously done with a bit more integrity than others. Grading something 9b is not just about the route. It's also putting yourself into a very small, very elite group of the world's best climbers, most of whom have an incredible track record.
