In reply to Charles Arthur, UKC Editor:
ffs, Charles, no!! we had almost let this one die and now you go and give it some ludicrous credibility by coming up with a pointless alternative. However, i salute you for coming up with an alternative that is even more barking than the original idea.
To paraphrase, you seem to be saying that some routes are unique, therefore we should give them all a new grade that tells you nothing about their difficulty, just the fact that some people cannot quite discover the unique skills required to climb the route comfortably. This is pointless and is of no use to anyone. What help is it to put a Severe in the same category as an E2? Just stick with the grades they've got and leave it to the guidebooks to hint at the bizarre nature of the climb and to people's common sense when making their own assessment.
As for Fiend's idea. It is no better now than it ever was. No matter how many times he repeats the statement that there are more discussions about grading anomolies on the HVS/E1 boundary than elsewhere does not make it a truth that the mystical "gap" exists.
The argument that E0 will end these debates does not hold water either. Sure, some of the more obvious routes will be E0, but what of all of those other routes that at the moment are quite happily accepted as either HVS or E1? Many more will suddenly be up for debate. If you are separating pepples by colour into 2 boxes, you have an area of indecision straddling your imaginary dividing line. If you suddenly bring in a 3rd box to help you out, you will have two entirely separate areas of indecision that straddled two imaginary dividing lines - hey presto, twice the debate, oh goody.
It's not needed and it's not helpful.