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Messages 21 - 33 of total 33 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
squishy

Mountain climber
Oct 11, 2013 - 07:21pm PT
Aid climbing is a tradition, the classic way, it's done as a ceremony to those before, not like it's something new to push the limits. You guys are looking at it from the wrong perspective. If you want to talk ratings and pushing the limits then go talk about hard free, sport and trad climbing. Warren Harding pushed aid routes up forced lines, new aid climbers do the same thing. Who cares? If pushing lines up blank walls ain't your thing, go do something else. And trying to rate such a thing in the 1st place is an exercise in futility after such routes were free climbed. The lamest thing here is watching aid climbers talk about rating like they matter to their chosen means of ascent in the 1st place.

Aid climbing is climbing by any means possible, upward progress at the expensive of all ethics (save for siege tactics). So how can you rate it at all? One dude's technique with a cam hook may be another dude's pecker dream. Seriously? Just rate it as an aid climb and let those who follow figure it out on their own, in this way we fully embrace the ceremony it is and honor those we respect who came before and pioneered it to begin with.

It's not like the ratings tell me jack about what I need to bring these days, old A routes are now C and then there's all the suggestions of gear to take, some people still carrying hammers. Yeah, I can totally gather all that from an A3 rating. What happens these days is people show up in the valley, go to camp 4 and ask a ton of people, then they go over to the shop for the crap they need for the route. Do they care what it's rated? No, they care whether or not they have the specific tools for the specific route. Rate that.
Mark Force

Trad climber
Cave Creek, AZ
Oct 11, 2013 - 07:40pm PT
Aid ratings are just as subjective as free ratings. So what's the problem?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Oct 11, 2013 - 07:48pm PT
Boy....I could go on about ratings both for aid and free. Bottom line....they should be considered discriptive rather than definitive. The climb offers rock architecture that you can deal with or not....the rating is a transitory number that only exists in the minds of climbers.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Oct 11, 2013 - 07:55pm PT
I'm in one right now in Chengdu, China....i'll give it three stars. Shanghai for two days and then home to Ouray....getting real tired of Chinese food.
j-tree

Big Wall climber
Classroom to crag to summer camp
Oct 11, 2013 - 08:43pm PT
some people still carrying hammers.

Time to get off the blown out beaten track. Then we'll see if "some" becomes "all."
BASE1361

climber
Yosemite Valley National Park
Oct 11, 2013 - 09:08pm PT
So Donini is in a "3 star hotel" but some might consider it a 1 or a 5. Whats the old saying "It's all A1 until you fall"? Didn't Kalous drill on a Klaus route on the SA? Interesting rant but it seems like he just wanted to hear himself talk.
5.15c??? A6+ (which just answer me this : was it or was it NOT a complete hook belay? Answer Rivet Hanger? NO!!!) Why it is a "theoretical grade" asshat (courtesy of Klaus)

Might as well have a VIIII M80 5.17f, A9r/x V21. Whatever.

The one thing I learned in Yosemite is who did the FA. A Bridewell FA route it stout compared to other FA's. Similar I've never done a Klaus route and I have a feeling it might wreck my brain.


Slabby D

Trad climber
B'ham WA
Oct 11, 2013 - 09:35pm PT
Aid climbing happily defies the precise numerical categorization of a deeply personal experience. Amen!
Kalimon

Social climber
Ridgway, CO
Oct 11, 2013 - 10:34pm PT
It's all A1 until you fall . . .
The Larry

climber
Moab, UT
Oct 11, 2013 - 10:39pm PT
Yo yo.
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
Oct 12, 2013 - 02:25am PT
Since nobody cares to type the obvious:

The difficultly of Aid routes, unlike free routes to a large extent, changes over the year, or even from season to season, for the following reasons

1. Fixed gear. It's tricky to place 8 heads in a row in some seam. If the last party leaves those heads fixed, it's easy to clip up the heads, you merely have to test them. If the last party removes them, the next party has to replace them, causing further damage to the rock, eventually leading to trenched holes and consequently, a different degree of difficulty. Either way, a route can be hard one year and easier the next year, or harder, depending on the state of fixed gear.

2. Changes in gear. Cams, then Aliens, brass offsets and such, have made what was once hard, much easier. Cam hooks and other gear as well.

3. Impact of rock damage. If it's a nailing route, the cracks get beaten into new shapes. The cracks on the Shield look nothing like they did on the first ascent.

4. Sandbagging: Happens

5. Aid climbing is weird to rate anyway since there is a focus on the length and consequence of a fall and not so much the awkwardness or trickyiness of the climbing. It might be A1 to crack jug an offwidth tucked inside a tight flaring chimney if you have a bunch of large cams to leave as pro but if you don't, it might be not only awkward, but if you fall, it's a long ride until your last gear.

Peace

Karl
ElCapPirate

Big Wall climber
Reno, Nevada
Oct 12, 2013 - 05:08am PT
Similar I've never done a Klaus route and I have a feeling it might wreck my brain.

Is THAT what happened to me?
whitemeat

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
Oct 12, 2013 - 10:58am PT
best video of all time! Aid rant!
[Click to View YouTube Video]

the bridwell system!
http://www.mazamas.org/your/adventure/nw/jim-bridwells-casual-rating-system/


as of right now with my experince aid climbing... I like the ratings, they give me a good idea of whats ahead and so far they seem to be right on!
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Oct 12, 2013 - 12:50pm PT
When life gives u aids make lemonaids, lol. Post of the week fer sure.
Messages 21 - 33 of total 33 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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