piss easy bouldering grades in NS

[RockMasterFlash]

Your right Ben i have watched you climb like a crippled weasel with epilepsy trying to make violent love with a blender on more then one occasion, on problems much easier then the hardest thing you have ever climbed. Ive also watched you climb resurrection and sunomi with great ease. Dose this mean that those easy problems that gave you such difficulty should now be graded V11 or V12 because the all mighty Ben Smith made them look that hard? I don't think so... Ben there is no doubt in my mind that you are a much stronger climber then me, by your standers i havent even climbed V10 but come into ground zero and i'll give you a run for your money! Who cares if the grades are a little soft, who are they soft for? You Ben? That might be because you have climbed on Nova Scotia granite for years and you are highly tuned to it. But what about the people from away that come to Boulder fest? Who don't climb here all the time i bet they say most of are problems and routs are well graded or maybe even sand bagged. Ben you have climbed v12 here or v13 i'm not sure so i would say that if you do climb that hard then you should be able to walk v7 just about any where. So when you went to visit Heuco how did baby face treat you? Thats solid V7 how about Daily Dick Dose another solid 7 did you walk those? Probably not, probably because those are "REAL" V7 and are grades are soft, or more likely your just not used to climbing in Heuco. I also wonder where else have you climbed to gathered this vast nullage of grades to say that ares are soft?

So through all this what is your point Ben? You said your self this thread is not going to change the grades in Zigs book and by the looks of everyones posts there are very few people in Nova Scotia who care about are grades as much as you. Next time you want to stir S**t up and make your self look like a A$$ post up about cutting bolts or grid bolting Main Face i can gerinty you will get more responses.

Ps. Ben give me a call will go out to scoop boulder and i'll show you how to walk Stars Attacks its only V4 with the right beta.

[Scooter]

I just deleted a huge post because I don't want to rant. Ben I like you lots bro and enjoy climbing with you but you do not have the experience or tick-list to make any judgement about what grades are weak and which aren't. I have yet to figure out the parrallel between working problems for weeks AHEM!! EVEN YEARS!! and calling them weak and ultimately downgrading them. I could understand your argument if I could find the smallest ounce of logic in it but truthfully I have yet to find any.

This thread is beautiful flowers and a personal kick in the frigging face.

[Eager]

Sweet we made it to the second page folks,
another notch for the NS CEC board.

Come on Ben, you gonna take that S**t?

[chossmonkey]

Sweet we made it to the second page folks,
another notch for the NS CEC board.

Come on Ben, you gonna take that S**t?

Salt?

That's a silly thing to say.

[The Teth]

Ben:

1) I think the censoring is automated. You type a particular work and the computer changes it to another word. Fred probably set that word up to = Flowers years ago.

2) I thought leprechauns were bitter.

3) When I moved back to Nova Scotia in 2000 I found the bouldering problems were majorly sandbagged compared to bouldering in California. But I was only climbing V5 at the time so I can’t compare the harder stuff against Californian problems. Also, the grading may have gotten softer in this millennium.

4) Resurrection probably is not a V10 but it is definitely harder than a V7. I think maybe you are sandbagging it to get a rise out of us? I threw my back out and ended my hart-man bouldering days while working on Resurrection, so I never quite finished it, but I still dream about the bata years later. It is probably most people’s V10 more because it is such a sweet problem that it is worth spending weeks working on, then the fact it is soft for the grade.

4b) What is this new sweet bata for resurrection that makes it so much easier?

5) Stick to your point. It is valid and can be argued for in a respectable manner. Profanity and insults do not actually help your case anyway. You are taking this so personally that it is starting to look like a certain dry tooling thread from back in the day.

6) (This one is not to Ben.) But seriously, on really hard problems I just can’t take in enough oxygen through my nose.

7) RockMasterFlash has a good point. If you are used to climbing on Granite you will not be able to climb to the same level on other types of stone until you get used to the stone. For that matter the granite in Bishop has a different character than the granite in Nova Scotia.

[The Teth]

A bit of a side track here, but did Fred ever go through with the April Fools joke I herd him talking about one, which was to set the censer to change “trad” to “bad”? That would have been some funny flowers! All those posts about bad climbing

[Adam]

6) (This one is not to Ben.) But seriously, on really hard problems I just can’t take in enough oxygen through my nose.

it's fine if you're exerting yourself. it is when you're not exerting yourself and using your mouth to breath that I ridicule.

[Scooter]

to provide more oxygen to the lungs I think it is recommended you inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, also slows the heart rate.

[The Teth]

That is true for endurance, but for raw power to make that crux move, there is nothing like gulping massive mouth-fulls of oxygen and revving up the heart into the red zone long enough to push yourself beyond your normal limits.

[john]

I have too much time on my hands lately. I have hesitated posting anything on this one, as i have taken enough heat on the NB forum?!

Ben,

In the case that you were looking for others thoughts on grading in general in NS and specifically on the noted problems, here is some of my feedback, as an out-of-towner who has climbed a lot in NS over the years.

-Local feel and knowledge cannot be underestimated.
-I think in the late 90's early 2000's everything seemed sandbagged to me!
-Over the years things came more in line with reality elsewhere. I also got used to the rock though, so I now am biased, as all locals are.
-I think the current grades are pretty accurate overall in NS, compared to other areas I have been to world wide.
-I think all we can ever aim for is a general grade, as we are all different in strengths/weaknesses and shape wise.
-I think a number grade either way is always debatable.
-That said discussing specific cases has merit, for those interested in grades (not all are), as an enjoyable discussion for consensus. If you are not interested in grade read no further as you will hate me:)

For that last reason, here are a few problems which I think might be debatable:

Blacksmith no dyno - V6
Can't trust skiney people - damn hard not sure
wave V4
resurrection - V8/9 closer to v9, I tried this years ago, when I first started climbing, but then not for 7 years or so and did it 2 years ago in a couple tries. other routes in the area i found harder around the same time period but were of easier grade
white trash - V6/7
no dents - solid V7 for me
Inbangyang - V8 for me is accurate that was my longest term project when I started climbing, nothing since has taken me longer, 3 separate trips to do it at least!
community service -not sure but I found this very easy for the grade, but it is my style, no flexibility just finger strength
Joe boxer? I feel like this is similar to the wave for me
Piranah - harder then joe boxer
captain hook perfect v4
orangahang harder now after it broke what do people think? I think it is not as nice.

[Adam]

I have too much time on my hands lately. I have hesitated posting anything on this one, as i have taken enough heat on the NB forum?!

get back over to the NB forum John. we're not done with you yet.

[chossmonkey]

That is true for endurance, but for raw power to make that crux move, there is nothing like gulping massive mouth-fulls of oxygen and revving up the heart into the red zone long enough to push yourself beyond your normal limits.

I guess I never took it as people breathing though their mouths when exerting.

It was aimed at a certain part of the population that breaths with their mouths open, even when just staring at the wall.

[Nihoa]

grades are subjective and depending on your strengths, body type, climbing style and experience its going to be hard to find routes you feel are graded accurately. i agree with john that nova scotia, for the most part, feels on par with other bouldering spots ive been to. we went to bishop with a fella that sent the mandala (v12) but was shut down hard on dover routes exciter, bulldog, white trash cus of the sharpness. for someone coming in and not being used to the rock some of those routes come off pretty mean. anyway, people from away that ive climbed with in halifax have found the grading pretty steep so i wouldnt worry too much about feeling embarrassed when other climbers come in and see the routes. as far as progress is concerned you have to internalise it. i use grades to gauge how tough a route is going to be but make up my own mind about it once i start working it.

[The Teth]

Well, since it took me two visits to Mandala before I could even identify the holds, and it took a bit of a butt hop just to get off the ground enough to say I had attempted it, it really makes me feel good about myself if someone who sent it got rejected by Bulldog, as I actually managed to conquer the dog after about four years of trying. For the sake of my ego I will ignore the fact that the guy only had two days to work it and was not used to the stone like I was.

Really though it takes many days to get used to the stone in a new area. The Granite at Bishop is not anywhere near as sharp as the sadistic stone we have in this province. After climbing in Nova Scotia for a while you learn to place your hand carefully and never let it slide, or you will loose gruesome amounts of skin. If you have to slap a hold, you have that fraction of a second while you are at the dead-point of your movement to determine if you have it solid, and if you don’t have it, you need to make that quick jerk of your hand off the crystals before it is safe to let gravity have its way with you. The process for a come from away to learn to climb in Nova Scotia is about as bloody as a bare handed fight with a mongoose.

Ben, you should take this into account when comparing our problems to those in other places. It takes a while to learn the stone. So most problems anywhere are easier for the locals.

[Nate]

I do think Kleos is v10. I don't have a lot of experience with v10 but I know I've got less with v11. Slapping deeper in the face instead of going for the arete at the crux is a lot easier. No foot cut, no big deal. Slapping for the arete on the other hand (traditional beta) is wicked hard.

Don't mean to toot the family horn scooter, but the man does have a hefty ticklist. Grizzly is 13 no? gotta give a guy credit....

On the other hand, if grades were based on onsight difficulty, you would in fact be the crappiest climber in all of halifax ben. Juuuuust saying. Internet bashing is fun but you've got to start out on a stronger foot man. You've definitly got the offensive part down though, I'll give you that.

I'm coming home monday so get your pansy weak self ready to climb. pansy.

[Nate]

Haaaahahahahaha that mouth breathing retard comment has come full circle so hard its awesome.

[betaburgler]

orangahang harder now after it broke what do people think? I think it is not as nice.

I sent this after it broke... it sucks now. The problem is much harder for the common beta. Honestly though, who else has even bothered to climb it? I think the monkey is dead...

[Leehammer]

Nate says Kleos is soft (it probably is but I haven't climbed it yet)

There are tons more but these are the biggest suck-ass ego inflators around.

I think so. This guy John Bowles sent it yesterday after working it for about an hour, and I really don't think he's that good... I would hate to see his ego get inflated.

[ben smith]

Jesus, what do I have to say to get you fairies riled up. I'm on here hoping for some old fashioned internet flower talk and I'm confronted with like 1600 replies about goddamned bouldering grades and peoples feeeelllings. Who cares about that beautiful flowers I just want to hear a generally rude discussion maybe with a couple of dudes mothers being compared to lawn gnomes and root vegetables and its like a goddamned AA meeting up ins.

[chossmonkey]

Jesus, what do I have to say to get you fairies riled up. I'm on here hoping for some old fashioned internet flower talk and I'm confronted with like 1600 replies about goddamned bouldering grades and peoples feeeelllings. Who cares about that beautiful flowers I just want to hear a generally rude discussion maybe with a couple of dudes mothers being compared to lawn gnomes and root vegetables and its like a goddamned AA meeting up ins.

Nobody else cares.

Get over it.

My suggestion is that you find a mirror and continue your intellectual discussion with it.

[stoneseeker]

haha

When I was in Squamish a couple months ago, someone had written in chalk on the back of the big trail board at the entrance to the chief boulders:

"Warning!! Climbers ahead... fragile egos abound."


so true...

[Quinn]

"Warning!! Climbers ahead... fragile egos abound."

I know how they feel. Made the misake of leaving Gastropod till late in the session - I was closer to getting "better than a kick in the nuts". Gastropoda was just a kick in the nuts straight up. And WTF is with power of the darkside? There may be some grade inflation, but there's a fair bit of sand-bagging too... but that could be my ego talking Its all good, as Marcus Aurelius said: "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to climb, to love." or something like that...

[seanT]

Today a fat out of shape 40 yr old flashed Knobs of Bishop....grade....irrelevant...shut up and send!

[Quinn]

Really? Probablly needs to be down graded...