climbing in welsford

[A visitor]

Was out climbing in welsford just a couple of weeks ago and man are the
grades ever soft---if Pink Panther was in the gunks it would be 5.8
the same goes for the rest of the climbs in the area

[mitchleblanc]

That's cute, but I think it's more like the gunks is undergraded.

I've been climbing all over the country, and the US, and I think the grades are right on, generally.

[PaulB]

Was out climbing in welsford just a couple of weeks ago and man are the grades ever soft....

It didn't take long for these guys to make an appearance

[A local]

Welsford has never been called soft. If anything visitors usually find us to be sandbagged. I find grades to be pretty consistent with most other North East trad areas. And stiffer than Western climbs (Red Rocks, Squamish, Calgary-LL - Yosemite being the exception). You must have had a bang on day to call Pink Panther 5.8. 9+ maybe but no way 8. But...ahhhh...yes...you probably were TOP ROPING it.

[Fred]

while we're on this topic... I have to add...

Central Scrutinizer is the softest grade in Welsford by a long shot. There's no way that route is 5.11a. It's an easy 5.10 at best.

[Andrew]

If your serious, Fred, then a note should be made in your new routes list so that whoever decides to put out a new guidebook can correct the grade. One more nice climb that people like me who are only upto 5.10's could try... otherwise listed at 5.11a, I'd generally leave it be.

while we're on this topic... I have to add...

Central Scrutinizer is the softest grade in Welsford by a long shot. There's no way that route is 5.11a. It's an easy 5.10 at best.

[Fred]

Andrew,

go try it out and you'll quickly find out if I'm being sarcastic or not.

peace

[Ropeguy]

Hey why don't we just do away with grading.......!! Either you can climb the stupid rock or you can't!! That way you don't have to spend anymore time wondering about numbers and you can put more effort into getting to the top and not falling on your ass.....Something to think about!

[Ropeguy]

How about this.......Instead of grading by difficulty you can grade by bodyfat.Add your fatmass to the grade and that will tell you how hard it will be. A 5.7 with 28% body fat is alot harder that a 5.13a with 4%!!!

Last one dead is a sissy!!

[mathieu]

I say we adopt my grading scheme.

[a visitor]

I had gone to rockclimbing.com to get info on NB climbing and climbed at
Minkey, Joe's and some other area I could quite figure out--a bit hard to figure out with just a print of the online guidebook. The climb you guys
mentioned "central s." was bang on for the grade 11a? but lots of the
others were soft. Of the dozen or so climbs we did I would have to say
1/2 of them were overgraded. On another note the rock just eats gear and that is probably why it felt so easy......anyway, peace mates.............

P.S. Regardless of the grades, it's an awesome crag. We had lots of fun. Hope to be back next year...

[Andrew]

I can't wait to feel ready to lead stuff higher than 5.7 on minkey's main wall... if it ever stops raining

I had gone to rockclimbing.com to get info on NB climbing and climbed at
Minkey, Joe's and some other area I could quite figure out--a bit hard to figure out with just a print of the online guidebook. The climb you guys
mentioned "central s." was bang on for the grade 11a? but lots of the
others were soft. Of the dozen or so climbs we did I would have to say
1/2 of them were overgraded. On another note the rock just eats gear and that is probably why it felt so easy......anyway, peace mates.............

P.S. Regardless of the grades, it's an awesome crag. We had lots of fun. Hope to be back next year...

[martha]

I had gone to rockclimbing.com to get info on NB climbing and climbed at
Minkey, Joe's and some other area I could quite figure out--a bit hard to figure out with just a print of the online guidebook. The climb you guys
mentioned "central s." was bang on for the grade 11a? but lots of the
others were soft. Of the dozen or so climbs we did I would have to say
1/2 of them were overgraded. On another note the rock just eats gear and that is probably why it felt so easy......anyway, peace mates.............

P.S. Regardless of the grades, it's an awesome crag. We had lots of fun. Hope to be back next year...

Yeah, Fred was being sarcastic about Central scrutinizer. it is solid for its grade, but I do think you are smoking something if you think the grades in Welsford are soft.

[Brent]

I have done enough climbing in North America to assure you that for the most part grades in Welsford are accurate +/- a letter grade on a few, maybe. Pink Panther is not 5.8 and Central Scrutinizer is a hard 5.11a . Hope you had fun looks like I am in for an ass kicking when I go to the Gunks.