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From: rgo@druxj.UUCP (OlsenRG)
Newsgroups: net.rec
Subject: Re: Rock-climb rating systems
Message-ID: <1048@druxj.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Aug-85 14:42:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: druxj.1048
Posted: Mon Aug 26 14:42:11 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Aug-85 06:34:24 EDT
References: <831@utcs.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 46

> What is the rock climbing rating system which
> rates climbs from 5.1 to 5.14?

The rating system you refer to is known as the Yosemite Decimal System.
It is part of a system for rating hikes and climbs which
goes as follows:

Class
1	Walking
2	Trail hiking
3	Climbing unroped, but hands are needed
4	Roped climbing, but leader does not put in protection between belays.
5	Roped climbing, leader places protection between belays.
6	Aid climbing.

Class 5 (free climbing; i.e. using only the rock to make progress and
your equipment solely to protect you in case you fall)
was originally subdivided from 5.0 to 5.9 to cover the range
of difficulty at the time the system was first used (early 50's).
As climbers began doing harder and harder free climbs, the upper
end of the scale was extended to include 5.10, 5.11, 5.12 and 5.13.
Noone has yet done a 5.14 climb.  

These ratings can also modified by a - or + to indicate a climb which is in
the lower or upper end of a particular rating; e.g 5.8-, 5.9+.
Climbs in the 5.10 to 5.13 range are also divided into four subcategories
with a,b,c,d: e.g. 5.10a is "easy" 5.10 (same as 5.10-)
5.11d is "hard" 5.11 (same as 5.11+).

Many countries have their own rating systems -
English, French, German, Australian, Czech, to name a few.
Mountain magazine and various climbing guidebooks
often show a table comparing the various rating systems.

Ratings are a consensus of the opinions of many climbers,
and there are variations from one climbing area to another.
The perceived difficulty of a particular move will vary
from climber to climber depending on height, what kind of moves you are
good (or bad) at, how sticky your climbing shoes are,
how hung over or scared you are, how well you figure out
the best way of doing the move, etc.
About all you can say is that if a move is rated 5.7, you will
probably find it to be (for you) anywhere from 5.6 to 5.8,
but you can be pretty sure it is not 5.5 or 5.9.

	Ron Olsen