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Path: utzoo!utcs!jon
From: jon@utcs.uucp (Jon Alexander)
Newsgroups: net.rec
Subject: climbing classifications
Message-ID: <894@utcs.uucp>
Date: Thu, 3-Oct-85 14:03:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcs.894
Posted: Thu Oct  3 14:03:16 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 3-Oct-85 16:43:52 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: University of Toronto - General Purpose UNIX
Lines: 36

Thanks kindly for all the info regarding
systems of rating rock climbs (including lots
of articles which I will refrain from
summarising myself.)

Basically, the system I have encountered for
rating the difficulty of rock climbs, which is
a series of numbers 5.1-5.14, is only one class
of a larger system:
 
1 -- A hike, generally no use of hands or ropes necessary.
2 -- Hike, may require some use of hands and feet to retain
3 -- Climbing, requiring use of hands and feet (steeper than a 2, I
     suppose). May require a rope.
4 -- Climbing, requiring use of a rope 'belayed' by a companion 
5 -- Climbing, requiring use of belayed rope plus intermediate 'protection
     points' (e.g. pitons, chocks) to prevent a fatal fall.

The class labelled '5' includes, I believe, climbs where a 'top rope'
is used (i.e. the rope is fastened at the TOP of the climb while
the climber is on the rock), and is divided up into 14 sub-classes,
5.0-5.13 (there may also be a 5.14).

As well, there is a supplemental system for 'aid' climbing (climbing
with the use of aids such that the climber is in contact with the
aids instead of the rock. An example of this, I think, is the use
of 'etriers', or foot-straps, which are attached to protection). This
system is A1-An, where n is some integer like 5 (I think).

Everybody, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
-- 
Jon 'Big J' Alexander, U. of Toronto Comp. Serv.
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
...!{decvax}!utzoo!utcs!jon
    {ihnp4 }
BITNET: jon@utoronto


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