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  • Climbing Events 2022

​Top 10: Increase the Climbing Grade When...


By Stefani Dawn
I hear statements like this all the time:
 
“climbing grades are arbitrary – they are just a guestimate” and “take the grade with a grain of salt.”
 
Is there variability in grading? Absofuckinglutely. But are grades arbitrary? Hmmm…not so sure.
 
If grades were truly arbitrary we wouldn’t really even bother with them, would we? We wouldn’t give a shit that Ondra just sent the next 5.14abcdefg. We wouldn’t joke about that 5.7 that just kicked our ass. We wouldn’t whoop-whoop over sending our first outdoor 5.11d. We wouldn’t pontificate about 5.11d’s actually being harder than 5.12a’s because the person who graded the climb was afraid to give it the 5.12 label lest they be blasted by their peers for claiming they kicked some ass when all they really did was climb a measly 5.11.
 
But hey, I’m willing to play the arbitrary grading game! If I can make myself seem just a little more badass than I really am, I’m totally game.  And, honestly, there are circumstances that make the climbing a little bit, or sometimes a lot, more difficult.
 
Here’s the game:
 
Below is a list of circumstances where you have permission to add at least a letter grade, if not one full number grade, to the climb. Counting down from 10 to 1, 10 is a situation that makes the climb a little more difficult and 1 is a situation that makes it a lot more difficult:
 
  • For climbs rated 5.0-5.9 – You can add a + or a full number grade up to 5.10.
  • For grades 5.10 and above, you can add at least one letter grade (i.e. a, b, c, d), sometimes two. There are some circumstances, outlined below, where you can add a full number grade for a climb 5.10 and above (e.g. a 5.10 becomes a 5.11)
 
10. Piles of animal shit – This is a common problem on multi-pitch climbs and especially lower-grade trad climbs that have lots of ledges. Sometimes its little tiny rat turds that add a minor “ew” factor, other times it’s a 30-year accumulation of bird shit under a nest. If it’s old and solidified, then you can’t add much of a grade increase to the climb, but if its chalky/crumbly or slimy definitely give yourself some brownie points.
 
9. Hangovers/exhaustion/illness – Ok, I know this isn’t really an attribute of the climb itself, but it deserves some recognition. Climbs really are more difficult when you feel like shit. If puking or diarrhea are part of the mix, it might merit a couple letter grade increase (a 5.10a = a 5.10c).
 
8. Lichen – This is the dry, thin, flaky, crumbly stuff covering the rock on less-frequented climbs. It doesn’t really mess up hand-holds much but it does fuck with foot friction. Many times it can be brushed off with the foot as you go up. Here is the technique: a) get a good hand hold; b) rub the ball of your foot over the rock a few times where you are going to step; c) test it; d) step. If the climb only has a few lichen-y spots then add a + or letter grade. If whole damn thing is a crust-fest, give yourself more points.
 
7. Rain – Water and certain types of rocks don’t mix. I’ve done some climbs where, surprisingly, the friction wasn’t too compromised by rain. But, even in these higher friction circumstances rain still makes the climb harder, especially for the hand-holds (HINT: Chalk won’t help).  So give yourself a + or letter grade for just climbing in the rain. If the rock turns into a slip-and-slide, definitely go ahead and add a full number grade.
 
6. Altitude – You are huffing and puffing because the oxygen level has dropped, your brain is mush and operating somewhere between a 3rd and 9th grade levels, and you may feel like puking. Toss in a + or letter increase for climbing at an altitude of 8,000-10,000 feet. If you are climbing between 10,000 – 12,000 ft, add a couple of letters, or a full number grade , and maybe a + below 5.9. Above 12,000 feet add a full number grade for any climb, maybe two number grades for climbs below 5.9 (i.e. above 12,000 feet a 5.7 is now a 5.9).
 
5. Choss/Loose Rock – I always wondered if the climbing grade for these climbs was determined based on the concept that you could actually use that loose piece of shit for a hold? I, for one, don’t want to increase the likelihood of my belayer being knocked unconscious by my carelessness, so I tend to avoid loose rock completely. Increase the grade of the climb relative to the amount of unusable climbing area. This might be a 5.6 IF you could actually yard on that huge jug above you or step on that sweet jutting triangle, but when it takes 10-minutes to find a secure hold and it ends up being a 3-millimeter crimp around the fat bulge of rocking rock, congratulations, you are now on a 5.10a.
 
4. Poison oak/ivy, blackberry, or cacti growing out of holds or cracks – Plants can actually be helpful on a climb. Ever grabbed the base of bush to get you past that hard section? I’ll admit it, I have, and I justified it because, well, it was there and all options are on. There are some circumstances, however, where plants fuck hard with a climb, completely obscuring holds AND blocking the only place you can put a piece of pro.  Add in injury-inducing features like thorns or poison that will make you ooze and itch for weeks and you are really hosed. Not only can you no longer use that crack, you have to avoid the entire radius of the plant, changing the climb completely. Murphy’s Law would have it that the best holds are beneath the plant’s canopy and your re-route is a blank face. Often a full number grade is merited here, if even for the “what the fuck?!” mental game of dealing with these stress-inducing plants.
 
3. Moss – I hate moss. I hate moss so much I dedicated a whole story about climbing on mossy routes. Moss is NOT thin crusty little lichen, it’s a full-on shag carpet completely filling cracks and covering entire surfaces. In the summer it’s dry and rips off in your hand in clumps the size of a wig, in the early season it’s a slime fest that renders all surfaces useless. Add 1-2 grades to your climb for the sheer balls-iness of your effort.
 
2. Glassy or slick rock – Ever gotten on that oh-so-popular 5.8 and shit your pants because all of the holds are so polished smooth that it’s no longer the same climb that it was 10 years ago when it was originally graded? Then give yourself 1-2 number grades for that one. There are also some types of rock that are naturally slick, and it’s not necessarily predictable.  For example I have been on granite, basalt, and limestone that have awesome friction. And, I have been on granite, basalt, and limestone that felt like someone orbital-grinded it with a shoe-polisher. Then there are rocks, like quartzite, that it seems slick about 75% of the time.  Yeah, add 1-2 number grades for slickness.
 
1. It’s a “classic” route – Automatically add a full number grade here. You can add additional number grades if any of the above 9 conditions exist – which is highly likely, especially the glassy/slick rock conditions because the climb has Interstate-level use. Give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for completing the “classic” 5.8 that is really a 5.11.


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      • Sébastien Berthe Free Climbs the Nose From the Ground Up
      • Shit Happens – Or, Why You Need a Walkie Talkie
    • Developers and Guidebook Authors >
      • Developer - Mitch Lehman
      • Andrew Penny - A Blue Mountaineer
      • Kevin Powell
      • Rock Star Groupie
      • Tony Calderone
    • Exploring Our World >
      • AUSTRALIA - Photographer - Diego Perez
      • AUSTRALIA - Profile - Julie Anderson
      • Book Review - Climbing Rock
      • CHINA - From Yangshuo, to Getu, to Liming
      • FRANCE - Verdon in Winter
      • GREECE - Meteora
      • ITALY - Dolomites
      • MEXICO - La Huasteca
      • SPAIN - Artist - Karmelo Onate
      • UTAH - Maple Canyon: This One Makes You Taller
    • Firsts... and Last >
      • A Tale of Oso Madre
      • Clayton Herrmann - Featured Photographer
      • Rysavy Ridge >
        • The Migrant Pom on Rysavy Ridge
        • Throng of Roland
        • Fast Forward - Rysavy Ridge Revisited
      • The Three Sisters
    • Honoring Diversity >
      • ARTIST: Shawn Lee
      • A Shift on Moonlight Buttress
      • Claiming a Space on the Mountain
      • Colorblind
      • Feature Photographer: Bryan Sillorequez
      • Is Diversity in America Diverse?
      • MOVIE: People of Climbing:
      • Profile - Favia Dubyk
      • The Lineage
    • Joshua Tree >
      • Bouldering: JTree Made Me Do It
      • Improv at JTree: Bad Bolts
      • JTree: Bolting Pressure Cooker
      • Joshua Tree: Heinous Approaches
    • Overcoming Adversity >
      • Acopa Outdoors
      • Anoushe Husain
      • Expanding the Circle
      • Failure is Part of the Price: Rand Abbott Attempts the First Adaptive Lead Ascent of The Nose
      • Overcoming a Brain Tumor: WeighMyRack Founder Interview: Alison Dennis
      • Rising
      • The Mountain Path Book Review
    • Overcoming Boundaries >
      • Photographer - Brook Anderson
      • Profile - Louise Shepherd
      • Profile - Megan Banker
      • Profile - Shawn Axelrod
      • Rock Type 1
      • The Tape Job
    • Women's Edition >
      • Editorial - Women's Edition
      • Climbing is My Art
      • Mt. Logan Solo
      • Photographer - Michelle Ranee Johnson
      • Profile - Caitlin Schokker
  • Writing
    • All Writings (List)
    • Topics >
      • Adaptive Climbing >
        • Adaptive Climbing Edition
        • El Capitan: Enock Glidden
        • Failure is Part of the Price: Rand Abbott Attempts the First Adaptive Lead Ascent of The Nose
        • Quinn Brett Interview
        • My Journey to Adaptive Rock Climbing
        • Planning for Mt. Rainier: Adaptive Climbing
        • Resources - Adaptive Climbing
      • Alpine & Ice >
        • A Chamonix Initiation
        • California Still Has Untouched Climbing Wilderness
        • Ice Solo
        • Mt. Ogden Spanking
        • Mt. Whitney Whipping
        • My Common Alpine Epic
        • Vertical Ice Climbing in Ontario, Canada, eh?
      • CC Profile >
        • Climberisms by Dylan Taylor
        • Profile - Shawn Axelrod
        • Profile - Megan Banker
        • Profile: Wendy Bruere - More Than It Hurts
        • Profile - Favia Dubyk
        • Profile - Debbie Fowler
        • Profile - Lindsey Hamm
        • Profile - Sabine Pratt Hunziker
        • PROFILE - Marisa Michael - Nutrition for Climbers
        • Profile - Caitlin Schokker
        • Profile - Louise Shepherd
      • CoVID and Climbing >
        • COVID Climbing Memes
        • CoVID-19 Remakes Our Lives
        • Dear Memory
        • From Couch to Lifting Couches
        • How to Climb and Avoid the Corona Virus
        • Train the Mind: Mental Toughness Tips for Quaratraining
        • The 5.10 Commandments
        • Trying to Send this Route
      • Equipment (writings) >
        • Aliens!
        • A Rack Retrospective
        • Cam Ranges (+ Big Bros)
        • Carabiner Strength Ratings
        • Climbing Shoes Fit
        • Guide Book Follies
        • Rope Buying 101
        • Shit Happens – Or, Why You Need a Walkie Talkie
        • The One Item to Stockpile
        • Which Way Should I Carry My Trad Rack?
        • Why GriGris Suck
        • 8 Reasons I Carry a Full Rack on Every Trad Climb
      • Facebook Feature >
        • FF: Big Walls
        • FF: Butt Shots
        • FF: Exploring Our World
        • FF: Overcoming Boundaries
        • FF: Trees & Climbing
        • FF: Welcome New Climbers
      • Gift Ideas >
        • Climbing Goods
        • Climbing Stocking Stuffers 2021
        • Rock Stack Card Game
        • Safety Gifts 2021
      • Grades, Styles, & Types >
        • Absolutely Hypothetical: Introducing the Graham Scale
        • Bouldering-Falling
        • Bouldering Grade Advancements
        • Grading Climbs at the Gym
        • It's a F-ing Chimney
        • Onsight vs Flash vs Etc...
        • Top 10: Increase the Climbing Grade When...
        • Trad Climbing is for Chicken Sh*#s
        • WTF 5.7?
        • 18 Climber Types: Which Are You?
      • Kids >
        • Family Stages
        • The Guidebook
      • Legends >
        • A - A Tribute to Bryden Allen
        • B - Joe Brown
        • G - Brad Gobright
        • G - Todd Gordon
        • H - Hugh Herr
        • H - Thomas Huber - In Another World - A Personal Climbing Journey
        • J - Saxon Johns
        • M - Tim Macartney-Snape: ​A Legend from Sea to Summit
        • M - John Middendorf
        • R - Early to Rock: David Roots
      • Mental-Physical >
        • Climbing Training Series >
          • Climbing Warm-Up: Shoulders & Fingers
          • Improving Hip Mobility
          • Rock Climber Mobility
          • Train the Mind: Mental Toughness Tips for Quaratraining
        • Climbing Through Life
        • A Climb Worth Fighting For
        • Achilles
        • Encouraging Words - At Any Age
        • Everyone Around Me Is Better Than I Am
        • Falling Far Enough
        • Fear, Pride, and Exploration
        • How Auto-Immune Disease Affected My Climbing
        • Mastering Joy on Easy Street
        • Mind, Body, and Soul
        • My Demon Has a Name
        • New Year's Resolutions
        • Of Cartoons and Quickdraws
        • Push and Pull
        • Sorcerer and the Kidney Stone
        • Take Risks - You'll Remember Them Later
        • The Art of Climbing Without Rock
        • The Devil's Game
        • The Eye
        • The Taste of Climbing
        • 12-Weeks to Onsighting a 5.8
      • Other/Misc >
        • A Leap into the Blue Back in the Day
        • Animal Acts Part 1: Things with Wings
        • Animal Acts 2: Things That Slither, Crawl, and Walk
        • Assault on Schurman Rock
        • Christo's Little Bay Rhapsody
        • Climbing, Community, and the U.S. Presidential Election
        • Climbing Drinking Games
        • Climbing Gyms: The Gateway Drug
        • Climbing Hands
        • Climbing in the Bare Essentials
        • Climbing Resolutions
        • Dirtbag Trucker
        • Demented Dirtbag
        • Don't Take Granite for Granite
        • Dorothy, We Aren't on Havana Anymore
        • Guatemalan Worry Dolls Go Climbing
        • No Health Insurance Changed How I Climb
        • Snakes and Ladders
        • Starting Over
        • Summit Fever
        • Sydney: Growing Up
        • The Adventure of A Lifetime - So Far
        • The Bane of Northwest Climbing
        • The Hangglider Incident
        • The Pink Tricam
        • Things of Stone and Wood
        • We Were Just Boys
        • Zac the Interloper
      • Places & Climbs >
        • Climbs >
          • Consolation Prize
          • Echo Crack and Cracked Egos
          • Email From Italy
          • Flakes and Shakes: Flake Crack Revisited
          • From Yorkshire to Eternity
          • I Like Fake Cracks (And I Cannot Lie)
          • Ozymandias Direct - Fifty Years of Fun and Games
          • The Fourth Bolt of Texas Radio
          • Thumbing The Nose at Mr. CF Jingus
          • Tiptoeing Through Some Bungles
          • Tombstone Territory
          • Yosemite - What We Came For
        • Location Reviews
        • My Home Crag >
          • Climbing in the Upper Cumberland Valley, Kentucky
          • Copen Hill Climbing Wall
          • Drytooling in the Rain - Wayne's World, WA
          • My Home Crag: Nowra, NSW, Australia
          • New River Gorge, West Virgina
          • The Kenyan Climber
        • Travel Stories >
          • Blue Mountains - Bliss: Climbing in the Blueys
          • Buenos Aires, Argentina Crag
          • Colorado - Calling Pat Ament
          • Coolum Cave - Sendfest 8
          • Ecuador - A Nation of Four Worlds
          • Egypt: The Sinai Sampler
          • El Potrero Chico - Riding the Dirty Dog
          • Yosemite: Growing Up
          • Lover's Leap - Zone of Craptitude
          • Moonarie
          • Rio de Janeiro - Classic Climbs Sampler
          • Taghia, Morocco - Hardly Failing
          • Tasmania - Legend of the ‘Unclimbable Cliff’
          • Thailand - Lost and Found: A Mini-Epic in Paradise
          • Vedauwoo, WY
          • Yosemite - What We Came For
          • 20 World Destinations for Adventurous Climbing
        • 2020 U.S. Rock Climbing Festivals
      • Poetry/Prose >
        • Anti-Social Climbers
        • Sojourn at Dyuritte
        • Finding Poetry
        • Ice is Nice
        • The Space Between
      • Safety and Skills >
        • Bolting and Ground-Fall Potential
        • Euro-Death Knot is NOT
        • Multi-Pitch Tips: Two ATCs
        • Sketchy Anchor Bolts
        • Sliding-X Anchor
        • Three Ways to Use a Stick Clip
        • Top 10: Climbing Best Practices
      • Science Fiction >
        • Red Curtain: Prologue & Chapter 1 Excerpt
      • Social, Social Media, & Social Issues >
        • Chossy Trio Renegades
        • Climbing into the Fold
        • Diversity in Climbing is Not a Bandwagon
        • Don't Burn Out
        • From Gortex to Camouflage: The story of climber, Irina Galay and climbing’s responses to the war in Ukraine
        • Fuck "Gumbies" and "Noobs"
        • I Am a Woman: Brie Chartier Shares Her Transition Journey
        • Montana, My Home: Claire Larson
        • My Husband Climbs Stronger than Me
        • Navajo Rising
        • Social Network Rescue
        • The First Climbing Gym Union?
  • Marketplace
    • Acopa Outdoors
    • Butora
    • Climbing Addicts Colored Chalk
    • Climb-On Maps
    • Dynamite Starfish
    • FIXEhardware
    • Furnace Industries
    • Grimpi
    • Heroclip
    • Lacaida Ropes
    • Mountain Drifter
    • MoveWell with McGee
    • Mystery Ranch
    • Neilico
    • NW Alpine
    • Rockytalkies
    • Tension Climbing
    • Tera Kaia
  • Reviews
    • Books >
      • Advanced Rock Climbing Book Review
      • Adventures at the Edge of the World
      • Climbing Glass Book Review
      • Climbing Rock: Vertical Explorations Across North America
      • Hangdog Days Book Review
      • HOOKING UP: The Ultimate Big Wall and Aid Climbing Manual
      • Paul Preuss: Lord of the Abyss
      • Red Curtain - Book Review
      • Sydney Climbing - Book Review
      • The Mountain Path Book Review
      • The Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story - Book Review
      • Uncoiling the Ropes
      • Yosemite Bigwalls: The Ultimate Guide Review
    • Equipment/Gear Reviews >
      • Belay Device Review >
        • Edelrid Mega Jul
      • Harnesses >
        • ArcTeryx-FL-365
        • Misty Mountain Cadillac
      • Packs and Bags >
        • Sukoa Chalk Bag Review
        • Trango Crag Pack
      • Personal Anchor Systems >
        • Camp-Daisy-Twist
        • Petzl-Dual-Adjust
      • Other >
        • D4 Delta2P Portaledge
        • Skyhook Stick Clip Review
    • Location Reviews >
      • Australia >
        • Queensland, Australia >
          • Kangaroo Point Photos and Beta
          • Kangaroo Point Review
        • New South Wales Australia >
          • Blue Mountains >
            • Blue Mountains Photos and Beta
            • Blue Mountains Review
          • Nowra >
            • Nowra Review >
              • Nowra Photos and Beta
      • Mexico >
        • Potrero Chico Photos and Beta
        • Potrero Chico Review
      • United States >
        • Climbing Area Check List - U.S. >
          • Climbing Area Check List Part 1: Alabama to California
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 2: Colorado to Michigan
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 3: Minnesota to New Mexico
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 4: New York to Wyoming
        • Arizona >
          • Queen Creek Canyon
        • California >
          • Joshua Tree >
            • Joshua Tree Tips
          • Mount Whitney >
            • Mount Whitney Photos and Beta
        • Idaho >
          • City of Rocks >
            • City of Rocks Photos and Beta
            • City of Rocks Review
        • Oregon >
          • Smith Rock >
            • Smith Rock - Photos and Beta
            • Smith Rock Review
          • Spring Mountain >
            • Spring Mountain Review
            • Spring Mountain - Photos and Beta
          • Trout Creek >
            • Trout Creek Photos and Beta
            • Trout Creek Review
        • Nevada >
          • Gun Club
          • Keyhole Canyon
          • Mt. Charleston, Nevada
          • Red Rock Canyon >
            • Red Rock Canyon Review - Yeahs and Neahs
            • Red Rocks Photos and Beta
        • New Hampshire >
          • North Conway, NH
          • Rumney, NH
        • New York >
          • Gunks Review
        • Utah >
          • Echo Canyon
          • Ferguson Canyon >
            • Ferguson Canyon Photos and Beta
            • Ferguson Canyon Review
          • Ibex >
            • Ibex Photos and Beta
            • Ibex Review
          • Maple Canyon >
            • Maple Canyon, Utah Photos and Beta
            • Maple Canyon Review
          • Moab >
            • Moab - Main - Photos and Beta
            • Moab -Main - Review
          • St. George >
            • St. George - Prophesy Wall- Photos and Beta
            • St. George - Prophesy Wall - Review
        • West Virginia >
          • Seneca Rocks
        • Wyoming >
          • Ten Sleep
  • Photographers & Artists
    • A- Brook Anderson
    • B - Florian Beyer
    • B - Michael Blowers
    • B - Phillip Booth
    • B - Guillaume Borga
    • B - Michaël Bortoluzzi
    • C - Karen Chan
    • C - Matt Cunningham
    • D - Daga Dygas
    • F - Eric Fallecker
    • G - Katherine González
    • G - Max Gordon
    • H - Clayton Herrmann
    • J - Michelle Ranee Johnson
    • K - Jethro Kiernan
    • K - Christine Kuebler
    • L - Shawn Lee Illustrator
    • L - Jim Lin
    • M - Alex Messenger
    • N - Tiffany Nardico
    • O - Charlie OlGrady-Kessner
    • O - Karmelo Onate
    • O - Camila Ospina
    • P - Diego Perez
    • S - Bryan Sillorequez
    • S - Stephen Smithburger
    • S - Matt Spohn
    • V - Laura Vallo
    • W - Joel Wilson
    • Z - Eson Zhao
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      • Dave Barnes Extended Bio
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