Confirmations and Up-/Downgrading suggestions

The grading scale in climbing is unique and it measures the difficulty of a climb based on how much time, effort and training that had to be invested in sending it. Although there is no official explanation for how the system works, most grades are unanimous throughout the world. However, as new types of climbers appear at the scene with skills that were uncommon in the early days (mainly due to steep indoor training), many older steep climbs seems to be facing downgrading.

Today, most climbers find short and steep routes easier (one grade<) than long and vertical ones, i.e. the personal best is rarely a long and vertical route. The explanation is that when the first short and steep climbs were set up there were few indoor gyms and dynos and lock-offs were not part of the normal repertoire. Today it's the opposite and indoor practising youngsters find Railey a paradise while they find vertical boulders in Fontainebleau to be brutal. In other words, how grades are concieved depend on what skills the general (i.e. average) climber develops. Today, it is less time consuming to develop overhanging power compared to endurance and technical skills, making long and vertical routes more difficult than overhangs even if they are of the same grade.

The first ascentionist (FA) can only give a suggestion to the difficulty of the route/boulder. This suggestion is often based on the facts surrounding the climb, i.e. time, training and effort that has been put in, and also how difficult the FA thinks it will be for others to repeat it. Then, in order to confirm or up-/downgrade the climb, it should be the success ratio (number of tries before sending) in realation to the invested time, training and effort that counts, not opinions. If ten guys make a personal best on the same climb and state - It's hard, it should probably be downgraded!

How can the 8a database assist in having unanimous grades?
Ín the 8a database, we have some 400 000 ascents and comments registred. Based on statistical facts and opinions we can easily and automatic present some routes that are in the borderline of beeing downgraded. In the long run, the topo producers could use our database when they decide and publish topos with grades.

It is facts, the success ratio in relation to invested time, training and effort, that count rather than opinions.