Let us grade Akira 9a+

A review is coming up for the 9th grade - 150 years of climbing, aka the Bible. There are some short interesting stories in the book. Buy it here for only 43 Euro including freight. Fred Rouhling put up Akira 9b in 1995, which created some controversies as nobody had done 9a+ and there were just some few 9a's at that time. Very few have tried it but Jibé Tribout was once coached by Fred. - I had 8c+ at the time and the route seemed tome very hard but perhaps feasible. When Fred tried he was using more difficult methods than me, I was using easier ones but he did not them. He obviously preferred his own. 9a seemed a good ratingf to me but 9b was definitely to high, especially since historically one does not jump grades because it is impossible to understand such leap. Fred has previously confirmed that he did not opt for the easiest methods on Akira, "I go where the route seems most imposing." He has also said that if he had done it again, he would not have given it 9b. When it comes to the controversy of Bernabe Fernandez's grade of 9b+ for Chilam Balam from 2003, his ethics are criticized too. Orujo, the first 9a in Spain, "included several bolted-on artificial holds but two years later he removed three of them to raise the level to 9a+." The book tells also the story of Andrada criticising him for breaking natural holds next to artificial ones after his ascent! Fernandez opinion was that he could do what ever he liked with the route until it had been repeated, in order to force repeaters to use the FA's methods! For Chilam Balam, Adam Ondra has repeated it suggesting 9b which also might be confirmed as in 2006, it is told that Chris Sharma spent three weeks on it without being able to join up various sections. Andrada actually questioned Fernandez as he did not find chalk or rubber at the upper part of Chilam Balam. Interesting is also that in accordance to 8a data, Action Direct is said to have been 8c+/9a originally and that might be the only case where a slash grade is mentioned.