New Grading Scale for Vertical-Life: Dialects Included!

”April Fools’ 😀.” In an unprecedented collaboration, Vertical-Life, the IFSC, and the UIAA have announced a groundbreaking update to the climbing grading scale, in order to equalize soft and sandbagged areas in the VL Ranking Game. To ease the transition, this new system mirrors the French scale but introduces "dialects" starting at 4a. Climbers will now see grades like 7c(b) for Belgian, 7b+(y) for Yosemite, 8a+(g) for Greek, and 8a(s) for the Standard dialect. Above 9b, all routes universally adopt the 9b(s) grade. Like real dialects, these are subject to change, some might merge or new ones appear.

For those chasing points in the VL ranking game, here's the new currency for 2025: send an 8a(s), climb a 7c(b), sketch up a 7b+(y), or snag an 8a+(g) to earn a 1000 points! (c) John Price - Lorenzo "Lez" Doria doing Aegialis (7c). This route will get 7c(g) on the new scale.

UIAA spokesman Willy Welzenbach shared his enthusiasm: "It was high time we addressed the chaotic reality of our grading system. The old 'one-size-fits-all' French scale simply wasn't cutting it. It was either revamp the translation tables or give each climbing culture its own voice."

Francis Veber from Belgium added, "The climbing seasons in Freyr used to see a surge of overinflated egos returning from Ulassai and Kalymnos. Climbers were riding high until they hit the local routes and their scores plummeted. With the new system, we expect fewer mood swings and more realistic self-assessment."

Over the next few weeks, each area will choose its "dialect," allowing for a smooth transition of existing rankings to this innovative system. Preliminary simulations confirm what we've always known: Adam Ondra remains the greatest, regardless of the dialect! Stay tuned to cast your vote on which grading "dialect" your area / country should adopt. Let's make climbing grades fair (and a bit more complicated) again!