In reply to Michael Hood:
> Please give an example where after looking at the guidebook and looking at the route from below, you are unable to tell whether a low tech grade route is sustained or bold.
I can't look at a route in Wales from my living room when planning a trip, nor look at pitch 4 of anything from the ground.
Guidebook descriptions:- there's oodles of them, examples from one of my local crags. Which of these VSes is going to kill you if you come off a 4b move:-
** | Chimp | VS 4b | 100 feet |
The final corner is excellent. A belay can be taken halfway to avoid rope drag. Start at the right hand
end of the ledge, by a rock pool. Climb up through the notch, traverse left then mantleshelf onto a
higher ledge. Follow the corner from the left hand end of the ledge.
Reality | VS 4b | 100 feet |
Start well to the right at the large corner. Climb the corner until it becomes vertical. Traverse left 20
feet and climb bulges to finish up a corner.
Vermicious Knid | VS 4b | 35 feet |
Climb the slabby side of the arête between Mad Dog Rides Again and Dodo
Are these sustained or serious?
The Thinker, Direct Start | E1 5a | 30 feet |
Start in between Think Before You Stink and Blood Lust below the apex of the triangular overhang at
25 feet. Gain the ledge below the overhang, move left and join the finish of The Thinker.
* | Les Bonbons | E2 5b | 55 feet |
Start up and right of The Curtains. Climb a groove to gain an excellent layaway flake. Up this,
finishing leftward.
Inches | E2 5b |
The crack line in the centre of the west face of the small stack
Gneiss Gorilla, Direct Start | E4 5c | 75 feet |
Gain the large hold from the groove below; Friend 1.5 protects.