In reply to Jack Geldard - Editor - UKC:
Hi Guy!
One part of the Nicas scheme is completing a certain number of routes and for the next level of the scheme completing a certain number of harder routes. I presume the purpose of this is to encourage improvement. Two questions:
1) How effective is this - we all know that different walls have different ideas of grades.
2) What is to stop a 7a+ climber climbing all 4's and 5's so as to make the next level award easier to obtain?
Or do I have the wrong end of the stick and the grades are really not that important?
All in all a great scheme providing strucure to climbing development and getting folks involved, good luck with the scheme!
Oli