Talk:Grade (climbing)

Incorrect description of Brazilian grade system

First of all, "carioca" is a term used to refer to people born in the state of Rio de Janeiro, so "climbing in the carioca" makes absolutely no sense. Secondly, the description of the Brazilian grade system is mostly incorrect. The Brazilian system for the grading of climbing routes (Sistema Brasileiro de Graduação de Vias de Escalada) grades multi-pitch and single-pitch routes differently. Single-pitch (sport climbing) starts from Roman numerical I, ascending to II, III, etc, until VI, with the possibility of attaching the suffix "sup" as an intermediate division. The maximum grade in this first stage is VIsup, which was the maximum grade "possible" for sport routes until the 1980s. Later, the system was expanded to include VII, VIII, etc, but now subdivisions are as in the French system, excluding the "d". Thus, one has I, Isup, ..., Vsup, VI, VIsup, VIIa, VIIb, VIIc, VIIIa, VIIIb, etc. It is fundamental to note that there is no switch from Roman to Arabic numerals. The whole single-pitch system is exclusively based on Roman numerals, even though sometimes people do use the Arabic system incorrectly. In some regions of Brazil, where climbing started after the 1980s, the subdivisions before VIIa are also dealt with similarly to the French system, i.e., 5a, 5b, 5c, etc, but this is not the norm. See https://www.cap.com.br/post/sistema-brasileiro-de-gradua%C3%A7%C3%A3o-de-vias-de-escalada

For grading multi-pitch routes, a general grade WRITTEN IN ARABIC NUMERALS comes in front, like 1º, 2º, etc, as described in the page. This is to be considered as the "average" difficulty of the route. Following this number, there is the grade for the hardest boulder problem or pitch in the route, which is written in Roman numerals. For example: 6º VIsup means a route of general grade 6 with a VIsup move or pitch. This is the rule for all climbing grades in Brazil and is absolutely not exclusive to Rio de Janeiro.

Multi-pitch grades also include a duration grade, an exposition (danger) grade, and an aid grade. Please check the reference cited above.

I had already included these modifications in an extended discussion of the Brazilian system some years ago, but I noticed it was then removed and accused of "localism", as if I were describing climbing grades in Rio de Janeiro only. This is utterly absurd, as can be easily found online with a couple of Google queries. QuantumBrick (talk) 06:47, 17 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This "9c" picture with someone called Ondra on it is not really legitimate

First of all the climb is incomplete and does not reach the top, meaning he climbed it until it was too hard, then abandoned it and decided to skip the topout part and name a climb. As for the grade, influencer climbers are creating an environment of grade creep, where they have an insular group of themselves deciding what the standard is as they go, because of deferentialism by the commercial interests who give them free stuff and use them promote to promote their magazines etc. Grade creep also helps sell equipment associated with the 'the current' celebrity influencers. To summarize, a climb must be topped out for it to be a complete climb. Otherwise anyone can do partial climbs and name it after they are forced to stop part way. This means if an average citizen could climb the first two moves, they could name a climb because it's not required to topout. Suggestion is for the picture to be removed or edited to appropriately tone the claim down.Kim Hwayen (talk) 02:47, 12 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Silence (climb) is regarded as the world's first-ever 9c graded rock climb and Adam Ondra made the first free ascent (it is notable enough to have its own Wikipedia article), and hence its placement in this article on grades.
There are many many famous rock climbs that finish before the actual physical top of the rock formation (e.g., Realization (climb), La Rambla (climb), and Hubble (climb), to name a few notable cases), where the end involves "clipping the chains" that are permanently bolted into the rock face. What you say therefore does not make any sense in rock climbing. ~2025-31903-19 (talk) 12:26, 7 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Grade_(climbing)