Mixed Climbing Grades
Grades. Every climber knows that they're subjective and imprecise. However, we still need a way to compare routes by difficulty both to choose appropriate objectives and for spraying. The M grading system was introduced by Jeff Lowe in the 1990's. This open-ended system is relatively simple, but the application of it is not. It's sensible that M grades are fairly consistent at the crag because there are fewer variables. In the mountains consistency is harder to come by. Weather, the availability of protection and your skill at finding and placing it, and your route finding ability are just a few of the factors that effect perceived difficulty. In the winter the presence and absence of snow and ice and the quality of that snow and ice has a profound effect on how hard a climb feels. Rock that is covered in new soft snow is generally going to feel more difficult and be slower to climb, as well as maybe getting your gloves pretty wet. A gully or couloir that's filled with ...