I think this is 8B traverse grade. How should we record that?
I have a personal vendetta against traverse grades so it'll need changing from 8B.
There is a traverse option for climb type which then allows you to choose a sport grade to describe the difficulty, or the other option is to give it font grade then add a sport grade as an alternative grade meta data. I'd go for the latter, this is what we've done with Pilgrimage (8B+) at parisellas and a few others.
I don’t like or understand font traverse grades. Just a terrible idea!
I’m making the assumption Bart hasn’t already converted it to a normal grade – not sure what the system is.
Also, Gaskins ascent was a ‘there and back’ version, I believe. Make of that what you will.
I don’t like or understand font traverse grades. Just a terrible idea!
Brothers in arms 🫡 it's just so silly...like at least use some different notation so they don't get confused with the existing font grades.
Right, I don't think bleau.info has made any attempts to normalise traverse grades; they're the same as in the '97 guidebook. Traverses are given cursory treatment on bleau.info and some of the descriptions may be incorrect.
The '97 guide says 'if you can do a 7A straight-up, you can do a 7C traverse'. The Godoffe/Montchaussé guide does not differentiate bouldering, traverse and route grades – they're all just 'the French grading system'. The inference I draw from this is 7C+ traverse = 7c+ route, but that could be a little harsh.
Anyway, Miroir des Vanités is in the guide as 8b+ for there and back. It's all a bit naff really.
Hmm yeah does feel like it's all a bit messy and unclear. I've dropped Bart a message, hopefully he'll be able to clarify and then we can straighten things out on here.
I notice on bleau.info Le Miroir des Vanités ony has votes for 8A, so assuming the votes are in normal font grades that would seem to suggest 8B is a font trav grade.
The other thing I've used when I've had to convert previously is the table here https://www.thecrag.com/en/article/grades#bouldering-grade-systems which seems in the right ballpark (i.e. 7A -> 7C trav), though no idea how they actually put it together.
Interesting reply from Bart, I'll drop JP an email,
Hi Remus, the honest answer is that I don’t know. We use the grades that climbers give to their problems. And I correct grades when enough repeaters have another opinion.
Traverses used to have their own grades, a bit softer than straight ups. I think there are still some old soft graded traverses on Bleau.info and I think most traverses have normal bouldering grades nowadays.
But I’m not a traverse specialist. I rarely climb them and I don’t include them in my guidebooks.
If you want to know more about this subject, try sending a message to ... (Jean-Pierre). He works for Bleau.info too and climbs a lot of traverses. He knows more about it than me.
Jeez, what a mission.