Do V grades have a route grade equivalent?

Do V grades have a route equivalent?
This drove me crazy at the gym, there was this chart that someone produced showing all the grading systems and how they compared but among that was V grade vs YDS, thus V3=5.12 (or whatever, I can't remember exactly what it said) which I contend is bullshit, they don't correlate. So, people would come up to me saying "Well, this move is V3 so how can the route be 5.11?". My answer being "Well, boulder problem ratings are different from route ratings." Finally, I had to tear that piece of paper down because it was causing so much trouble.
Whaddya think?

perhaps your gym ratings are off? also tends to depend on style. 5.11 slab feels really damn hard compared to a juggy overhanging v2 for me but could be the opposite for someone good at slab and not as good on roofs.

it's also a guideline not a solid rule. grades are subjective.

I think it's hilarious that you tore the piece of paper down.

Nick Stayner wrote:I think it's hilarious that you tore the piece of paper down.

Short answer:
No, definitely not.

Long answer:
There is obviously no one-to-one correlation in the sense offered by the piece of paper you are talking about. That said, I do think that a correlation could be made in that a move of a certain V grade gives a route a certain minimum YDS grade. For example, let's imagine some horribly unsustained route where there is 5.8 moves to a single solid V4 crux to more 5.8 climbing to the top, with good rests before and after the crux. In my opinion, this route would be an easy 5.12a. I think that the piece of paper you are talking about (which called V3 5.11+ if I recall) can apply to this situation. Devils Lake is actually one of the best places I've ever encountered to grade by the hardest move alone, because even on the hardest routes there are often decent stances to fully recover before and after the hard bits. Even then, however, the route is harder than its crux because you have to send all the various boulder problems in a row without messing up, even if you are not pumped.

In any situation where the route is the least bit sustained, however, such charts become kind of useless because no-one actually grades by the hardest move alone anymore (right?). Take Ro Shampo (RIP) at the Red River Gorge. If you could climb a 5.7 slab to the crux of that route to another 5.7 slab, the whole rig would be a low 5.10 at best, but because its sustained and pumpy it gets 5.11d/12a. Comparing Ro Shampo to a V4 or some other V grade is kind of senseless, then, but my hypothetical single move crux surrounded by super easy climbing might be well described as "basically a V-whatever boudler problem."

Finally, people will complain about grades in the gym no matter what. The chart just gave them more ammo. The best/most entertaining response is probably to say "you know, you're right that doesn't match up," and downgrade the boulder problem start to the route.

I was looking through the routes database the other day and noticed a lot of the bouldering problems at Rumney are using the YDS system. I didn't know if this was some sort of progressive movement, or people were just trying to justify bolting boulder problems.

Ryan Kelly wrote:I was looking through the routes database the other day and noticed a lot of the bouldering problems at Rumney are using the YDS system. I didn't know if this was some sort of progressive movement, or people were just trying to justify bolting boulder problems.

cjdrover wrote: What are you talking about?

cjdrover wrote: What are you talking about? Routes in "Rumney Bouldering" with a YDS grade 5 routes. None are bolted. All can be climbed as short trad lines or highballs, hence the two grades.

Short answer: Sort of. But things will vary.

Here's a table to help you out:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(climbing)#Free_climbing_ratings_comparison_table

Nick Stayner wrote:I think it's hilarious that you tore the piece of paper down.

Taylor Ogden wrote:Short answer: Sort of. But things will vary. Here's a table to help you out: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(climbing)#Free_climbing_ratings_comparison_table

Jake D. wrote: It was a shot across my bow. :waves: hai thong!

i love how much discrepency there is. some of these charts say that v3 is 5.11+, like in the aforementioned mp article. other charts that I've seen say that v3 is 5.10c. Massive difference. even boulderers i talk to can't seem to get a consensus.

Cue Kid Icarus...

I knew I bookmarked this for a good reason!

Comparing apples and oranges if you will. Or the age old question: Does size matter?

No.

I've climbed very few "one move wonder" routes that I would consider good.

Ryan Palo wrote:No. I've climbed very few "one move wonder" routes that I would consider good.

wow that wikipedia scale is jacked...

I have sent lots of sport routes YDS 5.12a through 5.12d (French 7a through 7c).

But I couldn't boulder in the V7-V9 range if my life depended on it.

The scale I always saw pegged 5.12 in the V4-V6 range.

Nevermind, I get it now: this is also from Wikipedia:
Fontainebleau grades: In Europe the Fontainebleau grading is the most widely used....
The grades in this system are similar to the French route grades, but have different meaning. An 8a route is significantly easier than an 8a boulder problem. To reduce confusion, some people write the bouldering grades in upper-case letters (e.g. "8B+" vs. "8b+").