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sava6e
Jun 1, 2008, 6:08 PM
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i was looking at routes on supertopo and am clueless what this translates to:
5.12 or 5.9 C1
im not sure how the c1 downgrades the route??
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moof
Jun 1, 2008, 6:19 PM
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C1 refers to a section of clean aid.
A0=french free
A1/C1 hammered/clean bomber placements that you are using aiders on to make upwards progress.
A2/C2 hammered/clean somewhat tricky but mostly safe aiding
and so on up to A5/C5 where the belay sucks, whole pitch is bodyweight tricky placements over ledgefall probability, really a theoretical grade for the most part.
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marc801
Jun 1, 2008, 6:49 PM
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moof wrote: ...and so on up to A5/C5 where the belay sucks, whole pitch is bodyweight tricky placements over ledgefall probability, really a theoretical grade for the most part.
http://bigwalls.net/...ex.php?title=Ratings
http://www.bigwalls.com/climb/Ratings.html
It sounds like you're thinking of A6, which indeed is theoretical, where the belays (supposedly) would likely rip out. An extremely controversial grade, there are extraordinarily few routes (less than 5?) that have ever been given this grade. Apparently in at least one case, debunked after the second ascent.
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doz
Jun 1, 2008, 7:34 PM
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sava6e
To answer your question, a 5.12 or 5.9 C1 either climbs 5.12 standard run of the mill rating or 5.9 with C1 aid moves. Meaning you will have to physically pull (aid) moves to get buy section of climbing that are 5.9+ or harder. This essentially means that the climb is aid (at least in parts) unless you can climb 5.12.
That said without knowing what climb you are looking at this could be a very few ‘French free’ moves or an @$$ load of aid climbing.
The “C” also means you should be able to get buy the aid sections without a hammer. Using RP, nuts, cams etc. basically a free rack, and being that it is C”1” means the placements are straight forward not to complex and will hold a fall. BOMBER in other words.
A5 is defiantly NOT theoretical, and the belay stations are usually good to go. As to A6 that is another can of worms altogether-some say to be an A6 there has to be a death involved, the catch being if the first assent party dies without finishing the climb how do we actually know it is A6 and if they finish it must be A5. I am not getting into it!!!??? Too much BS involved.
Hope that helps
Doz
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stymingersfink
Jun 1, 2008, 8:17 PM
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doz wrote: sava6e To answer your question, a 5.12 or 5.9 C1 either climbs 5.12 standard run of the mill rating or 5.9 with C1 aid moves. Meaning you will have to physically pull (aid) moves to get buy section of climbing that are 5.9+ or harder. This essentially means that the climb is aid (at least in parts) unless you can climb 5.12. That said without knowing what climb you are looking at this could be a very few ‘French free’ moves or an @$$ load of aid climbing. The “C” also means you should be able to get buy the aid sections without a hammer. Using RP, nuts, cams etc. basically a free rack, and being that it is C”1” means the placements are straight forward not to complex and will hold a fall. BOMBER in other words. A5 is defiantly NOT theoretical, and the belay stations are usually good to go. As to A6 that is another can of worms altogether-some say to be an A6 there has to be a death involved, the catch being if the first assent party dies without finishing the climb how do we actually know it is A6 and if they finish it must be A5. I am not getting into it!!!??? Too much BS involved. Hope that helps Doz
One thing I might expect seeing the 5.12 or 5.9+C1 rating is a crux pitch of 5.12 fingertips crack, so perhaps you'll want to bring your standard free rack plus some extra micro-nuts or really small cams.
If it's NOT a sandstone route, a pair of leeper cam-hooks might be sufficient to get you through the thin stuff, but keep in mind that it's an extremely difficult mental game to step out of the aiders to start free-climbing, even more so if you don't have a bomber piece of gear (or two) at your waist.
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Arrogant_Bastard
Jun 4, 2008, 7:17 PM
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doz wrote: A5 is defiantly NOT theoretical, and the belay stations are usually good to go. As to A6 that is another can of worms altogether-some say to be an A6 there has to be a death involved, the catch being if the first assent party dies without finishing the climb how do we actually know it is A6 and if they finish it must be A5. I am not getting into it!!!??? Too much BS involved.
http://www.splitterchoss.com/...e-aid-climbing-rant/
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doz
Jun 4, 2008, 10:33 PM
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That was rich, classically funny!!!??? See why I am unwilling to get into that debate. IT IS TOO MUCH BS.
Thanks for the link
Doz
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pmoff
Jun 4, 2008, 11:41 PM
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I have never seen C5. But I've been on C3 in Zion and Pika Cam Hooks are like gold. I agree with the one comment, its hard mixing aid and free on the same pitch. It's really hard to get out of those Etriers once your ina groove. Swinging aid and free pitches isn't too bad, mentally.
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