My (climbing) partner and I often get into light-hearted, half joking discussions about our own and each others climbing abilities, shortcomings, successes, mishaps, etc. One that often comes up is our difference in weight and strength.

I am a "stout" 250lbs, probably 40lbs overweight. He weighs about 185 and is not overweight.

Recently he made (what I thought was) a good point. My additional weight (with respect to his) effectively made the climb more difficult for me, without necessarily making it more technically demanding. We jokingly proposed a new YDS based system using a 175lb climber as a baseline. Every 50lb difference in weight would account for one grade of difficulty. For example: Climber A climbs a 5.10 @ 175 lbs = 5.10. Climber B climbs the same 5.10 @ 225 lbs = 5.11. Sound good?

Couldn't pick which reply I wanted to say so...

1) Technically as I have been dropping weight I have be climbing lower grades? Thought that was called improvement.

2) At my max weight climbing 5.5s I was actually climbing at about 5.15 level... Shaweet!!!

- 5.5 @ 340 = 5.15 or is it 5.16

3) Wait... when did @ become a mathematical symbol?

4) Someone call the Waaaaaaabulance.

Just enjoy climbing at whatever grade, and if you want to be able to do harder climbs, then train more and shed some weight.

The weight doesn't start to really become a handicap until the routes are overhanging.

Every 50lb difference in weight would account for one grade of difficulty. For example: Climber A climbs a 5.10 @ 175 lbs = 5.10. Climber B climbs the same 5.10 @ 225 lbs = 5.11. Sound good?

5.9 compared to who, you? your system works with two people... unless i'm missing something.

Not good at all!

You mean to tell me that 5.12a is only 5.10b/c if I climb it, because I weigh 100 pounds?

I propose an alternative system: every climber gets measured for height and ape index before they are allowed to get on the rock, in addition to weight. Then each route gets graded based on set of parameters, such a s length, overhang, rests, etc. and then we pay a lot of statisticians to come up with a formula that takes all fo those into account, before giving you the final grade of the route as applicable to you, the climber...

Oh, and also, I think there should be a weigh-in right before you climb, instead of some magical 220 pound number that you got on the inacurate bathroom scale at home at some point.

After all, what if you just drank half of your Nalgene, and didn't go to thew bathroom? what if you climb with a trad rack? Shouldn't you take into account the weight of the trad rack as percentage of your total body weight, or something?

I do, this post was for the sake of a laugh: purely invented for mock value. And im working on it

I dissagree: First, do one regular pull up. Then do one with a fifty pound weight tied to your waist. tell me thats not harder routes do not need to be overhanging to lack footholds

I know my weight weighed me down (pun intended) when climbing,

Overweightness aside,a 150 pound climber if leading on two nines and with a full trad rack and slings you are probably lugging 28 pounds up the cliff,or an additional 18-19% of your body weight.

280lb climber it's 10%.

Harness, 12oz
Shoes, 12oz
Biner 30gm + sling 25gm + biner 30gm X12 = 1020gm = 2.3lbs
Rack of camalots, .3-6 = 4.7lbs + 10 biners 300gm
Grigri = 225gm
4 attache biners 240gm
ATC = 70gm

60meter ice floss at 42gm/meter = 11lbs for the whole set

Grand Total 21.3 lbs

And that's including a lot of extra weight and 60 full meters away from your belayer.

In reality it's usually closer to 10-12lbs including shoes and harness.

Overweightness aside,a 150 pound climber if leading on two nines and with a full trad rack and slings you are probably lugging 28 pounds up the cliff,or an additional 18-19% of your body weight.

280lb climber it's 10%.

Missed the 175 lbs part, meh...

Don't bowling and golf use handicaps?


//Internet arguing is fun...

My (climbing) partner and I often get into light-hearted, half joking discussions about our own and each others climbing abilities, shortcomings, successes, mishaps, etc. One that often comes up is our difference in weight and strength.

I am a "stout" 250lbs, probably 40lbs overweight. He weighs about 185 and is not overweight.

Recently he made (what I thought was) a good point. My additional weight (with respect to his) effectively made the climb more difficult for me, without necessarily making it more technically demanding. We jokingly proposed a new YDS based system using a 175lb climber as a baseline. Every 50lb difference in weight would account for one grade of difficulty. For example: Climber A climbs a 5.10 @ 175 lbs = 5.10. Climber B climbs the same 5.10 @ 225 lbs = 5.11. Sound good?