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nhgill
Jun 18, 2009, 11:20 AM
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Registered: Mar 22, 2009
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Hey everyone,
So, this has been bugging me for a while. I learned (still learning) to climb here in New Hampshire at Cathedral, White Horse, etc. and haven't really seen the reason to use up gas and money to get out of the Valley and climb elsewhere. There is a lifetime of rock here. I've heard mixed things about our grades here. Some say, relative to much of the climbing world, that our climbs are graded harder, some say dead on, some say easier. So I am wondering what you think. How do the grades here, on average, measure up against grades in the rest of the country?
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grampacharlie
Jun 18, 2009, 12:34 PM
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It depends on where you go, but I'd say that traditionally graded climbs like those in the Mt Washington valley are pretty similar. Go to j-tree, Yosemite, Granite Mt AZ, and you will find the grades here are about the same I believe. It also depends on who climbed it first and what grade they gave it, and when it was put up.
my $.02
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wonderwoman
Jun 18, 2009, 1:00 PM
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Registered: Dec 14, 2002
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I think North Conway grades can be pretty stiff, but I think it varies from climb to climb. I've struggled, sweated and hang dogged my way up some 9's in North Conway (They Died Laughing, for instance) but can get the onsights on some 10b's in Squamish, BC. Nutcracker also seemed particularly hard for the grade!
Headed there for this very rainy weekend, as a matter of fact! Can't wait! North Conway always manages to kick my butt in one way or another, and I keep coming back for more!
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Gmburns2000
Jun 18, 2009, 1:34 PM
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I think compared to the rest of the northeast, Rumney excepted, the grades are similar to other areas. However, I think the grades are stiffer compared to some of the other places that I've been in Colorado and California.
But don't worry about it. It is what it is. Just go climb.
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hyhuu
Jun 18, 2009, 1:49 PM
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Registered: Jul 25, 2001
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My experience from 4 days of climbing at Whitehorse and Cathedral was: it's just about right for grade below 5.10 but a bit soft for grade 5.10-5.11d comparing to Seneca. I had no experience with higher grade. Of course there are exceptions.
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bill413
Jun 18, 2009, 7:29 PM
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My impression has been that the grades are pretty comparable to the Gunks. Take that however you will 
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nhgill
Jun 19, 2009, 12:38 PM
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Registered: Mar 22, 2009
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Thanks for the responses. Like I said, I don't have any intention of getting out of the Valley this summer and I know what I can climb here so I ask more out of curiosity than anything else.
Wonderwoman: Yeah, I did exactly the same thing up They Died Laughing. On a side note, have you done the second pitch George Hurley put up for it. It's technically a separate climb (called Postmortem) but he intended to be a continuation. Good luck this weekend, I'm sure you and the bikers are hoping the weather reports are wrong.
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blueeyedclimber
Jun 19, 2009, 8:32 PM
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Registered: Nov 19, 2002
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That all depends. If Henry Barber put it up, then yes it's stiff. In general, though, I think the grades are right on. I think the climbing is very different here than somewhere like the Gunks. I climb about 1-3 letter grades harder at the Gunks (depending on the climb) than I do in North Conway. The climbing at Cathedral and Whitehorse tends to be more subtle, technical and varied. The moves often need to be figured out whereas I find most Gunks climbing pretty obvious.
Josh
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