V0 should not have small crimps on it.

Personally, I think bouldering ratings are s---. This is not another one of those painfully redundant just climb because it makes you happy and don't think about ratings posts either. I like knowing that I am getting better and if there were a system that accurately rated the problems I send then I could see if I am actually improving. However, the longer I climb the more I see just how losely bouldering ratings relate to actual boulders. The scale is just plain arbitrary and more important, irrelevant.

My point is that I don't think there is any reason to rate boulder problems seriously. With routes, ratings are very important - especially trad routes - because they can prevent you from getting in way over your head when you are 50' off the deck. That is very very important. However with boulders, 99% of the time you can see the entire problem before you begin. I usually have a fairly accurate idea of what I plan to do with my body at every point along the way before I even touch the rock. If I get in over my head I know immediately and safely drop off of the rock. You can touch the start holds for most problems that are out of your league and know that you shouldn't try the problem. While working a problem you KNOW how hard it is for you. All the number does is convince you that you should stop working the problem before you have given it your all if it is higher than your average or it will frusterate the hell out of you that should be able to do the problem easily if the rating is low. I don't like either scenario.

One could argue that if there were no ratings then how would you tell your climbing buddies how hard something is? Well that is crap too because I know how hard my climbing friends pull. If I hit the road this weekend, find a problem I like, and send it after say a dozen tries then when I get back to the gym and my buddy asks if he should also go check it out I will have a decent idea if he is going to be able to send it and I can give solid advice without even thinking about ratings.

Let's face it - bouldering ratings aren't good for much besides spray and they aren't even good for that. Ratings differ too much from place to place, gym to gym, and crag to crag. I can tell you that I send V5 and that might tell you that I climb hard and it might tell you that I am weak. Regardless - it will tell you that I like to quantify my greatness and that makes me an ass in my opinion.

Stuart