Updated 8/7/01

To V or Not To V
by Lee Soares

"Hey, did you see that?"
"Yeah!"
"That was a sweet send."
"Thanks."
"How hard do you think it is?"

How many times have you heard this while out for a session? In one way or another, the question gets asked a lot. Many climbers today seem to be shunning numbers. It seems many have changed speed and began doing numbers instead of problems. I believe this attitude begins to obscure the more subtle aspects of bouldering: the movement, the texture, the setting. These things often get pushed aside in order to cut another notch in the belt.

At the same time, others seem to be doing the exact opposite: making an effort not to mention a grade in the same breath as a problem. Perhaps afraid to be dubbed a "number chaser" or maybe the next line is waiting and there is no time to consider such things. I'm not sure.

The standard of the day is significant and grades are a way to record that. I remember a few years back when I sent my first graded boulder problem. It was Mack's Traverse a V2. Yeah, my first V2.

But what the hell did that mean? In a sea of numbers, where did I belong? People who climbed with me warmed up on this problem and still others had yet to send. So anything this little number meant, it meant to me. The climb was the same. The others around me were the same. There I was, now on the map with my first boulder problem. The applied grade served me well and allowed me to focus my efforts on similar challenges. I began seeking out other problems. Some were inspiring, others were not. Never climbing something because it had a number next to it in the guidebook but instead absorbing its physical aspects and moves to determine whether or not to spend time with it. The grade was just a tool. A compass, to help guide the way.

If problems are graded with integrity, experience, and for thought of the community, you are doing us all a service. If on the other hand, you put up problems and grade them soft to sandbag new hopefuls, or inflate them to stroke your own ego, give us all a break and take up a new hobby. If you're at a point in your career where you sent so many problems it just doesn't matter, think of the future. Think of your roots. Think back to when you got on the map.

By measuring both difficulty and aesthetics we keep standards high and push future climbers to rise to the challenge and give them a tool to use as they wish.

I personally believe the V-scale has too many increments to continue to be accurate for bouldering. A more simplified and broader system would be nice. However, the V-scale has become the accepted maker and I will use it to the best of my own ability to help myself and fellow boulderers alike.

I would like to thank all the climbers who took the time to consider the difficulty of their efforts and grade them accordingly. I will continue to do the same. Tread lightly. Pull hard. Enjoy!