My Community

Blur or Oasis?

Good old grades I think this one will go on forever especially as people leave the color coded confines of the wall and head up to the hills and get there arses handed to them on smear test , andys arete and many others. I have always found grades hard to get my head around on any given day Im either crap or going well . I think grades are deffinitly stiff here on our little island but as chris says its a good way to keep the ego in check but it can be frustrating to continually fail on the same move again and again on problems that are well with in your grade .
Modern Bouldering in Ireland is about 14 years old and it developed quite independently of out side influences so the grades tend to be on the stiff side  due to two main factors .
 1 Irish people dont like to toot their own horn and are stronger than they think  hence the lower grades of problems theres a lot of 6cs out there .
 2 the bouldering in Ireland  is generaly very technical  especialy in wicklow and takes time to work out so a problem that seems desperate at first will over time as the sequence is worked out become easier when completed , a classic example of this is the groove at the brimstones in co fermanagha ( which I havent done but am close ) it seems desperate at first but as you work it out it becomes possible .  Also as people have said already some problems suit people more then others which leads to confussion and frustration with grades .
The grades have settled over the years and are fairly accurete and some times frustrating on the long established and well repeated problems .
As for bench mark problems what is Irelands marie rose

rythm and stealth , chubba chups , andys arette , white stick glendalough  all class aretes havent done any of them but close , solidarity, tomb stone arete glenmacnass , three star arete in carrikfin donegal , manical laugh and eyrie in the sclap co dublin, theres loads more out there