Climbing Video: James Kassay Repeating Sleepy Rave (V15)

But ya, boulder problems shouldn’t have rests in them. This route teeters on the thin line between a boulder problem and a climbing route.

climbing is fun.

Well, at a glance. When I watch the footage of something like Witness the Fitness by Sharma and then follow that up by reading Fred Nichol’s account of the problem. Each of these notable boulder-er’s decline to grade it (no surprise from Sharma but even Fred said I dunno or that it’s too hard to say). It’s likely that they know it will spark controversy. But here we have two problems in question basically both at the same location both with a grade of V15 or V16 and both by the same boulder…er (Koyomada – please correct me if I am wrong) and both are enduro-pump-fests. And both spark some irritation with people but we all can’t deny that it’s V-efing-hard. I would never want to do that problem – it just doesn’t look fun. Koyomada has a style, a great one at that, but someone has has got to stand up and say that these should be rated differently. Maybe HMC needs it’s own rating system or maybe a repeater should attempt to downgrade it some day due to it’s “rest” (if you can call it that). Maybe a roof problem just needs a different scale – but what Narc said rings true, i suppose, whats the point right. But, visually, and conceptually, when I compare this route to Witness the Fitness for example (yes again), I don’t see that these are even in the same ball park and I don’t think it deserves a V15 grade in all honesty. I think the reason people get sparked by grades like this is because we all strive for the best we can do. Some people strive to some day do a V15 but then they see a route like that and say well it’s just not my style and I’d never be able to or even want to do that . I hope Mrs. Peterson isn’t reading this, I’d definitely get an eF+.

I find it interesting that both James Kassay and Chris Webb Parsons wore the Scarpa Stix in their sends of Sleepy Rave and Wheel of Life respectively.. Something magic in those shoes?

Cheech, you are correct. I didnt read the first paragraph which adds the context. Whoops.

no doubt this should be considered a boulder problem, and under these limitations should get a bouldering grade. rests or not, he’s bouldering in the traditional sense of the word. if you boulder a route in rumney it gets a bouldering grade, if you rope up give it a route grade. the style and nature of the climbing are all intrinsically accounted for in the grades. keep it simple.