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Just wondering what you all consider when you say (or think to yourself) what grade of climber you are.

For example, if someone says:
"I'm a 5.12 climber"

To me that means that person can get (onsight or in a reasonable number of tries) any 5.12 route put in front of them. This includes offwidth, fingers, slab, slopers, chimneys, hands, fists...and any other type of route you can think of.

That's just what I make my judgement calls on though. What someone thinks of themselves is their own business. For example, someone may consider themselves 5.12 climbers after they bag their first 5.12 of any type of route.

Just curious.

In my case, Sir, that would mean I fall 5 out of 12 times..........

Most 5.12 climbers are sport only,so its face ,face or face 5.12. A 5.12 traddie gets way more respect from me,especialy if they are well rounded enough to climb any size crack.The same holds true if it was 5.6.

yep. just because they sent their first 5.whatever doesn't mean they'll be onsighting the next one.

It seems that there's half a bell curve of probability of success wether you're talking about onsight or whatever. (If someone could help with the correct statistical term: It reaches essentially 100% at low numbers and 0% at high numbers, with a toe-steep slope-shoulder)

Somewhere there's probably a sport 12a that I could onsight, but there's probably only one. At the same time, there are some 9s that I probably can't on-sight. If you twist my arm, I'll say I'm a V2/3 boulderer, an 11ish sport climber (just barely) and an 8ish trad climber.

Ideally, though, I'll try to explain more. I'll bet that there are cruxy (as opposed to endurance) 10ish trad climbs that I can send, but I'm not comfortable trying them on lead. I'm reasonably comfortable on (most) 8ish trad leads, so that's what I'll say.

It seems that for all these things, you need to have some explaination, and not just rely on one number 'x'.

It doesn't mean much. You really got to climb with someone to get a feel for where they are at. Many people seem to overstate their abilities or to understate their inabilities and to give a general impression that they are better than they actually are. I'd personally say that if you can onsight 90% of the 5.xd routes than you are a 5.x climber.

Hmmm. I would say I am a solid 5.11 sport climber who has climbed some 5.12's. I do think however that even if you are a solid 5.x climber that doesn't mean there aren't climbs a number grade lower that you won't onsight for whatever reason. That said, I will go partially with Danny on his statement saying if you can send (with a reasonable amount of tries), not onsight, 90% of the 5.xd routes that means you are a 5.x climber.

Mj

Well depending how you rate the approach to Drive-By, put me down for that!

There are probably very few to no 5.12 climbers out there if you say that the person has to be able to regularly climb 12 cracks and sport routes. The two styles of climbing are so different from eachother that usually an individual picks one that they enjoy more than the other and focus more on that although they may do both at different levels. I know only very few people who red point 12a,b,c,d sport and also do trad 12's...on a regular basis....in fact I can only think of one.

To answer your question I consider myself a 12 climber. I can go out and climb 5 or 6 12's in a day... onsight some, work other new routes, and repeat old ones I have already done. I am doing 12d's pretty fast as well. However, I have only done 1 13 to date and far from consider myself a 13 climber...in fact I would never say that I am. Once I have done a few and am comfortable jumping on them basically daily I would give myself the upgrade....of course this is all for personal satisfation... because there are always people out there who climb harder than you and always people that climb easier. As for Trad I have done a fair amount of crack climbing including several 11's but never a 12. Now I mostly do 10 cracks when I am up for some trad; however, these days I climb mostly sport an measure my goals based on my perforamce on this medium. If I were forced to answer the question as you posed it I am a 10+ / 11- all around climber, steep, fist crack, face climb, limestone, sandstone, offwidth, volcanic tuff, hand crack, roof climbing, finger crack...etc. Hope this helps satisfy your curiosity.

I don't think the question is "what level do you climb (please spray)" but how do you define your level of climbing.

Personally, I tell people what I lead trad and sport and what I am comfortable following, as well as what I am not too embarrassed to get on and flail my way to the top. That way new partners know what to expect.

I agree with Ynot, that if someone says they are a 5.xx trad climber, that should mean they can handle all types of cracks at that level, not just some. Also, you gotta differentiate trad vs. sport, no doubt.