Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Best 5.9 Trad Climbs

This is one person’s opinion of the best 4 pitch or more 5.9 trad climbs in US.

What is so great about 5.9 trad? In gyms and sport climbing areas grandparents, kindergartners, and people with the general fitness level of elephant seals routinely send 5.9. The grade was originally established in England almost 100 years ago. For a long time 5.9 was the top of the scale, and a host of routes earned the rating as the ceiling on what constituted 5.9 crept gradually higher. Finally some genius suggested adding 5.10 and we were off to the races with the numbers chase.”

1 comment:

Aaron said...

I love 5.9. I can climb 5.9. When I climb 5.8 I feel like I am either warming up or spewing some mess about training to hard the day before. But; 5.9....... I can do it. 5.9 gets sketchy on lead; but I know that I can do it. I know that I'm probably not going to fall, but I'm not sandbagging either. Leading 5.10 scares the sh** out of me. I think 5.9 on lead is perfect.