Climbing Grades and some Glencoe Climbing History

Crowberry Ridge. Starting Abrahams Ledge

Rock climbing as a sport on the Scottish mountains in its own right really got going in the late Victorian era. Although there was initially a residual feeling that Scottish rock climbs were only training for the Alps or greater ranges. As folk took up the sport an element of competition set in. The formation of the Scottish mountaineering club was an important part of that, as club members vied for the best line up a mountain (a line being the most aesthetically pleasing route up the rocks). Also, competition for the first ascent or making a repeat ascent of the hardest route up a rock face. Competition came from visiting climbers, from places such as the Lake district, where  there was already a small but established rock-climbing scene.

One Glencoe route Crowberry ridge via the direct line made by the English Abraham brothers in 1900 was Scotland’s hardest and most sought-after climb pre-WW1. It was not just the men. Alpine club pictures of ladies making guided first ascents of the European alps wearing the cumbersome attire of the day, show they were as good and perhaps better than some of the men. And in they were also leading at the sharp end not just belaying.

1908 Pauline Smith and Lucy Rankin on Salisbury Crags

The early climbs were graded from moderate to Severe, then later Very Severe was added. This remained the hardest technical grade for nearly 80 years in Scottish guidebooks. As climbs received ascents word of mouth would spread the information as to a routes falling off potential and injury or death likelihood. And how technically hard a crux (the hardest climbing move and point of no return) was. To indicate the very hardest of these very severe routes, a graded list would be compiled in a guidebook, with the hardest and most serious routes at the top, and the easier ones at the bottom. Supposedly based on consensus. Being subjective and at the whim of egos this could result in anomalies. No climber liked to admit a route was desperately hard for them, and so some were placed much further down the list than they should have been. Climbers had a term for routes that are harder than the grade in the list and called them “sandbags.”  The unwary could find themselves with the dreaded vibrating sowing machine leg from fear and have to dig deep in themselves.

Buachaille Etive Graded List

The more experienced climbers always knew grading was a lottery and kept a bit in reserve, or they could push through this fear, but the less experienced could give themselves a big fright. Grading evolved and later Hard Very Severe and Extremely severe were added to the grading system as folk pushed the technical boundaries of rock climbing. Also, better safety equipment placed into cracks or features in the rock as protection, and post WW2 the advent of more dynamic ropes. Coming off might result in a frightening fall, but not hitting the ground and getting maimed or dying.

In the 1980’s The "E grade" an Extremely severe grade (previously just written as XS) became a number system to represent the risk of falling, including a falls consequences came into use. This occurred in parallel with a number system to indicate the hardest technical move on a climb, or an indication of a succession of less hard but endurance testing climbing moves. Many of the graded list routes at the top of the graded list from the 1950’s onwards received extremely severe as a new grade along with a technical grade; these climbs were ahead of their time. In the following chapter you will read of Smith, Marshall, Cunningham and the invader Whillans, all of whom were the very best climbers of their generation, and well ahead of the rest of the Scottish climbing fraternity in boldness and technical ability. Robin Smith in my opinion was technically the best and the boldest, and Marshall the most prolific, with an eye for the best line. Their legacy is stamped all over the Glencoe and surrounding area in climbing guidebooks.

Rock climbing grades:

Moderate – A scramble such has the Aonach Eagach

Difficult – Steep but on good holds. Bear in mind the early pioneers climbed in nailed boots so it would have been difficult climbing even if not technical. Bowstring on Aonach Dubh is a classic example.

Very Difficult (V-Diff) - Steeper, longer and careful use of hand and footholds required. Archer Ridge Aonach Dubh as three-star example.

Severe – Up until about 1920 when the Buachaille Chasm on the Glen Etive side was ascended, this was hardest grade in the Glencoe area. Later the caveat Hard Severe (HS) was added for some routes that were not quite very severe but had a higher risk of catching out the average leader. Rainmaker Gearr Aonach is an example of Hard Severe and not to be underestimated as the approach requires thought, and it is a mountain route. It is probably VS 4b/c but historically remains HS.

Very Severe (VS) – Technically demanding rock climbing for the best climbers of the day pre-WW2. Crow’s Nest Crack Buachaille Etive is the epitome of a short mountain VS and it deserves its 3 star rating as an outing.

Hard Very Severe – A later addition to the traditional grading system. Although probably no more technically demanding than Very Severe with similar fall consequences. Routes falling into this grade are often a bit more physically demanding than technical. Spider on Aonach Dubh is a fine example of the grade, and a very fine well protected pitch up a steep wall.

Extremely Severe – Routes that are technically demanding and therefore with a very much higher chance of falling. “E” numbers reflect this. Routes now go up to E10 and beyond. Definitely death potential on some of the highest E numbers. At the lower end of the E grade, routes like Bloody Crack, YoYo, Big Top and Trapeze are fine examples of Glencoe E1’s, with Shibboleth and Lechers Superstition E2’s

Davy Gunn Ardverikie Wall- Boots

Technical Grades:

4a - Fairly easy but technical climbing on good holds. Often equates to Severe

4b - A little bit more thought required. Hard Severe or easy very severe.

4c – Very Severe. Often with a distinctive crux climbing move requiring some thought. As mentioned, Crow’s Nest Crack on Buachaille Etive was regarded by locals as the definition of VS. Routes were often referred to as harder than, or easier than Crow’s Nest Crack by local climbers.

5a – A little bit harder than 4c!

5b – Harder and more strenuous. Many classic mountain routes of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s in the book “Hard Rock” are technically 5b. Often graded E2 5b to represent a multi pitch route with more than one crux pointm and many places where a little boldness helps.

5c – Technically hard sequences of climbing moves, or a short very hard section. Hard climbing. Carnivore Villains Finish with its sting in the tail, and the excellent Clearances on Aonach Dubh are examples. As you go up the technical grade, the difference between the higher numbers narrows and can be subtle. As an example making two 5c moves in a row feels like 6a

6a – Hard technical climbing. Often alongside E4 as small holds and complicated sequences of climbing moves. Freakout on Aonach Dubh is a well protected example. The Clearances on Aonach Dubh's North Face at 5c should feel easier, but it doesnt feel like it as a more serious place. As you can see climbing grades can very subjective. There is vast difference between an E3 5c on a roadside crag and two pitches up looking down 2,000ft to the road from Aonach Dubh's North face. The same can be applied to a Polldubh Glen Nevis VS 4c which is a world apart to the atmosphere of a route graded the same such as the excellent Ravens Edge on Buachaille Etive. Technically similar, but one is quick hit and the other a memorable day out looking into the bowels of Ravens gully. 

6b, 6c, 7a,7b, 7c and up, things just get harder and more desperate!  

Pre WW2 hard routes were sometimes done in plimsoles. Routes such as "Satan’s Slit and Red Slab climbed in September 1939 were bold routes on Rannoch Wall. Climbed by Ian Ogilvy and party in "rubbers" as they called them. After WW2, the Vibram boot sole allowed harder routes to be climbed in boots. Rigid shanked boots on a rubber soled boot allowed precise placement of feet. The Vibram sole instantly made damp or wet routes like Clachaig gully technically easier, but not shorter or easier to find your way up its 30+ pitches (The 5 main pitches in the middle are the most difficult). Around 1950 a dedicated rock climbing shoe made by Pierre Allain in France, the PA as it became commonly known as, revolutionised technical rock climbing. Followed later by the Edmon Bourdonneau shoe known as the EB after he bought out Pierre Allain. Not until the advent of the Spanish made "Fire" rock shoe with its tacky and sticky formula one tyre rubber 30 years later was there an improvement.  However, us oldies still call our modern sticky rock shoes "EB's" regardless of who makes them!

A late 1960's and 70's Classic from the top of the graded list. Carnivore