Discussion: Bad Luck Silverback

Bad Luck Silverback

Can anyone clear up my confusion over the route for this climb? Sydney Rockies has it traversing left at the break at 3/4 height which imho makes it way harder than 19, so I'm guessing the Crag route description is correct?

Yes it goes right at half height then up the flake and off towards right, though if top roping off large tree you can hand traverse at top back left

OK. I might write up the traverse variant as well. What grade do you reckon - it seemed like 21/22 to me? Or maybe it's been a year since I've taken a trad fall and I'm a Big Girl's Blouse?

I have gone straight up to tree after traversing left a bit on tr for variety . 22 would be fair I think. Thin and crimpy I recall. Would be exciting on lead that way.

Yep that would be exciting alright. I joined up with the top section of the 25, which is what the Sydney Rockies Guide seemed to suggest.

The top of the 24, channel bill cuckoo is about 22. I fell off it after doing the crux once. Hope you had double ropes

Didn't bring my doubles as I didn't think I'd need them - I just extended the cams in the flake a fair bit - it was good mental training to take a couple of falls on trad gear as I haven't done that for about a year. The Crag has CBC as a 25?

Could be. It felt that way to me due to reach, paul rivière has been upping the grades of some of his old routes recently.

Yep - Paul's upped the grade.

thanks for your feedback and editing Adrian. I graded the routes back in the day when I had rapped, bolted and rehearsed them first. Grading is such an arbitrary activity. I reckon Channel Bill Cuckoo is a 25. I am lucky if I can do it these days. Always willing to consider others opinions when it comes to grading especially now, since so many of these routes have been retro-ring bolted

Thanks Paul. I seriously don't know what 25 is meant to be like as it's been about 20 years since I've climbed that hard. I'm not quite sure what's happening to me - at this age I should be kicking back drinking beer on a couch but I guess climbing with 20 year old Scouts has given a new lease of life. My current goal is to climb half my age ;-)