climbing 5.14b in rifle

ALex Reich climbs lung fish ( 2nd ascent since a foot broke) 5.14b. filmed by Matt Lloyd.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• climbing
• bouldering
• climb
• rifle

[amayalluqu616]

question...i know 5.14b is a rating, but what does exactly means?

[mexymattl]

In this case the 5 in 5.14b means it is a rock climb in which a rope is needed for saftey ( basically its not scrambling). The 14 means its really really hard. The hardest climb in the world is 5.15 and the easiest is 5.0. The b is a denomination to break up the number preceading it. i.e "a" will be easier than "b" and "c" will be harder than "b", "d" is the last letter before it goes to the next number.

[ElTheJono]

editing was annoying as hell.  nice send though.

[AlSwearengen15]

@chinookfixer climbing ratings are totally subjective. It is going to vary whether you are tall or short or have a certain hand size. The only way to understand what 5.8 or 5.14 is like is to climb it. And even then there are always debates about ratings. I have seen beginners that could climb 5.11 really fast and some people who never reach that level. It all depends. Generally, though, 5.8 should be easy if you are experienced but a good challenge for a beginner.

[AlSwearengen15]

@hekaze Haha, you have never climbed at Rifle I take it. Those climbs are the real deal. I guess you could argue whether it is .14a or .14b though

[hekaze]

nice send, but that is not a 5.14b

[chinookfixer]

@mexymattl im just getting into climbing.... I kinda understand the rating system but is there a way to make up for the objectiveness? I mean, wouldn't a 5.8 be pretty easy for an experienced climber but be tough for a novice one? Or is there a standard that the rating system is based off of?