My friends created a points system for gym climbing. Specifically, bouldering.
For those who don’t know, boulders at gyms and in the real world are rated by the difficulty of each climb with a “V” system. It starts at A, B, 0, 1, 2… all the way up to 17, apparently. For example, a VA is basically a ladder. A VB is something a beginner or child might climb. V0s are also beginner territory, or warm ups for intermediates. I wouldn’t say climbs start getting hard until V3. I say this because I’ve never successfully done a V3.
I’m not that good at rock climbing.
So this points system works like this: You get nothing for VA or VB. You get a half point for sending a V0, and a half point for downclimbing a V0 on color. Rainbow downs (when you down climb off-route) don’t count. You get one point for V1, two for V2, three for V3 both directions: all the way up, and all the way down.
So, if you wanted to get 10 points, you could go up and down ten V0s, or just up ten V1s, or up and down five V1s, or just up five V2s. Or just up and down one V5. Or just up one V10.
You get the idea.
Things I like about this system:
- I can set a goal when I go to the gym, like 10 or 15 or 20 points.
- If you’re with people, or texting people who also use this system, it’s slightly competitive (“I’m at 17 points, hbu?”).
- It encourages downclimbing, which is safer than just free falling 20 feet, even with crash pads.
- It encourages downclimbing, which engages different muscles than just climbing.
- It rewards endurance and speed (e.g.: going up and down ten V0s or five V1s is the fastest way to get to 10 points).
Things I dislike about the system:
- I always lose track of my points around 8 or 9.
- It discourages projecting harder climbs, so it keeps you performing at or below your level, not above.
Something like an app seems overkill for tracking these points. Seeing points over time and distribution of how those points are achieved would be cool data, I just don’t think enough people would use such an app for it to be worth making. Something as simple as a sharpie in my chalk bag to mark my points on my forearm with tally marks could work. A notebook and pen could also do the same.
I’m not sure how to balance the points system for projecting a climb. On the one hand, it takes a lot of strength, courage, endurance, and problem solving to project a climb. The system should reward this. On the other hand, how do you know you gave it a good shot? Is three failed attempts at a V4 worth 2 points (half credit for trying)? If you failed three times then succeeded on the fourth attempt, is that 6 points (half credit for three attempts, full credit for the success)? I’m assuming if you had to project a climb, it’s tough for you and you won’t be able to downclimb it, but maybe you can (in which case this example would be 10 points). Does someone projecting a V4 take as long as someone sending and downclimbing ten v0s? And what counts as an “attempt”?
My best attempts at a V3 typically end with all four of my limbs on the wall and off the floor, if I’m lucky. But there are certainly V1s and V2s where I do the whole thing except the last hold, which is arguably more “success” but also “easier”. Do you measure success based on percent of holds touched in the attempt? So an almost-there 90% complete V1 is worth 0.9 (90% x 1) points, while getting off the ground 10% complete V3 is worth 0.3 (10% x 3)? While this certainly seems fair to me, I’m also not likely to count holds and calculate points this way. The beauty of the original system was its simplicity. It’s easy to remember (2 points for a V2).