The run on the trad route „Le Voyage“ continues. After the 38-metre route had already received four ascents last year after a long „rest period“ (5th ascent in total), the British trad specialist Steve McClure also send an ascent. Originally graded 8c, the route now checks in at more like 8b+ according to the repeaters.

Le Voyage… 8b+, E10…. We all know the British grading system is the best in the world for describing traditional climbs… But how come so many people struggle with what the famous ‘E’ grade really means. The ‘E’ symbolises ‘extremely severe’ in the British system. We begin with E1, and head on upwards with difficulty, so far extending to E12 (or maybe more?). The ‘E’ grade is an indicator of overall difficulty and takes into account physical difficulty and danger. A very safe E1 may feel roughly like a French 6a sport route. A very dangerous E1 may be only French 4 in difficulty, but will ‘feel’ potentially much harder! The key to the British system is to have additional information above an isolated ‘E’ grade. This information could be from simply looking at the line or from a guidebook. Knowing how dangerous a route is, combined with the difficulty (including placing protection) leads to the ‘E’ grade. Or… knowing the ‘E’ grade, combined with the difficulty could give an idea of the danger. Or, knowing the ‘E’ grade combined with the danger could give us an idea of the difficulty!! For lower extreme grades a simple guidebook description combined with a visual inspection and the ‘E’ grade yields a lot of information on how the climb will feel. For the upper extreme grades a little more information is really needed to make an accurate assessment of how the route will actually feel, and what you will be letting yourself in for… 

The first easier 15 metres of the route is a nice 7a crack. Then the route moves left into the compact face and follows a fine crack, which can be secured in places with mobile belay devices. Probably the most difficult trad route in France, it was first climbed by none other than James Pearson in 2017 in the Chambre du Roi-Annot climbing crag.

In this year James Pearson sends with „Bon Voyage“ (9a trad?) a harder link to the route.

Photo: (c) G R A C E T.S.P (@grace.t.s.p)