UK climbing grades
stands for
Hard Very Severe. The UK system of
climbing grades is adjectival and alpha-numerical. The alpha numberical
part describes how tecnicaly difficult a climb is.
The adjectival part describes how intimidating, dangerous ,
serious a route is. The HVS category was being climbed back in the 1930's. At this time people climbed in
hobnailed boots with
hawser ropes and no real protection from falling to speak of. You might even say that back in those days
climbers were
real climbers, rock was
real rock and hard very severe was
real hard very severe. Now with the advent
of modern
nylon ropes, rubber fitted
climbing boots
and enless pieces of advanced safetey equipment a HVS
is not likley to
kill you, a fun day out for all in fact.
My favourite HVS is called pis fluch, It is in the
Burren next to siren. It is an intimidating sheer
corder of limestone that rises from the sea. It is on the
same cliff body that was used as the cliffs of insanity
in the princess bride.
You can layback or bridge your way up the corner.