Climbing V13 Doesn’t Mean You’re a Better Climber
I climbed V13 almost 20 years ago. In fact, I climbed a handful of them. I climbed my last one over 15 years ago.
But in the 15 years since, I haven’t gotten back up to those same peak grades. I haven’t even tried one… 😂
And here’s the thing:
I’m a far better climber now than I was then.
For a long time, I found that confusing.
There was something that just didn’t sit right with me.
At some point, I realized that climbing the highest grade possible wasn’t actually a good indicator of progress. It didn’t reflect performance, growth, or mastery (in a way that made sense to me). It just reflected… a number (and a highly biased one at that).
The entire climbing grading system is built from subjective perspectives. Every climber is different. Every climb is different. So “grades” are essentially an average across a dataset of opinions.
As climbers, we often use this system in two ways:
We chase outliers—the highest possible grade we can eke out by finding climbs that suit our style.
Or we look at the system as a whole and try to understand our place within it. We try to use it to give us a strong sense of where we are and where we’re going.
This distinction matters. Because when you chase the outlier, you’re optimizing for your best-case scenario. You’re literally hunting for the climb that flatters your strengths the most and then using that to define your level of performance.
That’s not progress. That’s cherry-picking.
Eventually, I had to ask myself:
What does real progress look like for me?
I realized I needed a more meaningful metric—something that reflected the things I valued: adaptability, consistency, fast-sending, and real technical skill. So I reframed my thinking and started looking at my 95th percentile.
What does that mean?
It means: What’s the hardest grade I can send 95% of the time?
What grade shows up over and over again, no matter the rock type or terrain style? Slab, arete, crimp, dyno, steep climb, long boulder, one-mover, limestone, granite, sandstone—you name it, and I’ll search it out.
That became my new benchmark.
In recent years, my goal has been to consolidate V8. To climb V8s fast, and across many styles. I look for V8s I can’t do and see them as opportunities for growth.
And no, it’s not perfect. There are always going to be misgraded climbs or weird outliers. But if I can climb 95 out of 100 V8s I try, I’m moving in the right direction.
Climbing Saigon Direct V8 - Bishop, CA (📷 James Lucas)
When I was climbing V13, there were plenty of V7s I couldn’t do.
Now, I generally top out around V11—but I can climb almost any V8 I touch.
That tells me more about my level than any one climb ever could.
And most importantly, this approach gives me something way more valuable than a grade.
It gives me joy every time I climb.
My motivation is always high.
Every session has the perfect balance of uncertainty and success.
Climbing is so damn fun.
I get stronger feedback from every session. I can track my progress. I know what to train. I know how to improve.
So if you asked me now:
Would I rather climb every V8 in the world—or a handful of V13s?
Easy.
I’d rather climb every V8. Because that aligns with my values and my definition of success.
And that definition is simple:
To become the best climber I can be (and to have a great time doing it).
Please send this to a friend! If this resonated with you, feel free to pass it along to someone who might appreciate this perspective too. ✌️
- Simon
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