E3 5c is 5c TRAD leading, not sport leading.

That was me above...

Anyway, could it be done? I think so, if:

-you spend the next 5 years climbing, not 4 weeks a year but 30 weeks a year

-you have the funds to live out of your car for 5 years straight

-don't get the RVA after your ass

-your knees don't blow out

hey Stef, in short.... you have a lot of work to do.

Grade V winter is pretty serious and requiers a lot of experience to get to, you're going to have to do a lot of winter climbing to get there in 5 years. This might be problematic given the generally unreliable weather Britain experiences in this regard. Having said that, the last 3 winters have been great, and given enough good partners, plenty of time and lots of flexibility... from my limited point of view, I reckon it's doeable.

You will need balls of steel though, British Winter Climbing is 'effing scary!

As you know trad and sport climbing are quite different beasts. Climbing 6b sport is not going to allow you to climb E3 5c. E3 is serious, especially when it's multi-pitch. Also, British technical grades and french sport grades are not the same; check out this table for conversions:

http://www.rockfax.com/publications/grades.html

I don't see why you couldn't get to that level in 5 years though. You've just got to get out and climb and get those days logged.

Perhaps you should consider getting your Mountain Leader and Single Pitch Awards first? These will allow you to work in outdoor centres taking people on walks to the mountains and climbing on single pitch crags. Then you could move on to the Multi-Pitch Award and so on. You can then build up your winter and trad experience while doing these.

Stef, good luck to you! In my opinion getting the badge is one of the hardest things one can do concerning mountaineering (not I write mountaineering). One not only has to be damned good but in all conditions and still keep calm and get your client down, not just yourself. I respect the ability of all guides - not the same as like, of course.

If you´d like to get some inside info, an aquaintance of mine is one (he´s a Brit). I climbed wth him in the mid 80´s, he was damned good then but it still took him a long time to get the badge.

If you´re interested I can send you his mail.

Cheers

Oh yea, and just to give you some idea of Trad climbing grades. Do you remember when we did Dives/Better Things? That's only HS 4b. E3 5c is 5 adjectival and 4 technical grades above that! That's a whold other world of fun!

(My best lead is E2 5b by the way, so I admit I'm coming from a slightly limited point of view )

Nanuls wrote:Oh yea, and just to give you some idea of Trad climbing grades. Do you remember when we did Dives/Better Things? That's only HS 4b. E3 5c is 5 adjectival and 4 technical grades above that! That's a whold other world of fun!

(My best lead is E2 5b by the way, so I admit I'm coming from a slightly limited point of view )

Nice route that!

charles wrote:

Nanuls wrote:Oh yea, and just to give you some idea of Trad climbing grades. Do you remember when we did Dives/Better Things? That's only HS 4b. E3 5c is 5 adjectival and 4 technical grades above that! That's a whold other world of fun!

(My best lead is E2 5b by the way, so I admit I'm coming from a slightly limited point of view )

Nice route that!

Fantastic route, really good value for the grade. When Stef was here in March I took him up that and Spiral Stairs as an introduction to Welsh trad. Not a bad introduction if I say so myself

If you climb F5c sport, you are very, very, very far away from E3 5c. Think of it as a bold, trad F6c. You also need a lot more ice and mixed experience and just log a bunch of mountain days. Your only chance is to move to Chamonix, Zermatt or another mainland climbing hub, find some job and go climbing every weekend for the whole season.

Finding partners isn't the hard part, sustaining motivation, income and staying injury free for a period of a few years is.

Nanuls wrote:

charles wrote:

Nanuls wrote:Oh yea, and just to give you some idea of Trad climbing grades. Do you remember when we did Dives/Better Things? That's only HS 4b. E3 5c is 5 adjectival and 4 technical grades above that! That's a whold other world of fun!

(My best lead is E2 5b by the way, so I admit I'm coming from a slightly limited point of view )

Nice route that!

Fantastic route, really good value for the grade. When Stef was here in March I took him up that and Spiral Stairs as an introduction to Welsh trad. Not a bad introduction if I say so myself

Spiral Stairs - that was one of my first routes. Got awfully gripped on it, very exposed!!!

nattfodd wrote:If you climb F5c sport, you are very, very, very far away from E3 5c. Think of it as a bold, trad F6c. You also need a lot more ice and mixed experience and just log a bunch of mountain days. Your only chance is to move to Chamonix, Zermatt or another mainland climbing hub, find some job and go climbing every weekend for the whole season.

Finding partners isn't the hard part, sustaining motivation, income and staying injury free for a period of a few years is.

Plus Ski-mountaineering, plus plus plus plus.

"...i don't like the germans, and i like the english people more than the french/suisse/italian/..."

A good thing to put on your guide profile once you get it. Good stereotypes are certainly valuable in life, but when it comes to dealing with people of a given race/nationality/... that you already know you don't like at a business level, best to let them know it before they spend their hard-earned Euros (dollars, ...) on someone that already knows enough about them to know that they won't get along.

Move to Ohio. I'll get you in shape

sjarelkwint wrote: I have some savings and the more i think about it the more i think i need to give this idea a go ... Stef Schuermans becoming the most sexy guide of the western half (if it is to goldenhoppers 70% rule at least ...)

Stef, I'll give you full permission to post a picture of me in your guidebook. It will draw women and men alike.

Cover idea:

xDoogiex wrote:Move to Ohio. I'll get you in shape

And what mountain ranges are there in Ohio?

fredzurensick wrote:

xDoogiex wrote:Move to Ohio. I'll get you in shape

And what mountain ranges are there in Ohio?

top secret ones! Ssshhh!!!!