What's the use?

The main value of this calculator is to help you propose the most objective grade possible.

There are two major cognitive biases that tend to make us overestimate the difficulty of a route. The first is when a route approaches our maximum level, our perception of the difficulty becomes exponential, the slightest additional difficulty seems insurmountable. The second is due to the emotional charge we attach to our investment for redpointing. The number of sessions required to redpoint is a good indicator of the grade, but only if the sessions were spent in good conditions and with the right betas. Darth Grader is here to help you overcome these cognitive biases. By dividing a route into sections, we bring each section back into our moderate comfort zone, where it is easier to be objective. Now, you can estimate the difficulty of each section based on the best betas found. Darth Grader takes care of calculating the total grade equivalent to this sum of sections.

You can also try out our other calculators for breaking down boulders into single or multiple moves sections, as well as for calculating an overall grade for a multi-pitch: the [Multi-Pitch Darth Grade]. Same algorithm is used for all calculators.

For more informations about rockclimbing grading system, check the "How it works" section.

And don't forget, breakdown remains subjective, so there's nothing really new in the grading world.