Re: Cross Country Passes - Polls for Difficulty?
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2022 1:15 pm
Good point with respect to what one perceives and what is objectively there! I think the experienced can judge pass difficulty once they get on it. Pass ratings should provide a "heads-up" for those less experienced. Ignorance really is bliss, until the unexpected happens.
One factor not often mentioned is route-finding. Some passes have very obvious routes. Others are really tricky; easy to get into the wrong gully or on the wrong ridge and find an entirely different difficulty. There also should be a heads-up on that. Perhaps best put into the written description. Some passes have developed a faint track resulting from so much more use. Once a path gets started, everyone seems to follow it. The resulting "pass" may not be its historical location. Some routes get wiped out with rockfall. And the best route over some passes is yet to be discovered! I really like to scout and explore when I go over passes just out of curiosity.
On easy passes, going down is often easier, just because it is less rigorous. But on more technical passes, going down is harder for me than going up. I like to plan my trips going UP the harder ones, especially those north facing. It is informative to know the difficulty of BOTH sides of a pass- they may not be the same.
One factor not often mentioned is route-finding. Some passes have very obvious routes. Others are really tricky; easy to get into the wrong gully or on the wrong ridge and find an entirely different difficulty. There also should be a heads-up on that. Perhaps best put into the written description. Some passes have developed a faint track resulting from so much more use. Once a path gets started, everyone seems to follow it. The resulting "pass" may not be its historical location. Some routes get wiped out with rockfall. And the best route over some passes is yet to be discovered! I really like to scout and explore when I go over passes just out of curiosity.
On easy passes, going down is often easier, just because it is less rigorous. But on more technical passes, going down is harder for me than going up. I like to plan my trips going UP the harder ones, especially those north facing. It is informative to know the difficulty of BOTH sides of a pass- they may not be the same.