Grade of Fat Boys Aerobic Workout???

[Derek Marshall]

Hey chaps... some details required.
What is the grade of Fat Boys Aerobic Workout – 29 or 30?? at Howissen's Poort. Just out side Grahamstown. Opened by Jeremy Colenso 1996.

There have been quite a few people down grading it to 29 over the years, but as many who maintain the grade at 30. Is the real name \"Fat Boys' Aerobic Workout\" or \"Fat Boy's Aerobic Workout\". A slight diffrence

Is the crag at Howissen's Poort comonly known as Howies, Scoops, La Plage, or just Howissen's Poort?

[juz]

I would say its more like 28

[Derek Marshall]

Seriously...& you have climbed it?

[Mark]

The name would depend on how many fat boys are climbing it?? Just being full of C&^p, had to comment, hopefully one day I will join the fat boy club

[d0m]

I've heard it been called 29 and 30, but i've never tried it so I can't give empirical evidence.

And Howisen's Poort was, as far as I can remember, only ever referred to as Howies when I was in Ght.

[DBez]

Not that it necessary means you should downgrade it , but remember Paul Brouard onsighting it ? And with his second ascent of Hydrophobic (29) at The Beach (opened by M van der Mescht) he straight out said that the route was harder than Fat Boys . But does it necessary gives the next climber the right to downgrade the route ? Recently Rich Simpson did a 9a of Markus Brock in Frankenjura and by taking the time to do it Ben Moon (his sponsor) reckoned that it should be downgraded . That was not the thoughts of some of the climbers in PE though when I asked them about that .

[Derek Marshall]

By what you are saying Dbez:

You can't Hydrophobic graded 29 & Fatboys graded 30. When Hydrophobic is harder than Fatboys. Either one goes up or one come down. That is to make sense.

[Slimgirls]

Fatboys needs to loose a grade. Rather a solid strong 29 than a wimp 30. As a 29 it may loose some popularity amongst students in GHT, who are looking to be able to claim a 30.

[kyle]

Fat Boys is my hardest ever redpoint so I would be stoked if it was 30, but on the day I bagged it and slapped the top sloper screaming and nearly having an embelism paul broaurd climbed it striaght after me with a 5kg weight belt on!!! Talk about your all time ego deflaters. Regardsless of grade its a fun little route and by no means a walk in the park. Conditions play a role for sticking the top sloper...

[Derek Marshall]

Kyle...what would the general though of the grade by most Rhodes students? Or ex Rhodes S?

compare it to routes like point break or cool like that and you will see its 28

[kyle]

There is no move on cool like that that is harder than the crux sequence on Fat Boys, so if we are grading purely by crux move then fat boys is harder in my opinion. However Cool like that feels like a much more commiting route and endurance also plays a big role. Also cool like that depending on the conditions can fluctuate at least two grades. When I compare Fat Boys to the crux on El Nino I would say that the moves are comparable, however I would say El Nino is harder (or maybe I just have shitty endurance!!). To be completely honest I would say that Fat Boys is more like 29... It all comes back to the old climb the route for the route and not the grade saying... Judging Fat Boys purely by the number of people who have climbed it easily I would say that is also a factor for a down grade. However you have lots of strong skinny starving students within a 10 minute drive of the route and good beta on the crux sequence. Rather down grade and err on the side of caution... if people start bitching you can always up the grade again...