Make Grades Solid From Top to Bottom

The recent discussion over bouldering grades focuses only on the higher-end of the scale, which makes sense because that's where "fresher" grades reside, and thus less consolidation.

A critical point not to get lost here though is how the recent (past ten years or so) top-end action and grade proposing is affecting the grades all the way down the scale--all the way down to the bottom of the V-scale.

Unfortunately, the grades of newer "moderate" problems, from V0 to V8 let's say, are going completely soft. Instability at the top-end creates instability at the bottom. The atmospheric rise at the scale's top-end creates a perception that the bottom rungs of the V-ladder should be "easy."

Besides consolidating to the top-end of the scale, the bigger point then is to make sure every level is--and remains--solid. A solid grade at EVERY level, not just the top-end, is the only way to keep V-grades meaningful, whatever the level.