Climber Names New Route 5.12+? to Avoid Community Backlash, Personal Responsibility

FLAGSTAFF, AZ In an effort to both solidify his legacy and dodge any actual commitment, local climber Jordan Tate has named his new route 5.12+?, thereby achieving the rare triple-goal of mystique, plausible deniability, and total grading anarchy. I didnt want to impose a number on anyones truth, said Tate, who completed the first ascent last weekend after a record-breaking 11 days of bolt-placement, introspection, and beta-vague Instagram teasers. The name has sparked heated debate on local forums, with climbers divided over whether 5.12+? is an honest reflection of Tates insecurity or a calculated move to dodge the internets wrath. Its a bold cop-out, said Jess Dooling, who attempted the route Tuesday. I fell on the second bolt, the fourth bolt, and emotionally at the anchor. I need to know whether that was personal failure or bad benchmarking. The move has inspired a wave of similarly noncommittal grades at the crag, including: V6ish, Depends on Height Probably 11c But I Was Tired 5.Hard But Like, Good Hard Spiritual 13a Grading is colonial, Tate explained. By naming it 5.12+?, Im inviting each climber to co-create their own struggle narrative. Witnesses say the route itself is steep, sequency, and filled with holds that look promising until you actually touch themwhat one climber called classic Tate sandbagism with a new-age garnish. In the absence of a firm consensus, the climbing community has descended into semantic chaos. One commenter on Mountain Project wrote, Its a 12c with a 13a ego tax, while another suggested, 5.12+? is just Vague Bro for 'I dont want to get yelled at in the comments.' Still, some are embracing the ambiguity. Its freeing, said beta-vlogger Lance Romano. If I send it, its 12b. If I dont, its 13a. The grade adapts to my self-esteem. The route has already attracted repeat aspirants hoping to claim a send while emotionally distancing themselves from failure, according to a nearby trad climber who observed four takes and two grade debates in a single afternoon. Tate, for his part, has already moved on to a new project he describes as an intuitive compression line with anti-capitalist hold sequencing, rumored to be named 5.13But Not In a Weird Way. When asked what advice hed give to future ascensionists of 5.12+?, Tate offered only this: Climb with your heart, not your spreadsheet.