Testpieces @ the 7th grade

DRIVE BY TRUCKERS 7A++ @ 40° on TB1

WARNING: the following is a ton of gradespeak which is subjective and contrived... ultimately you can either do a climb and its requisite moves on requisite holds (easily or with great difficulty), or you cannot (nearly or not even close). 

Hyperthenar & Drive By Truckers are the penultimate testpieces of V7/7A+ on the TB1

Although graded the same, I would add two ++ for Drive By Truckers and +++ for Hyper"the Gnar." each + sign adding a hypothetical still appropriate grade. Any climb graded the same with above three  +'s it's not that grade in my opinion. An example is Lioness (deserves to be a classic along with Drive By Truckers) which I will personally upgrade when I send it to V9++ (i.e. it would be fair at 10 or even a soft 11), ...which is equivalent to a V7++++ I guess.  I recognize there is flaw with this thinking eg V7+++ would be somewhat similar in feel of difficulty/complexity to V9+,  and yes... the entire grading thing is flawed if you ask me, but we still do it. I also double down on Hyperthenar feeling akin to a V9+ and Lioness feeling as difficult as some 11s I've worked.

I literally wouldn't argue with someone if they graded Drive By Truckers V9 or Hyperthenar V10. My argument for Lioness is: a. lack of ascents b. I've put more attempts into that climb (and Hyperthenar) than any of the double digit climbs I've sent thus far (when I send Prism V10 however this will blow them both out the water). It is important to note that Lioness and Prism will be decided on assuming my beta methods are most the efficient; it means nothing to put 100 goes in on something if beta/method wasn't correct until five (5) goes before send. I feel very confident this isn't the case with either...there is one hold sequence I have left on Lioness, I've done all the moves on Prism (with several methods).

Furthermore, I feel confident that I am a V7 climber. V8s are feeling more and more RPE 7-8, and I feel near to flashing V9s. I'm more reluctant to determine what is benchmark and the bonafide testpieces of double digits just yet, seeing as I've climbed only a handful. 

to start adding +'s and modifications to grades, a climber needs to have an over standing of movement/sequencing/hold types/tactics at grades in question

The conundrum I still wrestle with long after the pebble ; ) is, at what point does fitness and experience level (the subjective ease or difficulty of doing something) skew the reasoning processes of concluding a grade on a scale. 

Regardless, I'm proud of this send of Drive By Truckers... ultimately I didn't give up on it, I threw down on it and I got stronger. Testpieces are a "final exam" of execution ; a proven-ness one brings with them in who they become; further scaling competence and measured confidence to what's next... in my case,, sessions on Hyperthenar, Lioness, and Prism.

NM