"William R. Watt" wrote in message
...

You can't rate routes according to the ability of the traveller. For
example, the routes on a road map may be marked differently if they are
primary (paved two lane) or secondary (gravel single lane). Just because a
single lane gravel road might be "primary" for a farm tractor doesn't mean
the map should show it as a primary road.

Standards have to be objective, not subjective. When they become
subjective, like in our teacher-dominated schools, they loose their
meaning and usefulness, which is why we see university students who cannot
read and write.

If you start to rate river routes accordign to the ability of the paddler
then paddling will be controlled by so-called "certified paddling
instructors" and rivers will become like schools. Better to keep our
rivers out of their greedy grasp.


Good point about the greedy grasps, and steps would certainly have to be
taken to account for that, but river rating systems CANNOT be objective.
There is an implicit question about 'runnability' in rating systems, which
is highly subjective. What we need is a standardized subject. But then, the
rating system won't apply to anyone but that subject; the rest of us will
need our own personal handicap, as it were. I think there would be enough
common usage to have a standardized handicapping system.

Your example about road maps is good. Highway maps are designed for 2WD
street cars, and are rated accordingly. Look at a 4WD touring map: all the
roads are listed differently (all the dirt roads, that is. The paved roads
are treated similarly). Likewise, roads don't usually change conditions with
seasons, etc. In fact, we spend a lot of time trying to keep the conditions
consistent, but in the case of the roads that are not able to be kept
consistent, the rating DOES change. Maps will say '4WD only, in winter' or
'flooded or impassible in rainy conditions'. The user is left to determine
if that road is passable on a certian day....a Class 2 paved road will cease
to be such in winter, in that case, although the map won't change.

--riverman