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Climbing Grades edited by Adam Steel
I have often looked at descriptions of climbs and been befuddled by the string of code following the name of the climb. For example: Otra Vez (ED: VI 5.10 A1 80°, Giarolli-Orlandi-Salvaterra, 1989). This is enough to make an aspiring climber's head spin. Some of it is self-explanatory. Giarolli-Orlandi-Salvaterra is, obviously, the last names of the first ascenscionists, who put up the route entitled Otra Vez in 1989. The rest of it is mumbo jumbo and what the heck does it mean? It gets even worse if you go to Scotland, Britain, Germany or Australia and have to deal with ratings used in almost no other place on earth. Sometimes these ratings appear outside of their usual region when climbers travel abroad, putting up routes and with the grading system they are accustomed to (often they are changed post-hoc for clarity's sake).
Compilations of all the ratings systems are rare, as are definitions of ratings that everyone can agree on. Below are the grading systems I've managed to compile, with definitions given by various people. Some of the explanations are probably out of date, but I could not find a more modern version. This is noted in the applicable sections, along with the source of the explanation (modern or not).
- Adam Steel (asteel@umich.edu)
Rock Climbing Grades
Yosemite Decimal System
Protection Grades
Boulder Grades
Grade Comparison Chart
Aid Ratings
British Ratings
Ice Ratings
Water Ice
Alpine Ice
Mixed Grades
General/Mountain Ratings
Commitment Ratings
Mountain Route Ratings
The Yosemite Decimal System
The Yosemite Decimal System is the most popular rating system in the world alongside the French System. It goes along from 1-5 to describe terrain type. Class 5 is where the technical moves begin and where the ratings break down into an imperfect decimal system. For example, 5.15 is the hardest climb that has currently been completed (first done by Chris Sharma, 2001). 5.15 is way harder than 5.9. Thus the imperfect decimal system.
1-3: Flat to fairly angled terrain. As you approach 4 the obstacles, such as boulders, get larger and impossible to go around. Slopes are filled with talus and scree making movement harder. Tripping over an obstacle on a grade 3 means you would slide for a little bit.
4: This is called "scrambling" and would include climbing up big ledges. Packs tend to get passed over harder sections.
5.0-5.7: Time to rope up! The athletically inclined will be able to struggle up a 5.6/5.7 their first day on top-rope. Technical moves begin.
5.8-5.9: This is where most weekend climbers stay.
5.10a:At this point the grade breaks down further into 5.10a, 5.10b, 5.10c and 5.10d. Sometimes a simple plus or minus sign is added instead of a letter, denoting slightly harder or easier version of a grade (eg. 5.9-). This continues through the rest of the grades. A dedicated, athletically adept weekend climber could climb easy 5.10s (a or b).
5.11-5.13: This is where most "serious" climbers hang out. The moves are hard, the holds are tiny, dynamic moves (jumping) become necessary on many climbs of this rating.
5.14-5.15a: Holy shit. This is the realm of professional-level climbers. Intense conditioning, naturally high level of athletic ability and a fierce desire to sacrifice all for climbing are necessary to achieve this level.
6: Unable to be climbed without aid. See aid ratings. This is a debatable grade, because what can't be climbed by one might still be climbed by another.
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Protection Grades
This is the part that follows the difficulty rating of the climb, usually with a space between the grade and the safety rating (eg. 5.10 x). It roughly follows the movie rating system and refers to how easy the route is to protect.
G-PG13: Good protection, no falls could result in hitting the ground ("decking") or be farther than 15 feet plus rope stretch.
R: Serious fall potential, 20+ feet.
X: Serious decking potential. A fall from the wrong point on a climb rated X would mean you hit the ground. Shitty to no protection.
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Boulder Grades
Bouldering is a form of climbing where the climber does not use a rope and climbs only up to 30 feet or so, although mostly only about 10 feet. (20-30 foot boulder problems are called "highballs.") John Gill pioneered bouldering and Jon Sherman created the V-scale that we use today. The Yosemite Decimal System equivalent below refers to the crux moves of a climb given that rating. However, take into account Jon Sherman's own philosophy when considering these grades: "...I do regret introducing V-grades. Before they came along the vast majority of boulder problems were put up for their aesthetics or challenge, not to wave a number around. Personally, I gave up using V-grades around 7 years ago."
V-Grade : YDS Equivalent
V0-: 5.8
V0: 5.9
V0+: 5.10a/b
V1: 5.10c/d
V0-: 5.8
V0: 5.9
V0+: 5.10a/b
V1: 5.10c/d
V2: 5.11a/b
V3: 5.11c/d
V4: 5.12-
V5: 5.12
V6: 5.12+
V7: 5.13-
V8: 5.13
V9: 5.13+
V10: 5.14-
V11: 5.14
V12: 5.14+
V13: Incomparable
V14: Incomparable
V15: Incomparable
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International Grade Comparison Chart
This was directly ganked from these guys.
------------------------------------------------------------------
UIAA | USA |French|Aussie| UK | Saxon |Czech | Nor | Swe |
------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 5.2 | 1 | 10 | easy | I | | | |
------|-------|------|------|---------|-------| | | |
2 | 5.3 | 2 | 11 | m | II | | | |
------|-------|------|------|---------|-------| | | |
3 | 5.4 | 3 | 12 | d | III | | | |
------|-------|------| |---------|-------| | | |
4 | 5.5 | 4 |------| hvd | IV | | | |
------|-------| | 13 |---------|-------| | | |
5- | 5.6 |------| | ms | V | | | |
------|-------| 5 |------|---------|-------| |-----|-----|
5 | 5.7 | | 14 | 4a : s | VI | | 5- | 5- |
------| |------|------|----: |-------| |-----|-----|
5+ |-------| 5+ | 15 | 4b :vs | VIIa |------| 5 | 5 |
------| 5.8 | |------|----: | | 6 |-----|-----|
6- | | | 16 | 4c :hvs |-------|------| 5+ | 5+ |
|-------| |------|----: | VIIb | 7 | | |
------| 5.9 |------| 17 | 5a : | | |-----|-----|
6 | | 6a |------| : |-------|------| 6- | 6- |
------|-------| | 18 |----: | VIIc | 7a | | |
6+ | 5.10a | |------| 5b : e1 | | |-----|-----|
|-------| | 19 | : |-------|------| 6 | 6 |
------| 5.10b | 6a+ |------|----: | VIIIa | 7b | | |
7- |-------|------| 20 | 5c : | | |-----|-----|
| 5.10c | 6b | | : | | | | |
------|-------| |------| : |-------|------| 6+ | 6+ |
7 | 5.10d | | 21 | : e2 | VIIIb | 7c | | |
|-------| 6b+ | | : | | |-----| |
------| 5.11a |------|------| : |-------|------| 7- | |
7+ | | 6c | 22 |----: | VIIIc | | |-----|
|-------| |------| 6a : | | | | 7- |
------| 5.11b | | 23 | : e3 |-------| | | |
8- |-------| 6c+ |------| : | IXa | |-----| |
| 5.11c |------| 24 | : | | | 7 | |
------|-------| 7a |------| : |-------| | |-----|
8 | 5.11d | | 25 |----: e4 | IXb | |-----| 7 |
|-------| | | 6b : | | | 7+ | |
------| 5.12a | |------| : |-------| | |-----|
8+ |-------| 7a+ | 26 | : | IXc | |-----| 7+ |
| 5.12b |------| | : | | | 8- | |
------|-------| 7b | | : |-------| | | |
9- | 5.12c | |------| : e5 | Xa | |-----|-----|
| | 7b+ | 27 |----: | | | 8 | 8- |
------|-------|------| | 6c : |-------| | | |
9 | 5.12c | 7c |------| : | Xb | | |-----|
|-------| | 28 | : | | | | 8 |
-----| 5.13a | |------| : e6 |-------| |-----| |
9+ |-------| 7c+ | 29 |----: | Xc | | 8+ | |
| 5.13b |------|------| 7a : | | | | |
------| | 8a | 30 | : |-------| |-----|-----|
10- |-------| |------| : | | | 9- | 8+ |
| 5.13c | 8a+ | 31 | : |-------| | | |
------|-------|------|------| : e7 | Xc | | |-----|
10 | 5.13d | 8b | 32 | : | | |-----| 9- |
|-------| |------|----: | | | 9 | |
------| 5.14a | | 33 | 7b : | | | |-----|
10+ | | 8b+ | | : | | | | 9 |
|-------|------| | : e8 | | |-----| |
------| 5.14b | 8c | | : | | | 9+ | |
11- |-------| | | : | | | |-----|
| 5.14c | | | : | | |-----| 9+ |
------|-------| 8c+ | | : e9 | | | | |
11 | 5.14d |------| | : | | | |-----|
|-------| 9a | | : | | | | |
| | | | : e10| | | | |
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Commitment Ratings
The commitment ratings descriptions are taken directly from Will Gadd's Ice and Mixed Climbing: Modern Technique. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend you pick it up if you plan to wield an ice axe.
I: A route you would do after work or during a long lunch. no significant hazard, easy access, and fast descent.
II: A short route close to the road; a fit party could do this in a short morning.
III: As with ice ratings, this is where things get more serious. Some sort of approach, usually multipitch (or one dangerous pitch), and requiring at least a solid half day.
IV: A longer route in a remote setting, demanding more alpine travel and climbing skills. Or a very difficult, complicated shorter climb.
V: A full-day outing for a competent part in difficult terrain.
VI: Usually a multiday outing on difficult terrain, often involving significant risk. Gade VI routes will seldom be repeated, as they require good conditions and a strong, experienced team with strong motivation.
VII: A route of Himalayan stature and reputation; will generally go years without getting a repeat after the first ascent, and often involves at least one death despite relatively low traffic.
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Water Ice
Water ice is rated as WI, NZI (New Zealand Ice) or in degrees, representing the slope of the surface climbed (as in the example up top). I only cover the WI ratings. -Adam
These water ice ratings descriptions are taken directly from Will Gadd's Ice and Mixed Climbing: Modern Technique. This is the best desciption of the rating that I have ever read and I highly recommend you buy the book if you plan to wield an ice axe.
WI 1: Solid, thick, low-angle ice that would be easy to climb with one ice tool and 10-point (no front-pointing) crampons.
WI 2: A rambling pitch of low-angle ice; only very surefooted dogs would make it up. There are probably more accidents on grade 2 ice than any other. Climbers often don't bother with a rope or gear, but it's suprising how quickly one can accelerate toward the ground on low-angle ice. A rope is a good idea and always essential for novices.
WI 3: The start of really technical climbing; most climbers will want a rope. may have short steps of near-vertical ice (up to a body length) and longer stretches of 60-degree ice.
WI 4: A short bit of vertical ice or a longer pitch of 75-80 degree ice. most novices will make it up on a top-rope without problems, but leading is serious.
WI 5: A long pitch of solid, vertical ice or a short step of vertical but really funky ice. retreat from anywhere on the pitch would still be possible most of the time, but finding reliable screws and good belays may be difficult.
WI 6: Overhanging mushrooms with bad gear, very thin vertical ice with bad gear, or anything that freaks the leader out totally. Free-hanging daggers, very strenuous ice roofs, or any climbing that seems a lot harder than the consensus grade 5 climbs. only very experienced, fit climbers will be solid leading at this rating, and even the best climbers will find good reason to retreat occassionally at this rating. Roughly equivalent to 5.8 or easy 5.10 climbing with poor gear and bad rock.
WI 7: Semi-mythical; harder than grade 6, usually with a high publicity coefficient. most grade 7 routes seem to become grade 6 on the second ascent.
WI 8: Only claimed a few times on pure water ice; very overhanging, with very bad gear and very bad ice, requiring a serious bad-ass to climb it. Alternatively, a very overhanging glacial serac can be equivalent to a WI 8 in sheer strength, but with very good screws.
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Alpine Ice
In the mountains, factors like temperature, wind, precipitation, etc. can change so quickly and cause such a variation in the difficulty of a climb that a route's rating must always be considered in the context of prevailing conditions. There are several different scales used to evaluate alpine difficulties and many alpine guidebooks will use a combination of them, if applicable.
Theoretically, the Alpine Ice (AI) and Water Ice (WI) prefixes are interchangeable. Alpine ice is generally formed via the recrystallisation of snow on glaciers, snowfields, and in couloirs and only rarely exceeds 70 degrees. Steeper ice in the alpine environment typically results from the refreezing of melt water, and thus a WI rating is more appropriate.
AI 1: Flat ice, like a typical glacier surface. Requires crampons.
AI 2: Sections of moderately steep (60-70 degrees) ice. Can be climbed with one tool.
AI 3: Sustained 70-80 degree ice. Requires two tools.
AI 4: Vertical sections of ice interrupted by ramps or ledges.
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Mixed Grades
 Again, as with the Water Ice and Commitment grades, this is borrowed from Will Gadd. Now do you see that you need to buy this book? Will Gadd is the man when it comes to anything frozen.
Mixed routes tend to be well protected compared to upper grade Water Ice routes.
M5: Roughly equivalent to WI 5
M6: Technically equivalent to WI 6, but well protected and fun.
M7: 5.9 to 5.10-
M8: 5.10+ to 5.11-
M9: 5.11+ to 5.12-
M10: Mid 5.12
M11: 5.12+
M12: 5.13, depending on gear, publicity and so on.
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Aid Ratings
Aiding a climb is a way of bypassing a section that is too difficult for you to climb. It might be flat out impossible or just too difficult for you. Many routes that were originally graded with aid (eg. Example Route, 5.9 A3+) have been "freed", or climbed without aid tactics, resulting in a new grade (Example Route, 5.12c). This is a constant process as the best climbers get better. Many routes are freed every year
This was all ganked from this PDF document -Adam
Original Ratings. Note new routes will often say Modern A4 or something to that effect, to denote the difference between these and the modern ratings described further down.
A1: All placements are rock solid and easy.
A2: Placements are still solid, but the placements are awkward and a few may be difficult.
A3: Many placements are difficult, but there is the occasional solid piece.
A4: There are several placements in a row that will hold nothing more than body weight.
A5: 20 meters (60 ft) or more of bodyweight-only placements in a row.
However in the US, modern equipment and the relentless drive to climb bigger and more difficult routes, has pushed aid climbing to limits that were unimaginable a few decades ago. This has also led to a changed interpretation of the rating scales. This is how John Long and John Middendorf interpret the modern aid climbing ratings it in their Big Wall book:
Modern Aid Ratings.
 Aid has come a long way. Serious routes are going up everywhere. Most recently is the addition of "clean" aid, as opposed to "dirty" aid with pitons and bolts: equipment that damages the rock irreversibly. They are exactly the same as the 'A' scale, but with a 'C'. - Adam
A0 (C0): Hanging from gear, stepping on pitons, pulling up on nuts, etc. Everything that doesn't require aiders and can't be honestly called 'free climbing'. (Also called "French Free" for interesting reasons -Adam)
A1 (C1): Easy aid. Placements are easy and solid. Each piece should hold a fall.
A2 (C2): Moderate aid. Solid, but often awkward and strenuous placements. Maybe a difficult placement or two above good protection. Falls pose no danger.
A2+: Moderate aid, but with more tenuous placements above good protection. There is a potential for serious falls.
A3 (C3): Hard aid. Requires many tenuous placements in a row and pieces need to be tested before weighting them. There should be solid placements within the pitch, but they are rather few and far between. During a fall, up to eight pieces of pro may rip out, but there generally is little serious danger. Takes several hours to complete a pitch.
A3+: A3, but with a dangerous fall potential.
A4: Serious aid. Most placements hold little less than body weight and falls are serious affairs. Being 10 to 15 meters (30 to 50 ft) above the last solid piece is not uncommon.
A4+: Very serious aid. Placements are often very marginal and pitches require many hours to complete.
A5: Extreme aid. No piece in the whole pitch can be trusted to hold a fall except the belay. No bolts or rivets in A5 pitches. 1 pitch may take up to a whole day.
A6: A5 with poor belays that won't hold a fall. The leader pops and the whole team is airborne. No one sane has ever done this, and no one insane who tried came back to tell us about it. (**WRONG** Check Out Jim Beyer's Cult of Suicidal (A6a) on Shiprock. And no one sane would every belay for an A6, so only one person would die. -Adam)
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Mountain Route Ratings
This was ganked from these guys. -Adam
International French Adjectival System (IFAS)
The French system is an adjectival system that was designed to rate climbs such as those common in the European Alps, generally snow and ice climbs. The IFAS ratings are defined as follows:
F - Facile (Easy): Hiking, scrambling, and easy snow routes.
PD - Peu Difficile (Slightly Difficult): Moderate technical skills may be required on either rock, snow, or ice
AD - Assez Difficile (Fairly Difficult): Some sections of the route are steep (i.e., greater than 50 degrees), and require technical rock, snow, and/or ice climbing skills.
D - Difficile (Difficult): Sustained sections of the route are steep, and require technical rock, snow, and/or ice climbing skills.
TD - Tres Difficile (Very Difficult): Very difficult technical climbing on rock, snow and/or ice
ED(1-3) - Extremement Difficile (Extremely Difficult): The most difficult climbs imaginable
ABO: Abominable. More difficult than can be imagined
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British Ratings
The entire island is a stronghold against bolting. In their view, if you haven't got the balls to get beyond a long stretch with no protection, go climb something you can handle! Persons from a generation other than yours will do it soon enough.
To help you out though, there is a great two tiered grading system to aid you in finding the climb that matches your psyche. Observe:
Tier One: Commitment
I think commitment is the best way to describe this part of the grade. Within this is included availability of protection, position of crux, consecutive hard moves, and possibly the length. It is based on an adjective system. North Americans have produced a poor cousin to this idea with their "Hollywood Ratings" of PG, R, and X. I think the main advantage here is the resolution of the grading.
Beginner stuff, lots of holds, lots of pro:
MD - Mild Difficult
D - Difficult
HD - Hard Difficult
The first signs of commitment. Regular placements are available, but some of them may require thought:
MVD - Mild Very Difficult
VD - Very Difficult (Veneral Disease?)
HVD - Hard Very Difficult
Runouts begin to occur, or shitty placements occur more often at:
MS - Mild Severe
S - Severe
HS - Hard Severe
MVS - Mild Very Severe
These grades range from large blank spots, to having the crux coincide with such blank spots. For most, this is where it begins to become scary:
MVS - Mild Very Severe
VS - Very Severe
HVS - Hard Very Severe
All bets are off. If there is gear, it's probably shit:
E(1-9) - Extreme
Tier Two: Difficulty
Here is something we are all used to: a difficulty rating. If you can understand that Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin all measure the same thing, then this shouldn't be any trouble.
British Difficulty Grade - Yosemite Equivalent
4b 5.5--5.6
4c 5.7--5.8
5a 5.9--5.10a
5b 5.10b-c
5c 5.10c-5.11a
6a 5.11a-c
These two grades are presented together to give a commitment and difficulty rating. Pedestal Wall (Mild Severe, 4b) for example has a short runout at the very beginning, followed by solid placements. It's technical difficulty is in a protected position, at a level where you could just barely identify it as the crux.
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