How Are Rock Climbing Routes Rated?
- admin171125
- Jul 23, 2024
- 5 min read
Rock climbing routes are rated based on their difficulty, which can vary by country and type of climbing. The difficulty of any given climb encompasses a wide variety of technical, physical and mental components of which no two climbs are identical. Indoor vs outdoor climbing also impacts scoring, and bouldering has its own separate grading system. Keep reading to learn more.
What Grading Systems Are Used for Rock Climbing Routes?
Grading systems for rock climbing routes vary significantly by style (e.g., sport climbing, trad climbing, bouldering) and country, reflecting local climbing traditions, geology, and community practices. Here’s an overview of some of the major grading systems used worldwide.
is used in North America to grade Trad, Sport and Free Climbing routes. The format consists of a number followed by a decimal and another number (e.g. 5.10a). The grades are divided into five classes and subdivisions within the fifth class to specify the difficulty of technical rock scrambles and climbs. Classes 1 to 4 are hiking and scrambling; Class 5 are technical rock climbing routes requiring rope and protection.
5.0 to 5.4: easy/beginner; large holds, low angle
5.5 to 5.7: moderate; modest holds, steeper angle
5.8 to 5.9: intermediate; technical skills, smaller holds, more vertical
5.10a to 5.10d: advanced; high skill, strength and endurance, small holds, steep/overhanging terrain
5.11a to 5.11d: very advanced; requires technique, strength and problem solving, tiny holds and complex sequences
5.12a to 5.12d: expert; hard climbing; very steep/overhanging and smaller holds
5.13a to 5.13d: super expert; tiny holds, complex sequences and steep terrain
5.14a & 5.14d: elite; requires extraordinary skill, strength and mental toughness.
5.15a to 5.15d: super elite; the most difficult routes climbed in the world
The YDS sometimes includes protection ratings to indicate the safety of the route, too. Example: 5.11c (PG): a very steep or overhanging face with small holds, requiring advanced skills and strength. The route is generally well-protected, but there may be sections where protection is slightly spaced out or less straightforward to place. Climbers should be comfortable placing gear and dealing with occasional runouts.
G: Good protection.
PG: Pretty Good protection.
R: Runout (significant gaps between protection points).
X: No protection (fatal falls).
is used in Europe, predominantly for sport climbing routes. The format is a number plus a letter (e.g. 6a), and the grade assesses the technical difficulty of a climb, including steepness, hold size, and complexity of moves. Example: 6b is a slightly overhanging route with smaller holds and a few technical sequences.
5a - 5c: Beginner
6s - 6c: Intermediate
7a - 7c: Advanced
8a - 8c: Expert
9a & above: Elite
is used for trad climbing and has a 2-part rating (adjective grade + technical grade). The Adjective Grade describes the overall difficulty of protection, length, technical difficulty, exposure, strenuousness, rock quality, pitch, etc, while the Technical Grade describes the hardest single move or short sequence of moves on the route. The Adjective Grades are Easy, Moderate (M), Difficult (D), Hard Diff (HD), Very Difficult (VD), Hard Very Difficult (HVD), Severe (S), Hard Severe (HS), Very Severe (VS), Hard Very Severe (HVS) and Extremely Severe (E1-E11) with Technical Grades being 4a, 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c and 7a, 7b, 7c. Example: VS 4c is a Very Severe route where the hardest move is graded 4c. The route could be reasonably well-protected but involves strenuous climbing.
is used in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It uses Roman numerals and subdivisions (+/-). The Main Grade indicates the route's increasing difficulty.
I: Very Easy: scrambling, beginners.
II: Very Easy: less steep, abundant holds and supports
III: Easy: basic climbing, more steep to vertical, well protected, larger holds and supports
IV: Moderate: more advanced techniques, steeper, smaller holds and supports.
V: Challenging: sustained difficulty, steeper, rare holds and supports
VI: Hard: advanced technique, strength and endurance, steep, sporadic small holds
VII - XII: Very Hard to Extremely Difficult: expert climbing, high strength and focus. Widely spaced small holds and supports
Subdivision Grades include - (Minus): Slightly easier than base grade, (No Subdivision): Standard difficulty and + (Plus): Slightly harder than base grade. Example: Grade VI+ is a very hard climb involving steep overhangs, small holds, and technical sequences, suitable for advanced climbers, slightly harder than VI (standard).
How are Bouldering Routes Rated?
When it comes to bouldering, routes are rated and graded using systems that specifically cater to the short, intense nature of bouldering problems. These systems focus on the technical and physical difficulty of individual moves or sequences rather than the sustained effort over a longer distance as seen in traditional rock climbing. The two primary bouldering grading systems are the V Scale (Vermin Scale) and the Fontainebleau (Font) system.
has a “V” followed by a number and is used in North America. Example: V7 = An advanced problem with difficult sequences, requiring precise footwork, body positioning, and considerable power.
VB: Very Basic (Beginner); easy problems
V0 to V1: Easy; basic climbing technique and strength
V2 to V3: Moderate/Intermediate; good technique and increased strength
V4 to V7: Advanced/Very Advanced; significant technique, strength and problem solving
V8 to V10: Extremely Difficult; top-level skills and strength. Complex problems/sequences
V11 to V15: Elite; near-perfect technique, strength and problem solving
V16 - V17: Super Elite; Hardest humanly possible
has a number followed by a letter and sometimes a plus (+) and is used globally, but particularly in France. The grade rates the difficulty of boulder problems and the subdivision grades (letter suffixes a, b, c) indicate increasing difficulty within a number grade. A Plus Sign (+) indicates a grade on the harder end of its letter category.
Example: 6c+ is an intermediate climb with challenging moves, requiring good technique and physical conditioning
1 to 3c: Very Easy; Beginner problems, basic moves on large easy hold surfaces
4a to 5c: Beginner; Modest problems, technique and strength
6a to 6c: Intermediate; Requires experience, good technique, strength and problem solving
7a to 7c: Advanced; Demands expert technique, power and endurance. Complex problem solving
8a to 8c: Pro; Physically and mentally challenging with very complex problem solving
9a to 9a: Elite; Among the hardest. Requires extraordinary strength, technique and perseverance
Rock climbing requires a combination of strength, balance, and endurance to conquer long routes. In contrast, many boulder problems are short and require explosive physical strength, sometimes at the expense of endurance. Want to learn more? In addition to guided adventures, we offer
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