Rock climbing grades conversion outdoor grades. Bouldering is a bit different than some other forms of rock climbing and it has its own grades, the V-scale, for defining the difficulty of the climb. Grades 8 to 11 are extremely easy beginner grades and 12 – 14 are easy climbs. 5, for example, was a hike that included a fair amount of scrambling up steep surfaces and hence Oct 15, 2021 · The two bouldering grading systems are the V Scale (used in the United States) and the Font Scale (used outside the US). When I recently did some outdoor climbs that were rated in the 5. Jul 8, 2024 · A YDS grade is split into two numbers separated by a period and looks like this: Class. Climbing grade conversion Many areas in the world have developed different systems for grading climbs. As a celebration of their primary role in the world of climbing, this year’s Sheffield Adventure Film Festival (ShAFF) hosted its much publicised BMC sponsored Great Grade Debate. This chart accurately compares the French scale with Apr 10, 2025 · Comparing between mixed climbing grades and the Yosemite Decimal System and other standard rock climbing grades is difficult, as the variables are many. It was like the field of dreams. At lower grades, a single V grade often translates to being ‘wider’ than a single grade on the Font Scale. Its nuances can be quite complicated for the Traditional Climbing ‘Trad’ climbing is where a leader places protection in the rock as they climb up. To be as accurate as possible, you must not forget any movement. Bouldering grades are the assigned difficulty ratings to boulder problems. The route breakdown must be done from the ground to the anchor. Aid Climbing : pulling or standing on gear attached to the rock for upward progress. The Old SA grading was used in many of the older traditional climbing areas but is seldom used today. IMPORTANT – Below is a very rough table and it is impossible to provide an accurate conversion between technical difficulty of the hardest climbing – a sport grade/UIAA/USA grade – and overall difficulty of the full route experience from approach through climbing, conditions and descent – Alpine Grade. This is to be interpreted as if you can boulder V5 then you can probably climb 26. This guide includes information on climbing areas, seasons, finding partners, transportation, gear, local climbing guides, and more. Climbing grade conversions are not perfect but there are several systems used to compare them. This is the class. outdoor bouldering grades stack up, and for planning your first outdoor bouldering excursion. Bouldering grades are graded using different systems across different regions. But amazing setting. 0 (like climbing a steep ladder) and progresses in difficulty up to 5. In North America both sport and trad rock climbs are graded using the YDS (Yosemite Decimal System). There are grade systems for bouldering, grade systems for sport climbing, grade systems for aid climbing and so on but even grade systems for the same style don’t always translate well between each other. Sponsored By ROCK HARDWARE: International Climbing Grade Conversion Chart. 0 to 5. 13a 5 13b 5. Grades can feel pretty mystifying if you're new climbing. Perfect for climbers looking to understand the differences between various grading systems. Apr 27, 2025 · There are also several other grading systems for different nationalities and different types of climbing (e. 15d (American YDS), and XII+ (UIAA). Grades are used in rock climbing gyms and outdoors. Planet Granite in PDX and SF) have such absurdly soft grades that anyone who goes outside thinking "oh, I can lead 5. NZ 7: Vertical ice/rock that may not have adequate protection. To make more precise comparisons, consult a conversion chart or app. Feb 9, 2024 · Climbing Grades Conversion. 9) If I climb HVS 5(a) in the UK, how do I know what this grade equates to in other countries? Get tips on choosing gear, learn about the different types of climbing, and get the scoop on climbing grades. Sustained M6 mixed climbing or grade 23 rock, with cruxes of M7 and/or grade 25-26 rock. ????‍♀️ Sep 5, 2021 · Free Climbing: using only one’s hands and feet, and the natural features of the rock, for upward progress. One of the key aspects of bouldering is the grading system used to rate the difficulty of a climb. These bouldering grades differ from the grades used in traditional rock climbing, and use many different systems including: Huevo "V" grades-or the V-scale, Fontainebleau technical grades (Font-scale), route colors, Peak District grades, and British technical grades. Meaning that for example if you look at a crag in Australia you will most likely see sport and trad climbing grades displayed in Ewbanks and bouldering grades in V-scale. The following is a very rough conversion I've pieced together by averaging other sources. Here are guidelines to help you understand the differences between the V-Scale and the Font bouldering grade systems: Beginner: V0 to V2 / 4 to 5+ Many people who have been climbing for a few months are typically within this range of grades. txt) or view presentation slides online. Behind the grades: Grades are often debated in climbing because they aim to measure difficulty in objective terms, but the many variables in what makes a climb hard, and who is doing the climbing, make objectivity impossible. For this reason, it might be useful to understand how to convert bouldering grades into climbing grades. When we opened our first gym in 2002, we separated outdoor climbing grades and indoor climbing grades, allowing climbers to focus on the nuances of each style. 10a, also known as 5C+ in the French grading system, is considered a difficult level of climbing. The technical difficulty is based on the hardest move of the climb, so even if a climb is mostly easy climbing but has one hard move, the technical rating will be that or the hardest mo Climbing Grade Conversion - Free download as PDF File (. There are a variety of different systems used around the world to define rock climbs grades. Share Bouldering grades conversion chart; Fontainebleau bouldering grades; V scale bouldering grades; Hybrid bouldering grades; What are bouldering grades? Bouldering grades, and climbing grades in general, are systems of numbers (or numbers with letters and symbols) that convey the degree of difficulty. I. Also below, find 11 tips for better understanding how indoor vs. 13. Note that the YDS classes are subjective and can vary depending on the person’s experience and the specific route being climbed or hiked. The goal is to reach the top of a boulder problem or route. S. There are some gyms where the grades can be every bit as stiff as the local crag. Route length up to 600 m with long passages of II on rock and ice. Sep 12, 2016 · The research base for rock climbing has expanded substantially in the past three decades as worldwide interest in the sport has grown. Class 5: Technical rock climbing with increasing difficulty, subdivided into decimal sub-grades from 5. Grade VII: Remote big walls climbed in alpine style. Convert rock climbing grades between French, YDS, British, and UIAA systems. This of course is from the Hueco bouldering grade to the Ewbank climbing grade. As a result, converting grades from one system to another is not always straightforward and can require a nuanced understanding of the nuances of each grading scale. This is largely a result of differences in grading philosophy and the lack of a clear, consistent approach. Rock climbing grades conversion routes and boulders climbing_grade_conversion - Free download as PDF File (. Here is a chart showing the bouldering rating conversions between the V Scale and Font Scale. Feb 4, 2015 · I don’t recommend that you blindly trust this table – there can be differences from country to country or even between climbing areas. Difficulty 3 4 4+ 5-5 5+ 6-6 6+ 7-7 7+ 8-8 8+ 25 26 27 28 29 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 4 6 8 10 12 14 15 Sport Grade UIAA USA Norway Au British Trad Grade (range from BOLD to Apr 27, 2025 · In the United States climbing community, the V scale is prevalent. 12b 5. Grades are represented in Hueco, Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), and French/Lead. Tech grades generally start to appear from about Severe onwards. Nov 19, 2019 · Rock Climbing grades: The British rock climbing grading system ranges from ‘Moderate’ to ‘Extreme’ (with Extreme as an open-ended scale from E1 to, currently, E12). Consider the Climbing Style: sport climbing, traditional climbing, and bouldering can have different grading nuances. Note that we’ve omitted some rarely seen scales for brevity and that the only climbing grades worth comparing are those that rate free climbing. Grade IV: A full day of technical climbing, generally at least 5. Super tough but fun. Sometimes the conditions and the state of the routes can also influence the grades. This means that bouldering is also a more approachable form of climbing since it has much fewer upfront costs. Some climbers compare the difficulty of a boulder problem graded 5 in the Font system to a 6b sport climb, but such a comparison fails to account for the differences in Pretty much agreed with this. And it was linear, so a trail rated 4. In the United States for sport climbing and other forms of rock climbing we use the Yosemite Oct 23, 2023 · Discover the intricacies of climbing grades with our comprehensive guide. 2 world class climbers practicing. Nov 2, 2022 · 5. At higher grades, the Font Scale and V Scale become almost directly translatable. However, in 1996, American mountaineering legend and father of modern dry tooling, Jeff Lowe estimated that an M8 was equivalent to a 5. Jan 1, 2003 · The following chart compares most of the available grading scales. What protection lead climber gets, and how serious the climbing is, is totally dependent on whether they can find any weaknesses in the rock to be able to place gear. ) as well as a certain degree of specific training: Ⅴ – + Fifth grade: Holds and supports are very rare and small. If the number is less than five, you are not rock climbing. Grade V: Typically requires an overnight on the route. Sometimes the authors of the reports have created some Jan 24, 2025 · We also have a Grades comparison table for converting between different grading system used around the world. A mistake often made is to combine the Australian & South African grades as the same, in fact they are about a grade apart and even more at the upper grades. 6 Sustained WI3 to WI3+ ice, M3-4 mixed, or grade 16-18 rock, and/or may have crux sections of WI4+ to WI5 ice, M5 mixed, or grade 19-20 rock. You may remember from the section on the Yosemite Decimal System that climbs in the United States will have a difficulty rating and then, if necessary, a second The British Trad Grade is a compound grade evolved from a climbing ethic strongly biased towards onsight traditional or ‘trad’ climbing. Nov 8, 2023 · Bouldering is often seen as a great way to get into rock climbing since the gear you need is much more minimal than for roped rock climbing. 15. Sports climbing grades are graded using different systems across different regions. V grade UK technical grade Font grade Peak B grade Bouldering Traditional Routes UK Grades Comparison Table. Coming from our frustrations of always trying to figure out what grading systems are used in which country and what do they mean in your own system, we have created this simple but hopefully helpfull comparison table. Grades are adjusted for each rating and scale accordingly. Grade conversion between the two scales isn’t easy—the Font Scale has more grade options than the V Scale, and both scales are subject to regional differences and individual climbers’ body types, opinions, and skill sets—but in general, here’s how the two scales The adjectival grade is the first part of the grade, and attempts to give a sense of the overall difficulty of a climb. Bouldering Grades vs Climbing Grades. If you've arrived at the wall, you'll probably have noticed an assortment of different numbers, letters and/or colours around the start of a rope climbing route or boulder problem, these indicate the grade of the climb, meaning its level of difficulty. This document shows a comparison of different rock climbing grading systems used internationally. org : Climbing, hiking, mountaineering The second part of the British system captures the difficulty of free climbing on the rock. International Climbing Grades Comparison Chart: About this Sports Climbing Grades table: This is a lead climbing grade conversion chart. Making sense of all these grades will only start to click in to place if you are motivated to Rock Climbing grades conversions. pdf), Text File (. 5. g. 12 route. Are climbing grades the same everywhere in the United States? Are climbing grades subjective or different everywhere in the United States? How local climbing culture, rock type, and setters impact grading Local Easily convert climbing grades with this comprehensive chart. All climbing grades begin with the number five. Instead, simply use them as a guide to find the type of challenge you are looking for. Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5. Feb 1, 2024 · The rock climbing grade 5. A handy chart for converting climbing grades, essential for rock climbing enthusiasts. I had a hard time finding a chart online that converts the Sherman V-grade system for bouldering into the Yosemite Decimal System for climbing. Popular Posts January 01, 2025 Peaks and Canyons Video Series. With ClimbGrades, you can easily calculate and compare rock climbing grades, making it easier for you to plan your climbing adventures. It is renowned for its beauty and excellent rock, and it too can be climbed early and late in the climbing season. The Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) is a five-part grading system used for rating the difficulty of rock climbing routes in the United States and Canada. 000+ crags, 917. Here’s a comprehensive grade conversion chart, courtesy of the equipment brand, Bergefreunde. That said, even with a degree of subjectivity, climbers benefit from the attempt at a universal Mar 17, 2012 · Indoor rock climbing gyms have two types of rock climbing available, bouldering and sport climbing. I like to use a conversion chart like this as more of an lower limit for a route grade. And “35” currently being the highest climbing grade completed here in Oz. It must be noted, this is an open-ended scale, so there could be harder grades in the future! Are bouldering grades harder than sport climbing grades? It is hard to compare! Even so, as a boulderer, I would lean towards saying, “yes”. History also explains why a European UIAA grade IV (i. This bouldering grades comparison table is designed to help climbers convert from Hueco to French and back to French to V-Scale. Some pitons for belaying. Their conversion chart to v scale is wildly out of whack. 5 5. French System: Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Sep 25, 2023 · This guide delves deep into the world of rock climbing grades, offering insights into their origins, variations, and how they compare internationally. com Different rock climbing grades across the five most popular systems. 12d 5. This is because the difficulties Jun 10, 2024 · Rock Climbing in Thankhek, Laos and Green Climbers Home guide for 2024 A comprehensive guide for travelers looking to climb in Thakhek, Green Climbers Home, Laos. May require a bivy on route. Table 1: Table "Plaisir grades " (Buscaini archive) 1. See full list on climbinghouse. Nov 13, 2023 · Class 4: Simple rock climbing with the use of ropes for safety. In the Alpine range, the rock climbing difficulty evaluations are expressed by the two scales more represented, the UIAA Scale and the French Scale. As the grade increases holds get smaller and fewer with more technical transitions between. [2] The following chart compares most of the available grading scales. 15 (an overhanging cliff). The Old SA grading was used in many of the older traditional climbing areas but is seldomly used today. 000+ routes and 1. Aug 30, 2021 · Conversion chart of all 10 climbing grade systems. 13c 5 13d 5. Here's the link if you're interested. The reason being that the width of grades on a specific scale are not comparable or that grades are not linear across the whole scale. My son climbs v6-v8. Understanding Rock Climbing Grades › Training Tools Dec 28, 2024 · Bewildering, subjective, unnecessarily complex, just plain mad! All of these insults have been leveled at the British grading system for traditional (trad) rock climbing. This lead climbing grades comparison table is designed to help climbers convert from YDS to French and back to French to Yosemite. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned climber, our climbing grade conversion cha Rock Climbing Grade Conversion Chart French 6b 9b Yosemite 5. In 2016, Alex sent me a link to his page on Bouldering Grades, which he compares with the Yosemite Decimal System and sport climbing. By gear, I mean whether they can place any wires or cams in the rock. It’s used to let you know that you are on a real rock climb and not a scary hike. Rock grades in the high 20s (on the Ewbank scale). Please comment if you find something that should be updated. It allows you to convert foreign grades into the grade language that you speak. Sep 16, 2021 · Bouldering Grades Conversion Chart: V Scale to Font Scale. Grade VI: Two or more days of hard technical climbing. This grade is suitable for climbers with advanced experience and skills in lead climbing or sports climbing. 5 Sustained 60° to 65° ice/mixed climbing or grade 13-15 rock, and/or may have crux sections of WI4 ice, M4 mixed, or grade 16-17 rock. This document provides a comparison of rock climbing grading systems used in France, the UIAA, the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), the British, Australian, and level of difficulty. Climbing Grade Chart Author: Alpinetrek. Understanding the diverse grading systems in bouldering requires a reliable grade conversion table. We have left out E-grades above E8 as we do not find any logic to try to convert them any further. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples! There are grade systems for bouldering, grade systems for sport climbing, grade systems for aid climbing and so on but even grade systems for the same style don’t always translate well between each other. Routes are graded in relation to existing routes. Bolts or pitons, trad gear, aid climbing gear or aiders are used to make progress. e. Understanding the development of different systems helps explain why British Very Difficult climbs are quite easy. 2 5. Grading conversions are always nebulous with the caveat that rock type, climbing style, and personal experience can change everything. 4) is much the same as a Norwegian grade 4. The app is suitable for both novice and experienced climbers and offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. Climbing Grade Conversion is a versatile tool that is designed to assist climbers in navigating the complex grading systems used in rock climbing and bouldering. Cheers again. Maybe I'm dumb and it's all over the Internet, not sure why I had a hard time with this. Sep 21, 2023 · Rock Climbing Grade Converter. Anyways, since I had a hard time I just made one. These routes are long, overhung, and feature incredibly difficult moves on tenuous holds. Each style—bouldering, sport, trad, or mixed—brings its own way to rate and talk about climbs, so knowing how they stack up makes it easier to compare routes and set goals. If you already feel confident in your knowledge of . 12b, the other a grade of 5. Climbing will always be subjective—grades change as gear advances and more climbers climb hard routes. These adjustments are a testament to climbing’s evolving culture and drive for equity. Jun 5, 2023 · Out of all the rock climbing grades, the British climbing grading system for trad has given me a headache or two as it’s definitely one of the harder systems to wrap your head around. About this Bouldering Grades table: This is a bouldering climbing grade conversion chart. 13) editorial comments on the standard YDS classes Gregory Hart has helped us out to update our grade converter. The area where the route is. Local anomalies exist within countries using the same system so attempts to correlate between different systems, which frequently originated around different styles of climbing, stand little chance of tying together. Scroll down, or click here to view: the basic YDS: Class 1-5 for rock climbing (not ice) YDS fifth class subdivisions (5. GRADE COMPARISONS The following chart compares most of the available grading scales. Difficulty: IV and V Lenght: 360 m Access: hours 0. Feb 26, 2021 · The only given is that British trad tech grades are harder than the French - a British trad 5a will be significantly more difficult than a French sport 5a. grAId applies the well established Whole-History Rating System (WHR) to climbing and creates accurate predictions of route grades in the process. The most prominent grade systems are: It was designed to rate hiking trails in general, not just climbing, 4 was the starting grade for a leisurely technical hike and 5 was the starting grade for a vertical surface that actually required climbing. Fine tuning. On their conversion chart he was doing v3/v4. Mar 17, 2023 · Many boulderers also dabble in rope climbing and vice versa. Below you will find a table that compares the different climbing grades across the five most popular systems. Climbing grade conversion between the French scale and the YDS Rock Climbing Grades See Our Complete Guide to USA Climbing Grades Rock climbing is graded on both the technical difficulty of the climb and the commitment of the climb. a large frozen icicle, frozen alpine couloirs, or frozen water cascade) and a dry-tooling route (i. COM 6B 6B+ 7B 8B CRUX RAN Online Conversion Tool for Climbing Grades & Bouldering Grades: Trad Grade, UIAA, French Sport Grade, Boulder Grades, American Scale & many more. need to pass a rock overhang or rock roof to get to the frozen ice part); these routes have both a full mixed climbing grade (M-grade) and a full ice climbing Apr 27, 2025 · In mixed climbing, the grades combine ice, rock, and tools, complicating, if not completely obfuscating, their readable layers of difficulty. The harder pitches are well-protected. The Feb 19, 2021 · Rock climbing grades are used to describe the difficulty of climbing routes. Learn how bouldering V-scales compare to YDS for route climbing, understand the journey from indoor to outdoor climbing, and explore international grading systems. Mar 25, 2024 · Climbing grades are subjective and can vary based on factors such as the type of rock, the style of climbing, and the local climbing culture. 2 The evaluation of rock climbing difficulties in the Alps. 2 Japan national team climbers were practicing. The user-friendly platform hosts 17 different grading systems and makes it easy to switch between grades and conversion systems. In some way they are the most tedious thing in climbing, while at the same time, they are also the second most tedious thing in climbing. grade HVS 5(a)) and the US point grading system (e. The best way to approach the conversion is to travel, go climbing and get used to the different grades! Have fun! P. uk Keywords: climbing grade chart, boulder grade chart, climbing grade conversion, boulder grade conversion, rock climbing chart, climbing grade pdf, climbing grade download, climbing grade print, climbing grade table Created Date: 4/12/2017 4:36:22 PM May 14, 2024 · Climbing Grade Conversion is a versatile tool that is designed to assist climbers in navigating the complex grading systems used in rock climbing and bouldering Unlike free climbing, in aid climbing, you try to climb a route using all the means at your disposal. Adam Ondra on the sport climbing route Silence, the hardest free climbing route in the world and the first-ever at 9c (French), 5. It can help you define the grade of the last route you climbed. Rock climbing grades conversion routes and boulders Sustained WI4+ to WI5 ice, M5 mixed climbing, or grade 20 rock, involving tenuous, delicateclimbing, with crux sections of WI5+ ice, M6 mixed, or grade 22-23 rock. 1 June 2011 at 12:00 AM #9566 Reply Darth Grader calculates a route grade based on the addition of several route and boulder sections separated by rests. This will be influenced by many aspects, including seriousness, how sustained is is, technical difficulty, exposure, strenuousness, rock quality, and any other less tangible aspects which lend difficulty to a pitch. Bouldering and sport climbing are two siblings in the world of climbing. [1] It was first devised by members of the Sierra Club in Southern California in the 1950s as a refinement of earlier systems from the 1930s, [2] and quickly spread throughout North America. In this part of the article, we’ll convert the North American V-scale to the Yosemite Decimal System as well as the Font scale to the French climbing system. Including Grade Wike & Table. Canadian Winter Commitment Grade: This combines length, hazard, and overall challenges. The Apr 11, 2025 · Getting to grips with grades. Converting roped climbing grades to bouldering grades Given the differences between the two styles, it’s difficult to convert roped climbing grades to bouldering grades. This conversion page from the theCrag has a chart similar to the images above, and an Interacive Grade Converter that resembles the software above. The Australian “Ewbank” grading system, where “1” is the lowest grade for example; an inclined walk. 9-5. Our user-friendly interface and accurate calculations make ClimbGrades the go-to climbing grade calculator for climbers of all levels. Rock climbing grades conversion routes and boulders Mar 21, 2022 · See the chart below for an illustrated comparison of indoor vs. The grade comparisons indicated in these tables will not always be exact. Grade III: Most of a day for the technical portion. Gym to Outdoor Bouldering Grade Conversion Chart Illustation: Claire Eckstrom Low-end Bouldering Grades V0 May 31, 2020 · To help orient and understand the systems, here’s what you need to know about climbing grades. Climbing grades provide guidance, suggesting the length of time an experienced climber might take to complete the route: Grade I: A couple of hours; Grade II: Closer to four hours; Grade III: Four to six hours (most of the day) Grade IV: One very long day; Grade V: Two days (requires an overnight stay) Grade VI: Two-plus days Jun 5, 2023 · It’s so easy to get caught up with the grades, but it’s a good idea not to place too much weight on grades while climbing. Again, this is all based off my single experience at one gym in Japan, but if the grades at said gym were representative of the grades at gyms as a whole in Japanese gyms, then the grade you can climb at a Japanese gym you should also be able to climb at a boulder field most anywhere in the world, assuming it wasn't a boulder field that was Get started rock climbing & bouldering Want to gain a quick overview about the sport, its different disciplines, the equipment and abilities required and some of the Apr 27, 2025 · Over time, new systems appeared for different climbing styles: WI-grades for ice, M-grades for mixed. If we're assigning the lowest grades to things that require low-moderate skill, how do you grade easier climbs? If there were consistency in the lowest grades, it may make the higher grades more even. Tips for Using Climbing Grade Conversions. Australian 23 28 31 33 35 37 39 UIAA IX+/X- Xll+ 6b Hueco/V Font/Bleau Bouldering Grades vo- vo VI 4 CRUX RANGE. Aug 18, 2017 · Rock climbing grades are subjective. 7. The grade of a rock route is usually based on the crux, the most difficult move. In a route with grade A0, climbing freely is common, but individual bolts are used for grabbing or stepping. Created Date: 6/26/2007 4:19:14 PM Mar 31, 2016 · Just like climbing on real rock, it depends on the gym. . Climb may be in remote area. Jan 1, 2025 · Rock Climbing Grade Conversion Chart Labels: Rock Climbing. 11" after climbing there is bound to stain their britches. Boulderers need only rock climbing shoes, chalk, and a pad for the ground. 40 Descent: hours 1 Very good rock Face: south Best time: May-October Note: two technical steps. Apr 29, 2024 · Keep reading below the conversion chart for an in-depth explanation of climbing grades as well as alpine, water-ice, boulder, and commitment ratings. To do so, the algorithm takes a set of ascent tuples consisting of the ascent type, climber, route, and a time period as input and produces maximum a posteriori estimates of climber and route ratings. 000+ ascents worldwide so you can find the best boulders and routes wherever you are. Grades can be subjective and may vary Feb 14, 2024 · Bouldering Grades Conversion. 15d 5. It requires a good climbing technique applied to the various rock structures (chimneys, crevices, corners, etc. Conversion tables of climbing grades : SummitPost. Although bolted sport climbs tend to be given a single French grade, traditional climbs in Britain are graded using two figures, an adjectival and a technical grade. co. 0-5. This is especially crucial at lower grades where nuances in grading philosophies and local climbing cultures can lead to variations. Mar 30, 2004 · Grades, grades, grades. Some gyms (e. How is a Grade Established? Whether you’re rock climbing indoors or out, the same basic principles apply for determining the grade of the route. 2B - Ascent of a peak between 2000-6000 m or traverses at this height on rock, snow and ice with short sections of grade III rock or ice. This means that within a climbing area, the grade gives an indication of how hard a route is compared to its neighbour. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed without the use of ropes or harnesses. 999. What Are Climbing Grades? Two climbing routes at an American climbing gym. Location: Pocatello, ID, USA. Understand the Context: grades are subjective and can vary based on region, climbing style, and even the conditions on the day you climb. It lists climbing grades from French, UIAA, US, British, Australian, and bouldering scales ranging from beginner to expert levels. Screenshot it, save it, share it, or download it so you’re never without easy access to this handy climbing grade conversion chart. So technically, this is more of an outlier in spirit than practice. So you can see from these tables that my rough rule is "add 21". 3 range, they were more like what would be rated 5. Start using ClimbGrades today and take the hassle out of converting and The ratings of each grade is determined purely from input responses provided by you, the climbing community. I run rock climbing courses in the UK and abroad and have grown up from a young age steeped in the world of trad rock climbing and my aim in this blog is to give you a brief overview of the basic rules governing the UK Our climbing grades convertors (both classic routes and boulders) have been made by great climbers, traveling and climbing all around the world for more than 15 years. The hardest grade currently is the V17 (9a), this is the top end of the sport and it is very rarely achieved. French classification system Nov 5, 2020 · Do you know why a something described as 'Very Difficult' is easier than something labelled 'E1'? Or why the grade E2 5a can elicit shudders whereas HVS 6a brings forth a rueful smile?!In order to understand UK trad grades, it’s useful to also understand the concept of the French grading system (usually used for sport and indoor climbing). Our climbing grades convertors (both classic routes and boulders) have been made by great climbers, traveling and climbing all around the world for more than 15 years. Universal grade conversion Back to contents . Every climbing area has its own history. 5 14b 5. One has a grade of 5. The Largest Rock Climbing Content Discover the world’s largest rock climbing content - Topo Guru is now powered by theCrag! Our renewed climbing app contains 90. Download: IOS | Android (Free) This simple tool is a necessity when climbing out of the country. Progress between these grades is usually straightforward. The adjectival grade is the first part of the grade, and attempts to give a sense of the overall difficulty of a climb. 9. Comparative grading scales, statistical analyses, climber Jul 11, 2014 · Different countries and rock climbing disiplines have different grading systems, for example the the British trad grade system (e. txt) or read online for free. The climbing becomes delicate (slabs, etc. Here is a free conversion chart. Go back to the ground and start over. Jun 23, 2024 · Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that involves climbing short, challenging routes without the use of ropes or harnesses. An important trigger for the increasing research attention has been the transition of the sport to a competitive as well as recreational activity and this has been heightened with the inclusion of sport climbing in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic schedule. 10c 5 5. 5, for example, was a hike that included a fair amount of scrambling up steep surfaces and hence Our climbing grades convertors (both classic routes and boulders) have been made by great climbers, traveling and climbing all around the world for more than 15 years. Easily compare and understand different climbing difficulty levels. Free, instant climbing grade converter to help you understand foreign grading systems. ) or hard (by opposition or Interlocking in slits and chimneys). In general, theCrag displays grades as they are entered and in the area specific context. . Apr 27, 2025 · Does grade conversion affect my climbing progress? Beyond that, it helps you craft your own training plan and set more effective goals. Grade Conversion. Some mixed climbing routes are combinations of an ice climbing route (i. if a route boils down to just a single boulder problem (roped bouldering, something quite common where I live) then the grade of that boulder problem determines how low the route can be graded. The two most common boulder grading systems are the V-Scale and the Fontainebleau Scale. In this article we go over the nuances of rock climbing grades, indoor and outdoor, what they mean, and how to understand them. Estimations are maximum volatile contraction (MVC) in peak forces for each grade on one hand. 4 5 10b 5. Below is a brief outline of the overall adjective grades to describe the difficulty. To quote rock climbing legend and all-around badass John Long: you’re now in virtuoso territory when you start climbing M11. Unlike roped Mixed climbing routes can cover a broad range of types. 10 in my indoor gym. I-II: 1 or 2 pitches near the car, but may need to be avoided during avalanche season. Apr 27, 2025 · A 7a+ on the Font scale is approximately equal to V6 on the V scale. , ice versus aid), but we will be focusing on free climbing grades in this article. When you provide an answer to "Which is difficult?", the algorithm will update both the grades' ratings accordingly. The idea of the Trad Grade is to give a representation of the whole climb, including overall difficulty, how good the trad climbing gear is (or isn’t) and the hardest single move on the route. This system currently goes no higher than 7b. It begins with grade 1, but practical climbing on the rock is captured by grade 4, whereas from this grade on the interval grades a, b, c are used for finer distinction. Bouldering Grades. I know there are conversion tables online, but I’d like to sample r/climbharder on what your highest boulder and rope climb grade is (outdoor or indoor). 3A - Ascent of a peak between 2500-6500 m or traverses at this height on rock, snow and ice. MountainProject description. We just went to b pump ogikubo this summer. If you could just post that jazz in the comments below, that would be much appreciated! May 22, 2020 · Use this rock climbing grade conversion chart to pick a rock your climbing grade! Happy Climbing! +918971202915 [email protected] Methods for used can be seen in our research , Optimizing Muscular Strength-to-Weight Ratios in Rock Climbing. This system starts at 5. 1/5. Climbing grades are a number or number-letter combination designed to correspond to the physical difficulty of a climb. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples! Mar 30, 2023 · Rock climbing grades. The two main free climbing grading systems (which include the two main free climbing disciplines of sport climbing and traditional climbing) are the "French numerical system" and the "American YDS system". There are some issues when attempting to convert an 8c+ Font grade to the V scale. Those from 15 to 18 are the average grade that climbers are leading while from 19 -25 would be above average grades for on-sighting. Combining the adjectival and tech grades gives us a really good idea of the overall nature of the route. 3/5. If you’re curious how the difficulty of our routes compares, this chart translates our Spot grades into the popular V-Grade scale, developed by John “the Vermin” Sherman. It was designed to rate hiking trails in general, not just climbing, 4 was the starting grade for a leisurely technical hike and 5 was the starting grade for a vertical surface that actually required climbing. We plan to replace the old 8a converter with this new one. 15b 5. Get started rock climbing & bouldering Want to gain a quick overview about the sport, its different disciplines, the equipment and abilities required and some of the May 26, 2011 · I recon the climbing grade conversions are spot on which gives me faith that the bouldering grades are pretty right also. In addition, the skill level of the climber has also been included. sdvrv vaybhi zpvm tavvi zogi empdhnd ywjndeg cxrtd bgsm waunpdz