Pennsylvania Route 78 and Grade (climbing): Difference between pages

In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route. Different aspects of climbing each have their own grading system, and many different nationalities developed their own, distinctive grading systems. There are a number of factors that contribute to the difficulty of a climb including the technical difficulty of the moves, the strength and stamina required, and the difficulty of protecting the climber. Different grading systems consider these factors in different ways, so no two grading systems have an exact one-to-one correspondence.

Grade systems for free climbing

For free climbing, there are many different grading systems varying according to country:

Ewbank

The Ewbank system, used in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, was developed in the mid 1960s by John Ewbank. (Ewbank also developed an open ended “M” system for aid climbing.) The numerical Ewbank system is open-ended, starting from 1, which you can (at least in theory) walk up, up to 34 (as of 2004).

While the Ewbank system was originally intended to simply grade the hardest individual move on a climb, the current practice is to take all factors into account, and the grade in modern Australian and New Zealand guidebooks makes no attempt to distinguish between different types of difficulty - strenuousness, exposure, technical difficulty, protection - simply to grade a climb as an overall experience. Thus a poorly protected and strenuous but technically easy climb with no move harder than about 14 might be graded 17, while another climb that is well-protected and offers good rests but has a couple of very difficult moves around 19 or 20 might also be a 17. The common factor is that to safely lead either climb, you need a certain level of competence. Unfortunately, the Ewbank system is not applied consistently through Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, i.e., a South African 17 may not be equivalent to an Australian 17.

Brazilian

The Brazilian grade system is similar to the French system, but with a few adjustments: gradings 1 to 2sup are very easy (2sup being a very steep, but almost walkable route), 3 to 5 are easy (3 being the grade most indoor gyms use as a starting point for beginners) and it progresses till the maximum grade of 12. The suffix "sup" (possibly for "superior") is used for grades 1 to 6, and the standard French "a", "b" and "c" suffixes for grades from 7 to 12. The French 7a+ grade is mostly equivalent to the Brazilian 8a.

UIAA

The UIAA grading system is mostly used for short rock routes in Western Germany, Austria and Switzerland. On long routes it is often used in the Alps and Himalaya. Using Roman numerals, it was originally intended to run from I (easiest) to X (hardest), but as with all other grading systems, improvements to climbing standards have led to the system being open-ended. An optional + or - may be used to further differentiate difficulty. As of 2004, the hardest climbs are XII-.

French

The French grading system considers the overall difficulty of the climb, taking into account the difficulty of the moves and the length of climb. This differs from most grading systems where one rates a climbing route according to the most difficult section (or single move). Grades are numerical, starting at 1 (very easy) and the system is open-ended. Each numerical grade can be subdivided by adding a letter (a, b or c). Examples: 2, 4, 4b, 6a, 7c. An optional + (no -) may be used to further differentiate difficulty. Many countries in Europe use a system with similar grades but not necessarily matching difficulties.

British and Irish

The British and Irish grading system for traditional climbs has (in theory) two parts: the adjectival grade and the technical grade. Sport climbing in Britain and Ireland uses the French grading system, often prefixed with the letter "F".

The adjectival grade attempts to assess the overall difficulty of the climb taking into account all factors, for a climber leading the route on sight in traditional style. In the early 20th century it ran Easy, Moderate, Difficult, but increasing standards have several times lead to extra grades being added at the top. The adjectival grades are as follows:

• Easy (rarely used)
• Moderate (M)
• Difficult (D, or 'Diff')
• Very Difficult (VD, or 'VDiff')
• Hard Very Difficult (HVD)
• Severe (S)
• Hard Severe (HS)
• Very Severe (VS)
• Hard Very Severe (HVS)
• Extremely Severe (E1, E2, E3, ...)
• XS is used for climbs that are on loose or crumbling rock that are seldom repeated after the first ascent

The Extremely Severe grade is subdivided in an open-ended fashion into E1 (easiest) then E2, E3 and so on. As of 2006 the hardest climb is graded E11, but many climbers consider such high grades provisional as the climbs have not yet been climbed by anyone on sight. The hardest confirmed grade is E9.

Some guidebooks make finer distinctions by adding the prefix "Mild" or "Hard" (thus, Hard Very Difficult and Mild Severe lie between Very Difficult and Severe).

The technical grade attempts to assess only the technical climbing difficulty of the hardest move or moves on the route without regard to the danger of the move or the stamina required if there are several such moves in a row. Technical grades are open-ended, starting at 1 and subdivided into "a", "b" and "c", but you are unlikely to see any mention of them below 4a. The hardest recorded climbs are around 7b.

Usually the technical grade increases with the adjectival grade but a hard technical move very near the ground (that is, notionally safe) may not raise the standard of the adjectival grade very much. VS 4c might be a typical grade for a route. VS 4a would usually indicate very poor protection (easy moves, but no gear), VS 5b would usually indicate the crux move was the first move or very well protected. On multi-pitch routes it is usual to give the overall climb an adjectival grade and each pitch a separate technical grade (such as HS 4b, 4a).

Yosemite Decimal System

The Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) of grading routes was initially developed as the Sierra Club grading system in the 1930s to rate hikes and climbs in the Sierra Nevada range. The rock climbing portion was developed at Tahquitz Rock in southern California by members of the Rock Climbing Section of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club in the 1950s. It quickly spread to Canada and the rest of the Americas.

A YDS rating consists of 3 parts: the Grade, the Class, and the protection rating. The Grade and protection rating are optional, and usage varies widely. When the climb also involves aid climbing, the aid climbing grade can be appended to the free climbing rating. Some examples: El Capitan - The North America Wall VI, 5.8, A5 or Medlicott Dome - Bachar/Yerian 5.11c (X,***)

YDS Grade

The YDS system involves an optional Roman numeral Grade that indicates the length and seriousness of the route. The Grades are:

• Grade I: one to two hours of climbing
• Grade II: less than half a day
• Grade III: half a day climb
• Grade IV: full day climb
• Grade V: two day climb
• Grade VI: multi-day climb
• Grade VII: a climb lasting a week or longer

The Grade is more relevant to mountaineering and big wall climbing, and often not stated when talking about short rock climbs.

YDS Class

The system consists of five classes indicating the technical difficulty of the hardest section:

• Class 1 is walking with a low chance of injury and a fall unlikely to be fatal.
• Classes 2 and 3 are steeper scrambling with increased exposure and a greater chance of severe injury, but falls are not always fatal.
• Class 4 can involve short steep sections where the use of a rope is recommended, and un-roped falls could be fatal.
• Class 5 is considered true rock climbing, predominantly on vertical or near vertical rock, and requires skill and a rope to proceed safely. Un-roped falls would result in severe injury or death.

In theory, Class 6 exists and is used to grade aid climbing (where progress is made by climbing directly on equipment placed in or on the rock and not the rock itself). However, the separate A (aid) rating system became popular instead. (See Aid climbing)

The original intention was that the classes would be subdivided decimally, so that a route graded 4.5 would be a scramble halfway between 4 and 5, and 5.9 would be the hardest rock climb. Increased standards and improved equipment meant that climbs graded 5.9 in the 1960s are now only of moderate difficulty. Rather than regrade all climbs each time standards improve, additional grades were added at the top - originally only 5.10, but it soon became apparent that an open-ended system was needed, and further grades of 5.11, 5.12, etc. were added.

While the top grade was 5.10, a large range of climbs in this grade were completed, and climbers realized a subdivision of the upper grades were required. Letter grades were added for climbs at 5.10 and above, by adding a letter "a" (easiest), "b", "c" or "d" (hardest) the difference between letter grades is roughly the same as the difference between number grades that are below 5.10. For example: Going from a 5.12a to a 5.12b is just a difficult as going from a 5.7 to a 5.8.

As of 2005, the hardest climbing routes in the world are at grade 5.15. Ratings on the hardest climbs tend to be tentative, until other climbers have had a chance to complete the routes and a consensus can be reached on the precise grade.

The system originally considered only the technical difficulty of the hardest move on a route. For example a route of mainly 5.7 moves but with one 5.12a move would be graded 5.12a. A climb that consisted of 5.11b moves all along its route, would be 5.11b. Modern application of climbing grades, especially on climbs at the upper end of the scale, also consider how sustained or strenuous a climb is, in addition to the difficulty of the single hardest move.

YDS protection rating

An optional protection rating indicates the spacing and quality of the protection available, for a well-equipped and skilled leader:

• G - Good, solid protection ground up
• PG - Pretty good, few sections of poor or non-existent placements
• R - Runout, some protection placements may be very far apart
• X - No protection, extremely dangerous

The G and PG ratings are often left out, as being typical of normal, everyday climbing. R and X climbs are usually noted as a caution to the unwary leader. Application of protection ratings varies widely from area to area and from guidebook to guidebook.

Grade systems for mountaineering

See also Summitpost Alpine Grades

Alpine mountaineering routes are usually graded based on all of their different aspects, as they can be very diverse. Thus, a mountain route may be graded 5.6 (rock difficulty), A2 (Aid Difficulty), WI3 (Ice climbing difficulty), M5 * (Mixed climbing difficulty), 70 degrees (Steepness), 4000ft. (Length), VI (commitment level), and many other factors.

French

The French alpine grades give an overall difficulty grade to a route, taking into consideration the length, difficulty, exposure and commitment-level (e.g. how hard it may be to retreat). These are, in increasing order:

• F:facile (easy)
• PD: peu difficile (not very difficult)
• AD: assez difficile (fairly difficult)
• D: difficile (difficult)
• TD: très difficile (very difficult)
• ED1/2/3/4: extrêmement difficile (extremely difficult)

Often a + or a - is placed after the grade to indicate if a particular climb is at the lower or upper end of that grade (e.g. a climb slightly harder than "PD+" might be "AD-").

New Zealand

An alpine grading system adapted from the grades used in the Aoraki/Mt Cook Region is widely used in New Zealand for alpine routes in the North and South islands. Grades currently go from 1-7. The grading system is open ended, harder climbs are possible. Factors which determine grade are: technical difficulty, objective danger, length and access.

As a rough guide.

Grade 1 - An easy scramble.

Grade 4 - Technical climbing, must be able to place rock and ice gear quickly and efficiently. Often involves a long day.

Grade 7 - Vertical ice/rock which may not have adequate protection. Rock grades in the high 20's (Ewbank). Climb may be in remote area. May require a bivvy on route.

Alaskan

In the Alaskan grading system, mountaineering climbs range from grade 1-6, and factor in difficulty, length, and commitment. The hardest, longest routes are Alaskan grade 6. The system was first developed by Boyd N. Everett, Jr. in 1966, and is supposed to be particularly adapted to the special challenges of Alaskan climbing. Here is a summary of Alaska grade descriptors, adapted (and greatly simplified) from Alaska: A Climbing Guide, by Michael Wood and Colby Coombs (The Mountaineers, 2001):

• Alaska Grade 1: Climb requires one day only, no technical (fifth-class) climbing.
• Alaska Grade 2: Either a moderate fifth-class one-day climb, or a straightforward multiday nontechnical climb.
• Alaska Grade 3: Either a serious fifth-class one-day climb, or a multiday climb with some technical elements.
• Alaska Grade 4: Multiday, moderately technical climb.
• Alaska Grade 5: Multiday, highly technical climb.
• Alaska Grade 6: Multiday, extremely technical climb.

A plus (+) may be added to indicate somewhat higher difficulty. For example, the West Buttress Route on Mount McKinley (Denali) is graded 2+ in the above-mentioned guidebook.

It is important to remember that even an Alaska Grade 1 climb may involve climbing on snow and glaciers in remote locations and cold weather.

Grade systems for ice climbing

Ice climbing has a number of grading systems. The WI numeric scale measures the difficulty of routes on water ice; the M scale measures the difficulty of mixed climbs combining ice and rock. The WI scale currently spans grades from 1-7, and M climbs have recently surfaced graded M14.

In Britain, the Scottish winter grading system is used for both ice and mixed climbs. Routes are given two grades, essentially equivalent to the adjectival and technical grades used in British traditional climbing. Overall difficulty is signified by a Roman numeral grade on a scale of I to IX, and the technical difficulty of the hardest move or section of the climb is graded with an Arabic numeral on a scale of 1 to 9. For routes of grade I - III, the technical grade is usually omitted unless it is 4 or greater.

Grade systems for bouldering

There are many grading systems used specifically for bouldering problems. See the grade (bouldering) article.

Grade systems for aid climbing

Aid climbs are graded A0 to A5 or A6 depending on the reliability of the gear placements and the consequences of a fall. New routes climbed today are often given a “New Wave” grade using the original symbols but with new definitions. The letter “A” now means that you have to use pitons or other gear that requires the use of a hammer. The letter “C” indicates that the route can be climbed clean (Clean climbing) without the use of a hammer.

The original grading system:

A0: A free climb with an occasional aid move that does not require specialized aid gear ("aiders" or "etriers"). Pulling on gear during a free ascent is often referred to as A0.

A1: Requires specialized gear but all placements are solid and easy.

A2: Good placements, but sometimes tricky.

A3: Many difficult aid moves. Some of the placements might only hold body-weight. The risk is still low.

A4: Many body-weight placements in a row. The risk is increasing.

A5: Enough body-weight placements in a row that a fall might result in a fall of at least 20 meters.

The “new wave” aid system:

A1: Easy aid and easy placements.

A2: Moderate aid. Solid gear, but difficult to place.

A2+: Up to 10 meters fall potential but with little risk of hitting anything.

A3: Hard aid. Many tenuous placements in a row. Fall potential up to 15-meters.

A3+: Same as above but with dangerous fall potential.

A4: Serious aid. Continuously tenuous gear placements in a row with up to 30-meters ledge fall potential.

A4+: More serious aid. Longer fall potential. Each pitch can take many hours to lead.

A5: Extreme aid. Nothing on the pitch will hold a fall. A fall will almost certainly end with death.

A6: Same as above but with belay anchors that won’t hold a fall. A fall will kill the whole team.

Comparison table

The following table has a basic comparison chart for some of the different free climbing rating systems that are in use around the world:

Rock Climbing Rating Systems
YDS (USA)	British (UK) Tech/Adj		French	UIAA (Central Europe)	Ewbank (Australian)	GDR (Eastern Europe)	Finnish
5.2			1	I
5.3			2	II	11
5.4			3	III	12
5.5	4a	VD	4	IV
5.6		S	5a	V-	13		5-
5.7	4b	HS	5b	V	14		5
	4c			V+	15
5.8		VS	5c	VI-	16	VIIa	5+
5.9	5a	HVS	6a	VI	17	VIIb
5.10a		E1	6a+	VI+	18	VIIc	6-
5.10b	5b				19
5.10c		E2	6b	VII-	20	VIIIa	6
5.10d	5c		6b+	VII	21	VIIIb
5.11a		E3	6c	VII+	22	VIIIc	6+
5.11b			6c+		23
5.11c	6a	E4	7a	VIII-	24	IXa	7-
5.11d			7a+	VIII	25	IXb	7
5.12a		E5	7b	VIII+	26	IXc	7+
5.12b	6b		7b+				8-
5.12c		E6	7c	IX-	27	Xa	8
5.12d	6c		7c+	IX	28	Xb	8+
5.13a		E7	8a	IX+	29	Xc	9-
5.13b			8a+				9
5.13c	7a		8a+	X-	30		9+
5.13d		E8	8b	X	31		10-
5.14a			8b+	X+	32		10
5.14b	7b		8c				10+
5.14c		E9	8c+	XI-	33		11-
5.14d	7c		9a	XI			11
5.15a			9a+