Uiaa climbing grades to v scale 3000 Pyrenees; 4000 Alps; 8000m Peaks; Special Projects. 8 6 6 5c/6a 5. The most challenging grade on the V-scale is currently V17, highlighting the scale’s capacity to classify extreme bouldering challenges. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples! Feb 6, 2016 · UIAA climbing grades are used in Germany and large parts of Eastern Europe where the system is mainly used to grade sport climbing routes. Climbing Grades vs. 8 WI4, Grade V. 4B: Several pitches of IV+ or some V+ climbing. However, by its very nature climbing is subjective – someone else can’t climb the wall for you – so there will always be people who find a UIAA V+ to be more like a V or an IFAS PD+ Much like the French sport climbing grading system, the Font scale designates grades using a numeral (3 to 9), a letter (A to C) and - or + symbol. Rechne über die vollen UIAA-Grade. The first ascensionist c The YDS does not apply to bouldering routes; instead, either the French Scale (usually referred to by its other name, the Fontainebleau Scale or Font Scale for short) or the Hueco V Scale is used. Grade III: Most of a day for the technical portion. 11, [17 Universal grade conversion Back to contents . Fontainebleau Boulder Grade (Font Scale): The Font scale is has been most popular in various parts of Asia and Europe since they first came into being. Understanding Rock Climbing Grades › Training Tools UIAA MedCom Standard No. Please visit them on the web at www. Comparing these scales is somewhat akin to comparing sprinting to a marathon; while both are running, the skills and attributes required are quite different. While the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) is the standard for roped climbs, for bouldering the standard is the V-Scale. Any one who has been climbing for a while has probably been confronted with the different systems. a. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples! It scales in technicality, beginning with 1. The V-grades, which are mostly used in the United States, start at V0. Tips for Using Climbing Grade Conversions. May 15, 2024 · Grading systems in climbing Climbing grades can be a bit confusing sometimes. 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 V Scale. Dec 29, 2020 · It prevailed internationally and was renamed in 1968 as the UIAA scale. Feb 20, 2023 · Climbing Grades Comparison Chart. 10b/c 7 7 6b/b+ 5. Mountain Voices Podcast; Accident Data Reporting; Mountaineering and Climbing Accidents Case-Law Database; Mountain Worker Initiative; Rock Climbing Festival Award; Mountain Huts May 27, 2025 · 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. The French, the Yosemite and UIAA (Union Internacionale des Associations d'Alpinisme). History also explains why a European UIAA grade IV (i. Conversion Chart: YSD vs. Denali via the Cassin Ridge route is 5. 4A: A full day route with IV+ climbing. 5A: Contains several pitches of V climbing on a 1- to 3-day route. Der Trick lautet wie folgt: Denke vorerst nicht an Zwischengrade. UIAA Initiatives. Apr 27, 2025 · The Welzenbach scale subsequently evolved into the UIAA scale in 1967, which became Europe’s free climbing grading system. As an example, the North Face of the Eiger is thought to be around UIAA V in climbing difficulty, but it is certainly a route worth ED2 as an Alpine Grade. Each of these systems has its origins in a distinct style, geography, or climbing tradition. Mittlerweile bin ich im Umrechnen von UIAA zur französischen Skala recht geübt. Oct 23, 2023 · The V-scale, used for bouldering, and the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), used for route climbing, represent two distinct grading systems tailored to their specific forms of climbing. theCrag does so by using an open ended and fine-grained internal grade conversion system with more than 500 grade levels allowing to reflect the subtleties of most known grade systems and their conversion from and into each other. – 15 to 20 hours of climbing. The Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme grading scale for mountaineering and descriptions of slope angles or accessibility are used in several studies to specify terrain. But when the Apr 27, 2025 · Climbing Beyond 6a into V-Grades. 9 6. Grades. All guide books and Topos are only show this grading system. Instead, the highest grade will increase as the sport of bouldering progresses. Grades aren’t apples to apples. Apr 29, 2024 · During the 1930s the Sierra Club adopted a variation of the Welzenbach scale to rate hikes and scrambles in the Sierra Nevadas. ) US-American (YDS) 5. 10d Italian Scale; Austrian Scale (Kurt Scnall) German Scale (Eugen Hülser) – German Scale (Paul Werner) French Scale ; Because of its completeness, in 2016 the UIAA Mountaineering Commission decided to adopt the Italian scale for grading the difficulties of Via Ferrata as its international standard. Glaciers with many crevasses and a large bergschrund. 17: Injury Classification Page: 6 / 8 Table 2: Comparison of the recommended climbing grade metric scale for scientific studies to the UIAA, French, and American grades Metric scale UIAA French (Fr. , Elbsandstein, UK Trad, Sierra u. Climbing Mt. americanalpineclub. UIAA grades often assume a level of experience, particularly in alpine environments where conditions can change rapidly. “Just to complicate things, you’ll often find a different system of climbing grades being used in the rest of Europe” In 1943 by Lucien Devies and GHM (Groupe Haute Montagne), proposed that the UIAA add in the ‘Scale of Global Assessment’ by the letters: F, PD, AD, D, TD and ED and the “Scale of Difficulty in Aided Climbing” with the symbols A1, and A2 Etc. 66 7- 6a+/b 5. DETAILS OF UIAA GRADES OF DIFFICULTY IN ROCK FREE CLIMBING GRADE UIAA LOWER LEVEL (-) UPPER (+) GRADE UIAA READING DESCRIPTION OF UIAA GRADES I -balance and hand and foot+ First Grade It is the easiest kind of scramble. Many climbing routes have a grade that reflects the technical difficulty—and in some cases the risks and commitment level—of the route. The UIAA grade is the official grade scale of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. – Sections of snow and ice or Jun 28, 2024 · “VB” denotes “V-beginner,” easier than “V0. Feb 26, 2021 · Font grade. If you want to understand the differences and switch from a grading system to another, here is an easy guide for you. 2B: Some II+ and III climbing on a multipitch route. 33 6+ 6a/6a+ 5. Difficult - good route-finding and efficient rope handling required, long climbing sections in IV-V grade (UIAA) and very steep firn slopes usually require anchored belaying. International Climbing Grade Comparison Apr 27, 2025 · They take into account the American YDS, British E-grade, French sport grade, UIAA scale and Saxon scale. ” DETAILS OF UIAA GRADES OF DIFFICULTY IN ROCK FREE CLIMBING GRADE UIAA LOWER LEVEL (-) UPPER (+) GRADE UIAA READING DESCRIPTION OF UIAA GRADES I -balance and hand and foot+ First Grade It is the easiest kind of scramble. Once you reach grade 4 and above, the grade then cycles through a, b and c, before jumping up to the next number. 8, which are additionally split into three separate categories using a plus (+) or a minus (-). The above appears courtesy of the American Alpine Journal. ” The V-scale also uses “+” or “-” for further distinction. Understanding the development of different systems helps explain why British Very Difficult climbs are quite easy. National Climbing Classification System (USA): NCCS grades, often called “commitment grades,” indicate the time investment in a route for an “average” climbing team. Today, this scale single-handedly dominates the bouldering grade scales alongside the V scale. A few decades later the Rock Climbing Section of the Sierra club working out of Tahquitz expanded on that grading system to come up with the YDS. This scale assigns "V" grades to boulder problems, ranging from V0 to V16, with higher numbers indicating greater difficulty. This scale is used outdoors and in climbing walls across the UK and Europe, and originated in Fontainebleau, a vast collection of sandstone boulders just south of Paris. YDS and French grades don’t always line up precisely, but below is a comparison chart showing how they compare. Grade V: Typically requires an overnight on the route. Kletterskalen Umrechner für UIAA, Frz. Because of these variables, a given climber might find a route to be either easier or more difficult than expected for the grade applied. Climbing grades are subjective due to various International Mountaineering and Climbing Grade Comparison Chart. Bouldering grade systems in wide use include the Hueco “V” grades (known as the V-scale), Fontainebleau technical grades, and more. May 13, 2019 · This scale uses Roman numbers from I to XI (that’s the most difficult grade to the present) to classify climbing routes and it’s used in several European countries and the Himalayas. Once you get beyond the easiest grades, V-scale and Font grades line up pretty nicely. Widely adopted in Germany and Eastern Europe, this grading system scales with UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme) Germany, Austria: Ewbank system: Rock climbing grades conversion routes and boulders Apr 27, 2025 · In terms of grading systems, the V scale is in proximity to the French Font-grade system, which is more commonly used in Europe. While grades are usually applied fairly consistently across a climbing area, there are often perceived differences between grading at different climbing areas. Like the V scale, the font scales are also rated by numbers such as 1,2,3 and so on. 3A: Contains 1-1. I and II: Half a day or less for the technical (5th class) portion of… Read More »Climbing Grade Apr 13, 2025 · Climbing Difficulty Ranking IntroductionClimbing is a sport of precision, strength, and mental endurance. This is written in whole numbers, i. To add yet more confusion to grading systems, the UIAA developed their own grading system. Jun 5, 2023 · UIAA Climbing Grades. 3B: One or two pitches of III+/IV climbing on a full-day route. Aug 13, 2024 · Grades: The UIAA grades focus on the technical difficulty of the route’s hardest move or sequence. Grade IV: A full day of technical climbing, generally at least 5. A direct comparison between the New Zealand (Mt Cook/ Frost grading system) developed in 2018, and the French Alpine Grade, UIAA Grade and the Russian Grade is no longer as linear as the Mt Cook/ Logan grading system of 1982. org. e. While many countries with a strong tradition of climbing developed grading systems, a small number of grading systems have become Nov 3, 2024 · Wenn man, so wie ich, jahrelang nur die UIAA-Skala im Kopf hat, ist ein umrechnen gar nicht so leicht. We in Sardinia (and Italy) use mostly the French chart. Why Climbing Grades Are Subjective. Grade II: Half a day for the technical portion. Grade V: Typically requires an overnight on the route. Arguably, this is where bouldering began, and the open-ended grade scale that was developed ranges from 1A to 9A (at time of writing). Consider the Climbing Style: sport climbing, traditional climbing, and bouldering can have different grading nuances. The UIAA scale matches up exactly with the French system through Grade V+. Frequent use of hands is required to support -holds must be trusted II - + a proper setting of the UIAA Grade. Grade VI: Two or more days of hard technical climbing. To put this into English, V10 corresponds to Font 7C+. The first ascensionist can suggest a grade, but it will be amended to reflect the consensus view of subsequent ascents. French Grades. It was later adapted and known as the Welzenbach scale. This is the easiest form of rock climbing, known as scrambling. Klettern. During the 1990s Yosemite climbers extended this scale to A6 and began adding pluses to denote in-between steps. Grade VII: Remote big walls climbed in alpine style. For that reason please treat the conversions in the table below with due respect to the Alpine Grade. The hardest route in Australia is a 35, which is equivalent to a UIAA XII or French 9a. Understand the Context: grades are subjective and can vary based on region, climbing style, and even the conditions on the day you climb. For aid climbing, the UIAA’s A0-A5 grades measured the reliability of placements. These ranking systems, often referred to as grading systems, provide a standardized way to evaluate the challenge a route In rock climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing, climbing grades are meant to concisely describe the difficulty and danger of climbing any single route. 10a 6. Canadian Winter Commitment Grade: Apr 27, 2025 · You might encounter bouldering grades like 6A or 7C, which express a lot of the same concepts as the V-Scale but rely more on letters. You'll see the UIAA grading system used in many alpine guidebooks. Infos zu Schwierigkeitsgrade beim Sportklettern, Bouldern, Eisklettern & Techn. Originally a 6-grade scale, it has been officially open-ended since 1979. theCrag automatically converts grades between different grade systems according to the tables below. Grading in climbing is not a clear cut mathematical science. In fact, the only difference between the two systems is that the sport grades are written with a lowercase letter, and the Font grades are written with a uppercase letter. 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 UIAA Grade. – Up to 800 meters (2,600 feet) of ice sections up to Grade V. Grade VII: Multi-pitch routes with long sections of vertical or thin ice, or mixed routes with lots of highly technical climbing. ,). For Americans or trad climbers it may be difficult to relate it to their usual system and understand how hard a climbing route may be. Eine volle UIAA-Stufe sind 2 volle französische Stufen. For example, a grade VII would indicate a climb with very challenging technical moves. There’s no standard practice to guide how this comparison should be made. The actual climbing scale starts from grade 11, as per the definition only then the real climbing with hands and feet begins. Jan 28, 2022 · V-Scale Grades. UIAA grading system – This means that in French scale a 6a is harder than a 5b or in HUECO-scale a V8 is harder than a V6 and so on. Boulder werden normalerweise nach ihren schwersten Stellen bewertet, wohingegen beim Routenklettern sowohl die Ausdauerkomponente als auch der Anspruch durch das Einhängen der Zwischensicherungen wie Expressschlingen, Klemmkeile oder Friends eine große Rolle spielen können. Grade VIII and above: The hardest routes in Scotland. May 31, 2020 · The Nose on El Capitan is 5. UIAA Grading. The full document ‘UIAA Scales of Difficulty in Climbing’ analyses the main systems used to classify the difficulty of climbing on different terrains such as rock, ice, and mixed terrain, trying to offer a starting point to create a minimum of historical and critical knowledge of those that are commonly known as “Scale of Difficulty. In general, theCrag displays grades as they are entered and in the area specific context. In the sport of bouldering, problems are assigned technical grades according to several established systems, which are often distinct from those used in roped climbing. Indoors, grades seem almost plush compared to how they read on rock. Grade 6A – A climb with an elevation above 3,600 meters (12,000 feet). Grade IV: A full day of technical climbing, generally at least 5. The most popular rating system for bouldering problems in North America is the V-Scale, first conceived by John Sherman in the 1980s and now used throughout the United States and in many other locales. 66 6- 5b/c 5. When I first looked for a useful comparison between The UIAA "Scale of Overall Assessment" dropped its six Roman numbers in favor of the six adjectival grades of the French Alpine System (to avoid confusion with the "UIAA scale") and dominated alpine climbing grading, while the UIAA "Scale of Difficulty in Aided Climbing" – amended and expanded in Yosemite in the 1990s as "new-wave" grades Bouldering, a form of climbing that focuses on short, powerful routes without ropes, has its own grading system known as the Hueco "V" Scale. The V scale is an open-ended grading scale, meaning there is no top level of difficulty. 5 pitches of III climbing on a multi-pitch route. Grade III: Most of a day for the technical portion. Whether you're scaling indoor walls or conquering outdoor crags, understanding the intricacies of climbing difficulty rankings is essential for progression and safety. The UIAA scale (or UIAA Scale of Difficulty) for free climbing was developed from the original "Welzenbach scale" in 1967 and uses the Roman numerals of that scale with "+" and "−" symbols for refinement between numerals after Grade III (i. The Benesch scale used Roman numerals and ranged between level I to VII, with the latter being the hardest. The UIAA climbing grading system is the modernized version of the very first grading system introduced in 1894 by Austrian mountaineer Fritz Benesch. III, IV−, IV, IV+, V−, V, V+ etc. Dec 9, 2024 · Kann ich Boulder-Schwierigkeitsgrade aufs Klettern übertragen? Die Antwort lautet: Nur bedingt. 9 C2, Grade VI. Grade I: Less than half a day for the technical portion. Grade VI: Vertical ice and highly technical mixed routes. They continue to climb undefined without limit, with the hardest ascents now at V16 and beyond. 7. 4) is much the same as a Norwegian grade 4. How difficult a climb actually is is determined by many factors such as steepness of the route, size and quality of holds, the distance between holds, the difficulty of the movements to reach the next hold, how sustained a route is and Apr 27, 2025 · Converting climbing grades such as French 6c+ to the V scale can be a challenge. Bouldering Grades Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Since grades are a reflection of what people care about, a grade of 50 can indicate something different in one location versus another. Convert North American climbing grades to UK and European scales, and compare bouldering V-grades to roped climbs. – Long rock sections of Grades III and IV and up to 50 meters (160 feet) of Grade V. UIAA grades of difficulty for rock climbing First grade (I). Moving past 6a into the V-grade system is not just a jump in difficulty, but an increase in satisfaction received for the effort invested. Grade V: Sustained ice to 80º or mixed climbs with linked hard moves. The Role of Experience in UIAA Grades. Frequent use of hands is required to support -holds must be trusted II - + a proper setting of the Feb 4, 2015 · Today I would like to spend a few moments talking about the different climbing grade systems used around the world. The V Scale goes from 0 to 17 and may have a + or – for further specificity. We will have a look at the 6 most common grading systems: Many climbing routes have a grade that reflects the technical difficulty—and in some cases the risks and commitment level—of the route. – A climb with an ascent of 800 meters (2,600 feet). There are three main grading systems in the climbing world. 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