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Rock climbing grades

Different rock climbing grades across the five most popular systems

There are a variety of different systems used around the world to grade rock climbs. Below you will find a table that compares the different climbing grades across the five most popular systems.

Roped climbing

  • French – The French system is an internationally recognised system
    for grading sport climbs and is therefore used on bolted routes within
    the UK.
  • UIAA – This system is used in Germany, in other areas of Eastern Europe and in Italy for the classic trad routes.
  • United States – Yosemite Decimal System(YDS) is a grading system commonly found in the United States, starts with a 5.something.
    Grades 1 to 4 refer to walks of increasing difficulty, by the time you
    reach 5 you are assumed to be scrambling over rocks which equates to about 5.0.
    Sub-Grade (Yosemite Decimal System)
    The sub-grade ranges from 1 to a theoretically infinite number (today
    the highest number is 15). The number is increased when a ‘harder’ climb is developed.
  • Great Britain – The UK system is made of two sub-grades, an adjective grade and a technical grade. The adjective grade describes the overall difficulty of the climb taking into consideration how strenuous the route is, the amount of exposure and the availability of protection. The adjective grades are as follows: Moderate (M), Very Difficult (VD), Hard Very Difficult HVD), Mild Severe (MS), Severe (S), Hard Severe (HS), Mild Very Severe (MVS), Very Severe (VS), Hard Very Severe (HVS) and Extremely Severe. The Extremely Severe grade is also broken down into 10 further sub grades from E1 to E10.
    The numerical technical grading describes the hardest (crux) move on the climb. For a brief explanation of UK traditional climbing grades
    follow this link.
  • Australian – The system used in Australia and New Zealand is perhaps the most logical of all. There are no letters secondary grades, just a single number which gets bigger as the routes get harder.
FranciaUIAAYDSGBAUSLivello
 1I 53a  Novice ↓
 2 II 5.1/5.23b 11 
 3 III 5.3/5.43c 12 
4a IV 5.54aVD13Beginner ↓
4bIV+5.64bS14 
4cV5.74cHS15 
5aV+5.8 VS16 
5bVI-5.95aHVS17 Intermediate ↓
5cVI5.10a E118 
6aVI+5.10b5b 19 
6a+VII-5.10c E220 
6bVII5.10d5c 21 
6b+VII+5.11a E322Advanced ↓
6cVIII-5.11b  23 
6c+VIII5.11c6aE424 
7aVIII+5.11d  25 
7a+IX-5.12a E526 
7bIX-   IX5.12b6b  Expert ↓
7b+IX5.12c E627 
7cIX   IX+5.12d6c 28 
7c+IX+5.13a E729 
8aIX+   X-5.13b   Super Expert ↓
8a+X-5.13c7a 30 
8bX5.13d E831Elite ↓
8b+X+5.14a  32 
8cX+  XI-5.14b7b 33 
8c+XI-5.14c E9 34 
9aXI5.14d7c  33Super Elite ↓
9a+XI+5.15a  36 
9bXII-5.15b  37 
9b+XII5.15c  38 
9cXII+5.15d  39Adam Ondra!

Bouldering

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. Bouldering grade systems in wide use include the Hueco “V” grades (known as the V-scale), Fontainebleau technical grades, and more. You can read a very detailed article about bouldering grades here: www.99boulders.com.

There are also other systems used around the world to grade rock climbs.

Rock climbing grades. Bouldering.

Drawing by Claudio Getto “Caio Comix”

Hueco (USA)Fontainebleau
VB3
V0-4-
V04
V0+4+
V15
V25+
V36A
 6A+
V46B
 6B+
V56C
 6C+
V67A
V77A+
V87B
 7B+
V97C
V107C+
V118A
V128A+
V138B
V148B+
V158C
V168C+
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