Have you ever read a mountain review filled with abbreviations like PD+, Vº, WI3, Ae, and wondered what they mean?
This article aims to clarify the concepts and parameters used to grade mountain difficulty and classify climbing route difficulty.
To achieve this, we’ll organize the text into the following seven sections:
To evaluate the difficulty of an alpine route, the French grading system (developed in the Alps) is used. This system considers all the factors that affect a given activity, as well as the specific features of the chosen route (e.g., route length, approach, objective dangers, altitude, exposure, technical difficulty, etc.).
This grading system applies to all alpine terrains and uses letters derived from French abbreviations (summarized in the table below):
Modifiers like "+" (supérieur) or "-" (inférieur) can refine the difficulty level. For example, a route graded AD- will be slightly easier than one graded AD+.
Since alpine ascents may involve sections of ice or snow climbing, free rock climbing, and/or artificial climbing, the French grading system often accompanies a technical difficulty grade for the hardest move. For example, a route graded as "MD, 4, V, A2" indicates an overall difficulty of "MD," with the hardest ice climbing move rated as "4," free rock climbing move as "V," and artificial climbing section as "A2."
In addition to technical difficulties, exposure grading assesses factors like the duration of the climb, the approach's challenges, and the route's level of isolation.
Exposure is summarized in the following table:
Free rock climbing involves overcoming obstacles using hands and feet on natural rock features, with gear (harness, helmet, rope, anchors) used for safety, not progression.
Difficulty is rated by the technical challenge of completing a move efficiently. The French grading system is widely used, starting at 1 and currently extending to 9 (open-ended). Grades are further divided as follows:
Ice climbing routes are graded based on factors like steepness, ice quality, and thickness. Grading ranges from WI1 (easy) to WI7 (extremely difficult), with optional modifiers like "+" for intermediate grades. Prefixes distinguish the ice type: AI for alpine ice and WI for waterfall ice.
Additional risk indicators include:
Artificial climbing involves using anchors to gain height in terrain too challenging for free climbing. Modern grading (A0–A6) reflects anchor reliability, placement difficulty, and fall consequences.
Clean climbing, which avoids hammering, is indicated with a C grade (e.g., C1–C5).
Mixed climbing, or "dry tooling," combines ice and rock climbing. Graded M1–M15, it assesses technical and physical difficulty, with M15 being the hardest.
The Hüsler Scale evaluates via ferrata difficulty, considering factors like verticality, technical moves, and exposure. Correspondence with other systems can be found in detailed charts.
This overview provides a framework to understand the grading systems across different climbing disciplines, empowering you to plan your adventures confidently and safely.
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