|
Nepal Trek Grading System: | Overall Grade | Description |
|---|
| E (easy) | Easy treks are for trekkers without previous experience. The easy trek involves no difficult climbing or ascents to high altitudes and is suitable for most people. However, being at a lower altitude (less than 3500m) does not mean that the trek is of any less interest. These treks often provide colourful horizons of a whole series of mountain ranges and have access to teahouses. | | M (medium) | Medium treks are more challenging than easy treks and are suitable for any trekker looking for something a little more energetic. Ascending and descending you climb to higher altitudes (less than 4500m) where you are rewarded with close-up views of larger mountains. | | M/H (medium to hard) | Medium/Hard treks suit trekkers with some previous mountain walking experience. Ascending up to altitudes of between 4500m to 5500m with some steep climbing, ropes are not necessary. | | H (hard) | Hard treks are suitable for real adventure seekers. Some steep ascents to high altitudes with the possibility of rope assisted climbing will be involved in this category. Altitudes in excess of 5500m. |
Trekking Peak Grading System:
Himalayan climbs do not fit easily into normal grading systems because the major difficulties are often not so much technical as those associated with acclimatisation: high altitude and / or large vertical intervals (the difference in height between the base camp and the summit). However it has become common to use the French Alpine Grading system. | Overall Grade | Description |
|---|
| F Facile (Easy) | A straight forward route, possibly describing a glacier approach with simple scrambling. Any snow or ice will be of an easy angle allowing the climber to walk up it. | | PD Peu difficile (not very hard) | Harder than routes graded F, with more complex glacier routes, harder scrambling and objective dangers. Routes may also be longer and at altitude. Snow and ice slopes of up 35-45 degrees may be encountered. | | AD Assez difficile (fairly hard) | More significant slopes of snow and ice will be encountered up to 40-55 degrees. Rock climbing up to grade III may also be encountered but are unlikely to be sustained. | | D Difficile (hard) | A more serious undertaking with possibility of rock climbing at around grade IV & V and snow and ice slopes of up 50-70 degrees. | | TD Tres difficile (very hard) | Significant and sustained snow and ice slopes of up 65-80 degrees are likely encountered. Hard rock climbing is also a possibility at grades V - VI with some aid routes also a possibility. Routes at this grade are a serious undertaking with high levels of objective danger. | | ED Extremement difficile (extremely hard) | Extremely hard routes with vertical ice slopes likely and rock climbing at VI to VIII. Aid pitches are also possible with exceptional objective danger. | | ABO Abominablement difficile (Abominable) | Pretty self explanatory! |
It is now common for routes to be given a + or - within the grade to cater for superior of inferior routes. In addition to this, if you are reading an Alpine Club guide, you may also find that some of the ice pitches are described using the Scottish Technical Grade (see above). Expedition Grading System:
Variable grades are given where there are options for different levels of climbers
Grading routes can be a complex combination of factors including: - The technical difficulties of the crucial sections of the route
- Length of the route
- Height of the peak
- Objective dangers
The overall grade is defined within a scale of 1 to 6 for technical difficulty together with a letter grade A-D which indicates the level of fitness required alongside other variable factors. All technical difficulties described for each grade may not be relevant, for example if the route is predominately on snow then rock climbing skills may not be required. Please feel free to contact Trekking Encounters if you are in doubt as to whether your experience or fitness would match your choice of expedition.
Fitness: | Overall Grade | Description |
|---|
| A | Good basic fitness, as for climbing Munro's. Average rucksack weight 6-8 kg. | | B | Good cardio-vascular fitness that would normally require some training, by running, cycling or gym work. Average rucksack weight 8-12 kg. | | C | Training would tend to become essential to attain a good level of fitness. Previous experience of multi-day walking is recommended along with physical toughness and the ability to carry a heavy rucksack for long periods. Average rucksack weight 12-18kg. | | D | A high level of all round fitness will be required to cope with the exceptionally strenuous nature of these expeditions. A resistance to extreme weather conditions over extended periods of time. Heavy loads over multiple days may need to be carried. Expect some weight loss. | | E | Same as 'D' with the addition of hard physical effort at extreme altitude which will require thorough preparation. May cause long term fatigue after trip. |
Expedition Fitness:
In all cases your chance of success and level of enjoyment will depend very much on your level of fitness. The grading system set out above gives you an indication of the level required for each expedition.
Technical Difficulty (could include): | Overall Grade | Description |
|---|
| Grade 1: | Easy scrambling, broad scree or low angled snow ridges at angles up to 30 degrees. Ropes are not usually required. Previous climbing experience is not essential. | | Grade 2: | Snow and ice sections at a low angle of up to 30 degrees. Ice axe and crampon experience necessary. Climbing experience useful but not essential. | | Grade 3: | Snow and ice sections at an angle 45-50 degrees. Previous snow and ice climbing experience is essential. (Alpine F- PD. Scottish Grade III. Rock D). | | Grade 4: | Snow and ice sections at angles over 45 degrees with steep steps. Rock sections up to VD. Confident mountaineering skills including some rock and ice leading experience. Previous Alpine climbing or high altitude experience is normally required unless technically very confident beyond the grades below. (Alpine AD+. Scottish Grade III. Rock VD-S). | | Grade 5: | Sections of very steep snow and ice at angles over 50 degrees. Rock sections up to Severe. Suitable only for experienced mountaineers who can be self-sufficient, previous alpine experience is essential. (Alpine D-TD. Scottish Grade III/IV or harder. Rock S-VS). | | Grade 6: | Very steep snow and ice with sustained steep ice pitches, Rock sections up to HVS, possibly requiring the use of aiding techniques. (Alpine TD. Scottish Grade IV/VI or harder Rock HVS). |
The Scottish Winter Grading System:
Developed by the SMC and is a two tier system made up of an overall grade and a technical grade. The overall grade describes the overall difficulty of the climb taking into consideration its length, angle of slope and the different climbing techniques required. The technical grade as with the UK rock climbing system, describes the hardest section (crux) of the route. | Overall Grade | Description |
|---|
| I | Snow gullies of around 45 degrees or easy ridges. A single ice axe is all that is usually required, although cornices can present problems. These routes are often used as descent routes by climbers coming of other routes so beware descending traffic! | | II | Steeper snow, with potential for short ice pitches. Ridges at this grade would generally be easy scrambles in the summer. A second tool should be carried and cornices maybe difficult. Any difficulties encountered will generally be short in duration. | | III | Sustained gullies or ridges and steeper than grade II routes. | | IV | Routes start to become more technical in nature at this grade, with snowed up easy rock routes being climbed. Route will normally contain steep sections of ice, either long sections of between 60-70 degrees or short vertical steps. On mixed routes, more advanced techniques such as torquing will generally be required. | | V | Potential for sustained steep ice at 60-70 degrees. Mixed routes could be up to VS summer routes and may require the linking of multiple advanced moves. | | VI | Long vertical sections of ice, sometimes poor in quality and with little chance of rest. Mixed routes will be as for grade V but harder. Mixed routes will be at least VS summer routes. | | VII | As VI but longer and harder. Could include overhanging sections so strength, stamina and skill is required! | | VIII onwards | As VII but even longer and even harder! |
Scottish winter routes are easily susceptible to changes in the weather. To cater for this it is quite common to find routes that are given a split grade, for example II/III. This indicates the wide variation in the route depending on conditions. Technical Ice Grades:
The following table outlines the different technical ice grades available: | Technical Grade | Description |
|---|
| 1 | Easy angled ice with no particular problems. | | 2 | Slight steeper than 1 but of good quality with excellent protection available. | | 3 | Ice up to around 60 degrees, generally of good quality with good belays. | | 4 | Ice up to 70 degrees, good ice and gear. | | 5 | Ice up to 80 degrees, ice is generally not as good as grade 4 and there may be few opportunities for rest. | | 6 | Vertical ice! Ice formations such as overlaps may exist and protection will be limited and difficult to place. | | 7 | Onwards As 6 but longer, harder, poorer ice and less protection! |
Scrambling Grades:
The following table will give you an understanding of scrambling and rock climbing grades which is useful where rock climbing ability is essential for example Ama Dablam. | Technical Grade | Description |
|---|
| Grade 1 | Short steps of rock where you will need to use your hands to make upwards progress ropes not normally used. | | Grade 2 | More frequent sections of rock with longer sections requiring the use of hands to climb upwards, a rope might be used to safeguard difficult sections. | | Grade 3 and 3S | Exposed often with rock climbing moves such as those encountered on routes of British Grade difficult-very difficult. Lots of moving together using a shortened rope and short pitches of more difficult sections. |
The British Rock Climbing Grading System:
Ranges from moderate to extreme with extreme as an open ended scale from E1 to E12. Below is a brief outline of the grades to describe their difficulty. | Technical Grade | Description |
|---|
| Moderate | A similar standard to Grade 3 and 3S scrambles. | | Diff | Difficult | | V Diff | Very difficult | | S | Severe. | | VS | Very severe | | HVS | Hard, very severe | | Extreme | E1 - E12 |
E-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
