Route & Problem Ratings
The different levels of climbing difficulty are defined by ratings.
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.
Sub-Grades (Yosemite Decimal System)
Easy 5.1-5.6
Intermediate 5.7-5.9
Difficult 5.10-5.11
Very Difficult 5.12-5.13
Expert 5.14-5.15
Suffix (Yosemite Decimal System)
A suffix is often found on grades 5.10 and higher.
Suffix have two traditional formats. Alphabetic suffix range are ‘a’,'b’,'c’ or ‘d’. 5.10a is the easiest 5.10. 5.10d is the hardest 5.10. The alternative is ‘+’, ‘-’. 5.10+ is a difficult 5.10 and 5.10- is an easier 5.10.
International Grading Systems
There are unique grading systems throughout the entire world. The following table compares them.
USA (YDS) |
Bouldering Scale |
Australia |
France |
UK |
| 5.1 | VB | 4 | 1 | M |
| 5.2 | VB | 6 | 2 | M |
| 5.3 | VB | 6 | 2+ | 3a VD |
| 5.4 | VB | 8 | 3- | 3b VD, 3B HVD |
| 5.5 | VB | 10 | 3 | 3c HVD, 3c S |
| 5.6 | VB | 12 | 3+ | 4a S, 4a HS |
| 5.7 | VB | 14 | 4 | 4a VS, 4b HS |
| 5.8 | VB | 14, 16 | 4+ | 4c VS |
| 5.9 | VB | 16 | 5 | 4c HVS |
| 5.10a | VB | 18 | 5+ | 5b HVS |
| 5.10b | VB | 19 | 6a | 5a E1 |
| 5.10c | VB | 19,20 | 6a+ | 5b E2 |
| 5.10d | V0 | 20,21 | 6b | 6a E2, 5C E3 |
| 5.11a | V0 | 21 | 6b+ | 6a E3 |
| 5.11b | V1 | 22 | 6c | 6a E4 |
| 5.11c | V1 | 23 | 6c+ | 6a E4, 6b E4 |
| 5.11d | V2 | 23/24 | 7a | 6b E4, 6a E5 |
| 5.12a | V3 | 24 | 7a+ | 6a E5, 6c E5 |
| 5.12b | V4 | 25 | 7b | 6c E5 |
| 5.12c | V5 | 26 | 7b+ | 6b E6 |
| 5.12d | V6 | 27 | 7c | 6c E6 |
| 5.13a | V7 | 28 | 7c+ | 6c E7 |
| 5.13b | V8 | 29 | 8a | 7a E7 |
| 5.13c | V9 | 30 | 8a+ | 6c E8 |
| 5.13d | V10 | 31 | 8b | 7a E8 |
| 5.14a | V11 | 32 | 8b+ | 7a E9 |
| 5.14b | V12 | 33 | 8c | 7b E9 |
| 5.14c | V13 | 34 | 8c+ | 7a E10 |
| 5.14d | V14 | 35 | 9a | 7b E10 |
| 5.15a | V15 | 36 | 9a+ | 7b E10 |
| 5.15b | V16 | 37 | 9a+ | 7b E10 |