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Climbing Grade Conversion Chart (International)

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Climbing Grade Conversion Chart (International)

Climbing Grade Conversions

Climbing grades can be confusing due to the various systems used around the world. Understanding the different grading systems and how they convert can help you to gauge the difficulty of routes across different regions. 

Here’s a rundown of the main climbing grade systems and how they compare:

Key Climbing Grade Systems

Yosemite Decimal System (YDS): predominantly used in North America, this system ranges from 5.0 (easiest) to 5.15d (hardest), with sub-grades (a, b, c, d) to further differentiate difficulty.

French (Sport): is used in France and many other parts of Europe for sport climbing, ranging from 1 (easiest) to 9c (hardest). This system also uses sub-grades (a, b, c).

UIAA: this is common in Germany and other central European countries, it ranges from I (easiest) to XII (hardest), using Roman numerals.

British (Traditional): this complex system includes two grades: the adjectival grade (overall difficulty) and the technical grade (specific moves' difficulty). The adjectival grades range from Easy to E11, while the technical grades range from 3 to 7b.

Australian: used in Australia and New Zealand, this system ranges from 1 (easiest) to 35 (hardest).

South African: similar to the Australian system, it ranges from 1 to 38.

Norwegian: ranges from 1 (easiest) to 11.

Grade Conversion Table

Here’s a basic conversion table for some of the most commonly used systems:

YDS

French

UIAA

British (Tech)

Australian

South African

5.5

3+

IV

4a

10

10

5.6

4

IV+

4b

12

12

5.7

4+

V-

4c

13

13

5.8

5a

V

5a

14

14

5.9

5b

V+

5b

15

15

5.10a

5c

VI-

5c

16

16

5.10b

6a

VI

6a

17

17

5.10c

6a+

VI+

6a

18

18

5.10d

6b

VII-

6b

19

19

5.11a

6b+

VII

6b

20

20

5.11b

6c

VII+

6b/c

21

21

5.11c

6c+

VIII-

6c

22

22

5.11d

7a

VIII

6c

23

23

5.12a

7a+

VIII+

6c/7a

24

24

5.12b

7b

IX-

7a

25

25

5.12c

7b+

IX

7a/b

26

26

5.12d

7c

IX+

7b

27

27

5.13a

7c+

X-

7b

28

28

5.13b

8a

X

7b/c

29

29

5.13c

8a+

X+

7c

30

30

5.13d

8b

XI-

7c/8a

31

31

5.14a

8b+

XI

8a

32

32

5.14b

8c

XI+

8a/b

33

33

5.14c

8c+

XII-

8b

34

34

5.14d

9a

XII

8b/c

35

35

5.15a

9a+

XII+

8c

36

36

5.15b

9b

XIII-

8c/9a

37

37

5.15c

9b+

XIII

9a

38

38

5.15d

9c

XIII+

9a/b

39

39

Tips for Using Climbing Grade Conversions

Understand the Context: grades are subjective and can vary based on region, climbing style, and even the conditions on the day you climb.

Consider the Climbing Style: sport climbing, traditional climbing, and bouldering can have different grading nuances. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples!

Use Multiple Sources: refer to multiple conversion charts and local climbers’ opinions to get a more accurate sense of a route's difficulty.


Climbing grades are essential for understanding route difficulty, but they can be complex due to the variety of systems used worldwide. Familiarize yourself with the system relevant to your climb. Climb on!

For more detailed conversion tables and further reading, you can check out:

Mountain ProjectRockfax, and UKClimbing

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