Rock Climbing Ratings

     Hiking:

     Class 1: Easy hiking -- usually on a good trail.

     Class 2: More difficult hiking that may be off-trail. You may also have to put your hands down occasionally to keep your balance. May include easy snow climbs or hiking on talus/scree.

     Climbing:

     Class 3: Scrambling or un-roped climbing. You must use your hands most of the time to hold the terrain or find your route. This may be caused by a combination of steepness and extreme terrain (large rocks or steep snow). Some Class 3 routes are better done with rope.

     Class 4: Climbing -- Rope is often used on Class 4 routes because falls can be fatal. The terrain is often steep and dangerous. Some routes can be done without rope because the terrain is stable.

     Class 5: Technical climbing- The climbing involves the use of rope and belaying. Rock climbing is Class 5. Note: In the 1950s, the Class 5 portion of this ranking system was expanded to include a decimal at the end of the ranking system to further define the difficulties of rock climbing. This is called the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS). The decimal notations range from 5.1 (easiest) to 5.14 (most difficult), Recently, the rankings of 5.10 through 5.14 were expanded to include an “a”, “b”, “c”, or “d” after the decimal (Example: 5.12a) to provide further details of the ranking.