Mountain grades
sid – October 17, 2006 – 2:16pm
Typical description of mountain grades:
- F (easy): straight forward snow routes with little or no difficulty, 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 (moderate): more complex glacier routes, harder scramblings and objective dangers. Routes may also be longer and at altitude. Moderate snow and ice slopes of up to 35-45 degrees might be encountered, and a rope is necessary.
- AD (fairly hard): routes with a fair amount of difficult climbing, requiring snow and ice experience up to 40-55 degrees. Rock climbing up to grade III may also be encountered, but are unlikely to be sustained.
- D (hard): fairly serious climbs of rock (grade IV & V), snow, and/or ice with pitches up to severe standards (50-70 degrees)
- TD (very hard): very difficult, long, serious climbs. Snow and ice slopes up to 65-80 degrees are likely to be encountered. Hard rock climbing is a possibility at grades V-VI. High levels of objective danger.
- ED (extremely difficult): climbs with long and sustained difficulties of the highest order. Vertical ice slopes likely, and rock climbing at VI to VIII. Exceptional objective dangers.
I've climbed peaks in the AD and D- range so far and they seem to be pretty good. Still having lots of trouble with route finding and keeping everything else together and probably should stay in those grades until the organization, planning, food intake, and all that become second nature.
