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Climbing grades

UK traditional grades come in two parts and the majority you will come across are shown in the table above. The adjectival grade gives you an idea of how safe/exposed a climb is. The technical grade gives an idea of how hard the hardest moves on the climb will be. This system resembles the one used for sports grades.

Sports Grades

Sports grades run from 3 - 9b+ in the following sequence 3, 4, 4+, 5, 5+, 6a, 6a+, 6b, 6b+, 6c, 6c+, 7a.......etc. They are based on how technical or physical a route will be. Unlike traditional grades they do not account for how exposed a climb may be, they are for routes that are fully protected and are based on the French grading system

Grades Brief

Indoor and outdoor grades are not the same due to outdoor climbs involving far more skill and balance with less clear cut holds. Indoor climbs tend to be steep with positive holds and rely far more on strength and stamina. If you have started climbing indoors and are making the transition to outdoors it is advisable to start with lower grades than the comparable indoor grades you are currently climbing at

This is just a brief overview of UK climbing grades, for more detailed information including bouldering contact the BMC
Most commonly seen UK adjectival grades (sports grades in brackets)
M = Moderate, D = Difficult, VD = Very Difficult, HVD = Hard Very Difficult, S = Severe, HS = Hard Very Sever, VS = Very Severe (4a,b & c), HVS = Hard Very Severe (4C, b & a). GRADES E1 - E8 are extreme 1 extreme 2 etc. E1 (5a, b & c), E2 5b, c & a), E3 (5c 6a), E4 6a & 6b), E5 (6a, 6b & 6c), E6 (6b & 6c), E7 (6c & 7a), E8 (6c & 7a).