Few things confuse new climbers more than route grades. You look at a guidebook or an indoor wall topo and see strings like “VS 4c”, “6b+” or “V4” — and wonder whether you are about to enjoy yourself or end up dangling in terror. Britain’s system is famously the most complicated in the world, because it tries to describe two different things at once. This guide breaks down exactly how to read every major climbing grade system, step by step.

Why the UK Has the Most Complicated Grades in Climbing

Most countries use a single number or letter to say how hard the moves are. Britain’s traditional (“trad”) grading system, developed over a century of climbing on the country’s crags — from Stanage Edge in the Peak District to the sea cliffs of Pembroke — does something unique: it grades the overall experience of the route as well as the hardest move.

That is because on trad routes you place your own protection as you climb. A route with easy moves but terrible gear (a long fall onto a ledge, say) can be far more serious than a route with one hard but perfectly safe move. The British system captures that difference, which is why you always see two grades side by side.

Part 1: The Adjectival Grade (Overall Difficulty and Seriousness)

The adjectival grade describes the whole route: how hard and sustained the climbing is, how good the protection is, how exposed it feels, and how serious the consequences of a fall would be. From easiest to hardest:

• M — Moderate: Straightforward climbing, usually well protected. Where most people start outdoors.
• D — Difficult: A step up; still very manageable for a competent beginner.
• VD — Very Difficult: The classic beginner milestone. Most climbers’ first leads.
• HVD — Hard Very Difficult: A half-step; some guidebooks skip it.
• S — Severe: Proper climbing starts here — steeper, more sustained, gear a bit sparser.
• HS — Hard Severe: Committing moves, but still within reach of regular weekend climbers.
• VS — Very Severe: A serious undertaking for most recreational climbers.
• HVS — Hard Very Severe: The gateway to extreme climbing.
• E1, E2, E3… up to E11: Extremely Severe, on an open-ended scale. Each E-grade is a major step. E1 is achievable by dedicated amateurs; E10 and E11 are the cutting edge of world trad climbing.

For the full official breakdown, the BMC’s explanation of UK traditional climbing grades is the definitive reference.

Part 2: The Technical Grade (The Hardest Move)

The technical grade — written as a number with a letter, like 4a, 5c or 6b — describes only the single hardest move or short sequence on the route. It runs from 1 (a ladder) up through the commonly used range:

• 4a, 4b, 4c: Beginner to intermediate moves — decent holds, straightforward sequences.
• 5a, 5b, 5c: Intermediate — smaller holds, trickier footwork, some steepness.
• 6a, 6b, 6c: Advanced — powerful, technical, often overhanging.
• 7a, 7b: Elite — the hardest moves found on British trad routes.

Note the quirk: unlike French grades, the British technical grade has no grade 1–3 in practical use and starts at 4a for real climbing.

How to Read a Combined Grade: The Step That Matters Most

Here is where the system becomes genuinely useful. The relationship between the two grades tells you what kind of challenge to expect:

• High technical grade for the adjectival grade (e.g. VS 5a, E1 5c): expect one hard, cruxy move — usually well protected. A safe but punchy route.
• Low technical grade for the adjectival grade (e.g. HVS 4c, E3 5b): expect either a long, sustained, pumpy struggle, or easy climbing in a serious, poorly protected situation. Check the route description to tell which.
• Matched grades (e.g. S 4a, E2 5c): the “average” combination — the difficulty is spread evenly through the route.

As a rule of thumb, the average pairings run roughly: S with 4a, HS with 4b, VS with 4c, HVS with 5a, E1 with 5b, E2 with 5c. If a route breaks the pattern, the guidebook description will usually explain why — always read it.

French Sport Grades (Indoor Walls and Bolted Crags)

British sport climbing — routes protected by pre-placed bolts — and virtually all UK indoor climbing walls use the French system, a single grade from 3 up to 9c, each split into a, b and c (with “+” sometimes added):

• 4–5 (5a, 5b, 5c): Beginner to intermediate. Most new indoor climbers top out around 5+ within a few months.
• 6a–6c+: Intermediate to advanced. 6a is the classic “good club climber” benchmark.
• 7a–7c+: Advanced. Requires serious training.
• 8a and above: Elite. 9a is the hardest grade climbed in the UK.

Because sport routes are safely bolted, the grade describes pure movement difficulty only — no seriousness factor. Roughly, French 6a ≈ British E1 5b in terms of move difficulty, though the experiences feel very different.

Bouldering Grades: The V-Scale and Font Grades

Bouldering (short climbs without ropes, over mats) uses its own systems. In the UK you will meet both:

• The V-scale (V0–V17): American in origin, now standard in most British indoor bouldering walls. V0–V2 is beginner, V3–V5 intermediate, V6–V8 advanced, V9+ elite.
• Font grades (4–8C): Named after Fontainebleau in France, these dominate outdoor UK bouldering. Font 6A ≈ V3, Font 7A ≈ V6, Font 8A ≈ V11.

Indoor walls usually stick to one system per wall — check the colour-coded tags or the wall’s grading chart near the entrance.

American YDS Grades and the R/X Suffix

You will see Yosemite Decimal System grades (5.6, 5.10a, 5.13b) in American guidebooks and films. The “5.” prefix means technical rock climbing; the number after it is the difficulty, with a–d subdivisions from 5.10 up. Danger gets a separate suffix: R means runout (a long fall is possible) and X means a fall would likely be fatal — the American way of splitting what Britain’s adjectival grade bundles in.

For a comparison table of international climbing grade systems, Wikipedia’s climbing grades page lines up British, French, American, UIAA and Australian grades side by side.

How to Choose Routes at Your Level: A Practical Approach

1. Start indoors. Climb French-graded routes at your local wall for a few months before going outside. If you can comfortably lead 5+ indoors, you are ready for easy outdoor trad.
2. Begin outdoors at VD–S. These grades have good protection and teach you gear placement without terror.
3. Read the whole guidebook entry — stars, route descriptions and comments about protection matter as much as the grade.
4. Second (follow) harder routes first. Climbing second on a VS or HVS with an experienced leader is the classic way to step up safely.
5. Log your climbs. Apps like UKC Logbooks let you record ascents and see how your grade pyramid builds — most climbers pyramid with lots of climbs at lower grades and a few at their limit.
6. Ignore grade chasing. Grades are subjective opinions that vary between crags, guidebook authors and eras. Climb routes with good stars and good company; the grades will take care of themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does E1 5b actually mean?

E1 is the adjectival grade: an extremely severe route, moderately serious overall. 5b is the technical grade: the hardest move is at intermediate-plus difficulty. Together they describe a route that is a solid challenge but achievable for a committed regular climber.

Is a VS 5a harder than an HVS 4c?

They are hard in different ways. VS 5a has a harder single move but is probably safer and less sustained. HVS 4c is technically easier but more serious — longer, more strenuous, or bolder. Most climbers would call HVS 4c the “bigger” undertaking.

What grade should a beginner climb outdoors?

Start at Moderate to Very Difficult (M–VD) on well-protected crags like Stanage or the Roaches. These grades let you practise placing gear and building belays without the climbing itself demanding all your attention.

Why do indoor grades feel easier than outdoor grades?

Indoor holds are big, bright and obvious; outdoor rock demands route-finding, dealing with weather, placing your own protection and managing fear. A French 6a indoors often feels like a full grade harder outside, and trad adds the seriousness factor on top.

Do grades ever change?

Yes — guidebook grades are consensus opinions and get revised. A route first climbed in boots in the 1960s might be downgraded as standards rise, or upgraded if everyone finds the crux desperate. Treat every grade as a guide, not a guarantee.

New to the sport? See our beginner’s climbing gear checklist and guide to London’s best indoor climbing walls before you head out.