Climbing grades look like they should work as a single scale and they do not. Different systems cover different disciplines in different countries, they were developed independently, and conversion between them is approximate rather than exact.
What makes it manageable is that most climbers only need two: one for roped climbing and one for bouldering, in whichever system their local area uses. Our roundup of climbing ropes for beginners covers the roped side.
A Safety Note
Grades describe technical difficulty, not danger. An easy route can be far more serious than a hard one depending on protection, rockfall, and how far a fall would take you. Guidebooks carry separate seriousness ratings for that reason, and route selection is something to learn with instruction rather than from a number.
Quick Answer
The Yosemite Decimal System covers roped climbing in North America, French sport grades cover it in Europe, the V scale covers bouldering in North America, and the Fontainebleau scale covers bouldering in Europe.
The Four You Will Meet
Yosemite Decimal System
Written as 5.something, where the 5 indicates technical rock climbing and the number after the decimal indicates difficulty. Above 5.10 the grades split into letter subdivisions.
French sport grades
Written as a number and letter, such as 6a or 7b, with plus signs marking intermediate steps. Standard across most of Europe for roped climbing.
The V scale
Bouldering in North America, written as V followed by a number starting at V0. Open-ended at the top as harder problems are established.
The Fontainebleau scale
Bouldering in Europe, written like French sport grades but referring to boulder problems, which is why context matters when a number appears alone. Our roundup of climbing shoes covers gear for both.
Why the Decimal Point Is Confusing
The Yosemite system was originally a scale from 1 to 5 describing terrain, where 5 meant technical climbing requiring a rope. Everything after the decimal was intended as a subdivision of that fifth class.
The designers assumed 5.9 would be the hardest climbing possible. When climbers exceeded it, rather than renumbering everything, the scale simply continued into 5.10, 5.11 and beyond.
That is why the numbers are not decimals in the mathematical sense. 5.10 is harder than 5.9, and 5.11 is harder than 5.10, which trips up anyone reading them as fractions.
Above 5.10, grades subdivide further with letters running from a to d, so 5.11a is meaningfully easier than 5.11d. Below that point, plus and minus signs are sometimes used informally to split grades.
Grades Are Not Consistent
The same grade means different things in different areas, and this is universally acknowledged rather than a controversy.
Some crags are known for stiff grading where routes feel harder than the number suggests. Others are soft. Local reputation is real information and guidebooks sometimes mention it directly.
Grades also depend on style. A route suiting tall climbers, or one dependent on a specific technique, will feel very different to different people at the same nominal grade.
Indoor grades are typically softer than outdoor ones, which is one of the more common surprises for gym climbers moving outside. Our note on belay devices covers that transition.
Difficulty Is Not Danger
This distinction matters more than anything else on this page. A grade describes how physically and technically hard the moves are. It says nothing about the consequences of falling.
A well-bolted sport route at a hard grade can be safe to fall on repeatedly. An easy trad route with sparse protection above a ledge can be genuinely dangerous despite the low number.
Some guidebooks use separate seriousness ratings alongside the technical grade to describe protection quality, and reading those matters as much as reading the difficulty.
Choosing routes based on the number alone is how inexperienced climbers end up somewhere serious, which is why route selection is part of instruction rather than something to work out from a guidebook. Our roundup of climbing harnesses covers the equipment side.
Where Beginners Actually Start
Indoor gyms typically set routes across a wide range, with beginner terrain at the lower end of whichever scale they use and color-coded holds marking each route.
Most gyms also use their own internal grading or a simplified color system rather than strict outdoor grades, precisely because indoor and outdoor grades do not correspond neatly.
Progression through the beginner grades is usually quick, since early gains come almost entirely from technique rather than from strength. That pace slows considerably once the obvious technique improvements have been absorbed.
Comparing your own grade against other people’s is easily the least useful thing you can do with the whole system, since body type, height, preferred style, and local grading conventions all vary considerably. Our note on climbing carabiners covers the other axis of progression.
Bouldering Scales in Practice
The V scale starts at V0 and runs upward without a defined ceiling, since new problems are established at grades that did not previously exist. Some areas use VB or V-easy for terrain below V0.
Fontainebleau grades look like French sport grades and mean something different, which is the main source of confusion. A 6a boulder problem and a 6a sport route are not comparable, and context tells you which is meant.
Bouldering grades are frequently considered less consistent than roped grades, because a single hard move determines the grade and how hard that move feels depends heavily on height, reach, and body type.
That variability is why bouldering grades attract more disagreement than roped ones, and why comparing them between areas is even less reliable. Our roundup of chalk and chalk bags covers bouldering essentials.
Reading a Guidebook Entry
A typical entry gives the route name, the technical grade, the length, the number of bolts or the protection required, and a short description.
The protection information is what tells you whether you can climb it with what you own. A sport route lists bolts; a trad route describes the gear you need to place.
Length matters because it determines whether your rope is actually long enough to lower off safely, and rope length assumptions are a genuine and documented source of accidents when people skip past that detail.
Descriptions frequently mention the crux, the general style, and any specific hazards. Reading the entire entry rather than only glancing at the grade is the habit genuinely worth forming early.
Climbing Grade FAQ
What does 5.10 mean?
It is a Yosemite Decimal System grade for roped climbing, harder than 5.9 despite how the numbers read. The scale continues past 5.9 rather than stopping, and above 5.10 grades subdivide with letters a through d.
Why is 5.10 harder than 5.9?
Because the numbers after the decimal are not decimals mathematically. The system’s designers expected 5.9 to be the ceiling, and when climbers exceeded it the scale simply continued rather than being renumbered.
How do French and Yosemite grades compare?
Conversion charts exist and are approximate rather than exact, since the systems developed independently for different terrain. Treat any conversion as a rough guide rather than an equivalence.
What is the V scale?
The North American bouldering scale, written as V followed by a number starting at V0 and open-ended at the top. Europe uses the Fontainebleau scale for the same purpose.
Are indoor and outdoor grades the same?
Generally not. Indoor grades tend to be softer, which is why climbers moving outside frequently find they climb a lower grade than expected. Many gyms use internal systems for this reason.
Does a grade tell me if a route is dangerous?
No, and this is the most important limitation. Grades describe technical difficulty, not fall consequences. An easy route with poor protection can be far more serious than a hard, well-protected one.
Why do grades feel different at different crags?
Grading is a local consensus rather than a measurement, so some areas are known for stiff grading and others for soft. Guidebooks sometimes note it, and local reputation is real information.
How fast should I progress?
Early progression is usually quick because it comes from technique rather than strength, then slows considerably. Comparing your grade to other climbers’ is the least useful use of the system.
Sources
- American Alpine Club. Climbing grades and education resources. https://americanalpineclub.org/
- UIAA International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation. Grading systems and safety. https://www.theuiaa.org/
- Access Fund. Climbing area stewardship and guidebook resources. https://www.accessfund.org/
Recommended Reading
See our note on the gear you need to start climbing.
