Difficulty Ratings
From the National Climbing Classification system to simple blog hiking ratings, there are plenty of ways to rate the difficulty of negotiating mountainous terrain. At Alpineering Atlas, we aim to provide difficulty ratings for every trip that are both accurate and descriptive, in order to best prepare you for your alpineering conquests. Difficulty ratings are found at the top of each trip report and how-to hike/scramble page along with exposure ratings. Both are important to know so that you are prepared for your adventure, and it is essential to understand what we mean by each rating that you come across. However, we have to stress that this is only a guide and should not be taken as fact. Ratings can vary between sources, but we aim to align our subjective ratings with the general consensus. Conditions can have a huge impact on the difficulty of routes and that is why each rating will be for the optimal conditions of a route (generally this means dry, but for alpine climbs it can vary). An extra point is that routes may deteriorate or improve over the years, so you must use your own judgment and planning when attempting any of the routes described on this website.
Something worth mentioning is that this page includes our best interpretation of the YDS system (scrambling) and French System (alpine climbing) and other sources will say other things. As long as you know what we mean on our trip reports, that is what is important.
Scrambling (YDS)
All ratings in this section assume dry and snow-free conditions. Snowy or wet conditions can alter route difficulty in unpredictable ways. Note that if one small section of a mountain is, for example, Class IV, then the entire trip takes the rating of Class IV. Usually, we will specify in the trip reports how much and what type of terrain must be dealt with, extra details on mountain difficulty when snowy and dry, route finding, and the lengths of the difficult sections.
For our purposes, the YDS ratings are completely separate from anything but the specific technical difficulty faced by the scrambler, this means no route finding, exposure, or length is included in this rating. Note: YDS III (for example) means exactly the same thing as third class or 3rd class, and all can be used interchangeably.
Some popular Rockies rating systems such as Alan Kane’s might confuse you a little bit, so to translate them roughly to YDS, easy scrambling is Class I-II, moderate scrambling is Class II-III, and difficult scrambling is Class III-V. These ratings also take into consideration exposure, route finding, and other aspects. It’s easy to see how that system may be a bit vague, this is why we do not use it, but it is popular, and we will mention it on this website, so it’s good to know what it means.
YDS I: This terrain is simple, easy and is essentially hiking with no use of hands. First class terrain can look like walking on a flat sidewalk at easiest all the way to walking up a low angled scree or boulder slope. This section is further subdivided into the hiking difficulties below. Examples: Ha Ling Peak, Mount Lady MacDonald (up to the helipad), Mount Bourgeau, Prairie Mountain.
The gentle slopes of Mount Bourgeau are just hiking (Class I).
YDS II: Possible occasional use of the hands either to lean on a steep slope or to pull/push yourself up small and simple rock steps. Second class terrain ranges from steep scree/boulder slopes, to moderately angled and short rock bands. This terrain can be quite steep, loose rocks may pose a danger. Examples: EEOR, Tent Ridge, Mount Lady MacDonald (up to the false summit), Mount Baldy.
Scramblers making their way up typical Class II terrain on Tent Ridge.
YDS III: Use of hands and feet is usually necessary, dry conditions are favorable, loose rocks pose a serious danger if dislodged. This is possibly the widest range of terrain, it can look like a knife edge ridge, a small tougher step, or a very unenjoyable and chossy cliff band riddled face (that is by no means an exhaustive list either). Examples: Big Sister, Mount Lady MacDonald (up to the true summit), Mount Temple, Mount Collembola.
Scrambling up a short Class III section on Mount Collembola.
YDS IV: Third class, but just steeper, and/or with less and/or worse holds. A rope is often used, especially for rappels. Dry conditions are usually necessary. Loose rocks can pose a serious problem. Examples: Mount Lougheed I, Pilot Mountain, The Wedge.
The exposed Class IV crux of The Wedge.
YDS V: This is where rock climbing begins, these are often referred to as climbers scrambles and start into 5th class terrain. A rope is often used. Dry conditions are almost necessary. Loose rock can pose a serious problem. Examples: Mount Smuts, Mount Northover, Chancellor Peak. No recorded trip reports yet.
Hiking
Hiking difficulty ratings are subcategories of YDS I, and will be specified after it. As with the YDS system, this is purely based on the “technical” difficulty of hiking on the most difficult section of the route/trail. Snowshoe ratings will also fall under this category and there will be more specific details about snow and avalanche conditions in the notes section.
Note that if one small section of a trail is, for example, rated as “Hiking III” then the entire trip takes the rating of “Hiking III”. Usually, we will specify in the trip reports how much and what type of terrain must be dealt with, extra details on difficulty when snowy and dry, route finding, and the lengths of the difficult sections.
Hiking I: Easy hiking. Usually official and graded trails. Terrain ranges from a sidewalk to a graded singletrack trail with a few small roots and rocky sections. You can easily do this with regular runners. Examples: Moraine Lake Lakeshore, Grassi Lakes, Tower Lake.
This trail section by Harvey pass is a great example of easy hiking (Hiking I).
Hiking II: Moderate hiking. Ungraded trails that are quite steep and can have some short rocky sections. These trails can be slippery from their steepness and loose dirt, and can include some scree. Poles and hiking shoes may be helpful. Examples: Ha Ling Peak, Sentinel Pass, Mount Bourgeau.
A steep, dirt trail coming down from Tent Ridge is moderate hiking or Hiking II.
Hiking III: Difficult hiking. This will mostly be off trail hiking, but can include some very difficult trails. One might encounter low angled boulder fields and scree, thick bushwalking, creek crossings, and very steep and loose trails. This hiking will never be steep or difficult enough that you have to put your hands down to ascend. Poles and hiking shoes are recommended. Examples: Grizzly Peak, Piper Pass, Turbine Canyon Loop.
The off trail boulder hopping before Picklejar Peak is difficult hiking (Hiking III).
Alpine Climbing (French system)
Alpine grades are assigned to trips that require traveling over snowy or icy terrain. This is a general system that evaluates the overall difficulty of a route, taking into account the length of the route in distance and time, average difficulty, crux difficulty, difficulty of descent and retreat, remoteness, exposure, and the quality of rock, snow, and ice. This results in a vague rating system, but it gives a good idea of what to expect and it will often be accompanied by a YDS rating if there is any rock involved. There will be more information describing difficulties encountered that can be found in the notes section of each trip report.
These ratings are only for reasonable conditions that one could expect on the route, which means rock routes are dry and snow routes are firm but not overly icy. As you get into more serious routes, perfect conditions may be extremely difficult to come by.
A “+” or “-” may be placed after the grade to indicate if a climb is at the upper or lower end of the difficulty of the grade.
F (easy): Straightforward with a possible glacier approach. Simple scrambling or traveling on easy snow slopes. This terrain is often climbed ropeless. Low objective hazard. Examples: Warrior Mountain, French Glacier, Mount Gordon.
Easy snow slopes and the small benign glacier on Warrior Mountain are rated F.
PD (not very difficult): Routes may be longer and spend more time at a higher altitude. Some technical climbing (5th class+) and/or more complicated glaciers (bergschrund, crevasse field). Snow or ice may be up to 45º and more difficult scrambling may be encountered. More objective hazards. Examples: Mount Athabasca (any route other than the N face), Mount Assiniboine (SW face), Mount Joffre.
Both the NE ridge (heavily crevassed glacier and YDS IV gully) and N face (35°-40° snow/ice and glacier crossing) of Mount Joffre are PD.
AD (fairly difficult): Climbing up to 5.3 for short sections and/or long snow/ice slopes above 45º. More exposed on easier terrain. For more experienced alpine climbers. Significant objective hazard. No recorded trip reports yet.
D (difficult): Sustained and serious technical rock, with sections up to 5.6. Steep ice/snow above 50º. Routes can be longer but sustained or harder and shorter. Serious objective hazard. No recorded trip reports yet.
TD (very difficult): Long and serious routes with very high objective danger. Sustained technical climbing, above 5.6, with possible aid, sustained snow/ice slopes above 60º. No recorded trip reports yet.
ED (extremely difficult): Extremely difficult, long, exposed, technical or aid climbing. Vertical ice. Extremely serious objective hazards. No recorded trip reports yet.
Exposure
Exposure ratings are our way of measuring the most exposed section of a given trip. Our rating takes into account fall distance, ability to stop yourself when falling (easier on snow with an ice axe vs harder on a cliff), and what the likely result of a fall in this section is. These ratings may understate the real danger potential and these are only rough guidelines so that you can see what we’ve experienced on our trips. You must determine your own risk tolerance and find your own route. There is no guarantee that the exposure level on your route will be the same as the ratings given on our trip report.
Often, a further description of where the exposure is and how technical the exposed sections are will be provided in the notes section. A .5 may be added on to a rating (example: if a trip presents more exposure than a 3/5, but not enough to warrant a 4/5, then it will be labeled 3.5/5).
1/5: You fall, you hurt your ego. Possible injuries if you’re very unlucky, fall distance is to the ground directly below you. Example: The easy trail up to Grassi Lakes.
1/5 exposure walking on Old Baldy Ridge.
2/5: You fall, you’re injured, but you can probably walk out. You’ll at least have a couple scrapes from this, you might tumble for a few seconds or fall off a small rock step on to a platform. Example: The small cliff band on Heart Mountain.
You might tumble down this slope for a few seconds and get pretty banged up if you fell on this part of Cascade Mountain (2/5 exposure).
3/5: You fall, you likely break a bone. Your friend might have to carry you out, you’re falling a significant distance off a cliff band or down a slope. Example: The tough trail/scramble up to Aster Lake.
You’d likely break something falling from high up on this optional section on the ridge in between Mount Allan and Mount Collembola (3/5 exposure).
4/5: You fall, you need a heli rescue immediately and are almost dead, you could die. This description speaks for itself. Example: Mount Rae Ridge sections.
A fall on the left means tumbling down a long ways on slab and then steep snow slopes. This is on the traverse from Warrior Mountain to Mount Cordonnier (4/5 exposure).
5/5: You fall, you have no chance. Example: The French Guillotine on Mount French. No recorded trip reports yet.