Route Ratings, or How hard IS it?
Basic Ratings
In the US, we usually use the Yosimite Decimal System for route ratings. I'll
give a very simple explanation of this. The "5." (five dot) prefix means that
you are using ropes and harnesses (or ought to be for safety's sake!). Now that
you know what the "5." means, you can pretty much ignore it. When some people
refer to route rating they drop the "5." off completely! The numbers that follow
the the "5." range from 0 (zero) to 14, although 15 may be appended to the list.
So, a route that reads "5.11" is referred to as a "five eleven" (you don't
pronounce the "." (dot, or decimal). Someone may just call a "5.11" an "eleven",
since the "5." prefix is understood, therefore does not need to be stated. So, basic
ratings range from 5.0 to 5.14.
Modifiers (suffixes)
Following the basic rating (5.0 to 5.14), you often see a modifier. There does not
need to be a modifier, but some routes don't fit easily into the basic catagories,
therefore require a bit more detail. As climbs get harder, subtle differences in
the size and orientation of the holds, the angle of incline, etc., make a route a
shade harder or easier. Modifiers indicate these shades of difference.
Modifiers come in two flavors: "+" (plus) and "-" (minus), or the letters "a", "b",
"c", and "d".
"+" and "-" modifiers
A basic rating, such as 5.7, is followed by a "+" if it is a harder 5.7, closer
but not quite a 5.8. If the 5.7 is followed by a "-", then it is an easier 5.7, closer to the
hard 5.6 (5.6+)/basic 5.7 level of difficulty, but just a little harder. Why can't we just
call a spade a spade, you may ask. Well, route ratings are not carved in stone. A very
balancy route with small holds will feel easier to me than a steeply inclined route with big
holds, even if they have the same rating. So, allow a little flexibility in route ratings.
It isn't an extact science.
Letter modifiers ("a"-"d")
Onto the letter modifiers. When you move into the 5.10 and above range, your margin
of error decreases exponentially. Therefore, the basic routes from 5.10 to 5.14 are
broken up into four subdivisions of difficulty, "a", "b", "c", and "d". A 5.11d is
harder than a 5.11a. So, "d" is the hardest, "c" is slightly less hard, "b" is even
less hard, and "a" is the bottom rating of the subdivisions. So, a 5.10d is almost a
5.11a, just a little easier. Sometimes you will also see 5.11a/b. No it is not that the
people who rated the route couldn't make up their minds. The difference in the shades of
difficulty can be so subtle that to some people, say, a short person, the route will be
a bit harder due to their lack of reach (5.11b), but for someone tall, who can reach
each hold easily, the route will feel a bit easier (5.11a). You will also see
5.11-. 5.11a/b and 5.11- mean the same thing, that is, the route is an EASY 5.11.
How Routes are Rated
The difficulty of a route is based on several factors:
- Size of the holds
- Orientation of the holds
- Texture of the holds (slippery VS "grippy"
- Angle of incline
- Whether or not there are places to rest on the route
I am certain that I have neglected a few factors. If you notice that I am
missing something, feel free to visit my bio page, follow the Contact Me link, and let me know!
I'll add it to the list! Basically, the route difficulty increases as the hold
size decreases, the orientation of the holds make getting a good grip harder,
the holds get more slippery, the steepness of the climb increases, and there
are few to no places to sneak in a rest. No ONE person rates a route. Generally
many experienced climbers try the route and decide how "hard" it feels.
Route rating is usually a pretty democratic process.
