Grade (climbing)

Many climbing routes have grades to calibrate the technical difficulty, and in some cases the risks, of the route to the climber. The first ascensionist can suggest a grade but it will be amended for the 'consensus view' of subsequent ascents. While many countries with a tradition of climbing developed their own grading systems, a small number of grading systems have become internationally dominant for each type of climbing, and which has led to the standardization of grading worldwide. Over the years, grades have consistently risen in all forms of climbing, helped by improvements in climbing technique and equipment. In free climbing (i.e. climbing rock routes with no aid), the most popular grading systems are the French numerical or sport system (e.g. 7c+), the American YDS system (e.g. 5.13a), and latterly the UIAA scale (e.g. IX+). These systems solely grade the technical difficulty and are used for the lower-risk activity of sport climbing. The American system adds an R/X suffix to calibrate the additional risks of traditional climbing routes. Notable traditional grading-systems include the British E-grade system (e.g. E4 6a). In bouldering (i.e. rock climbing on short routes), the popular systems are the American V-scale (or "Hueco") system (e.g. V14), and the French "Font" system (e.g. 8C+). The Font system often attaches an "F" prefix to further distinguish it from French sport climbing grades, which itself uses an "f" prefix (e.g. F8C+ vs. f8c+). It is increasingly common for sport-climbing rock-routes to describe their hardest technical movements in terms of their boulder grade (e.g. an f7a sport climbing route being described as having a V6 crux). In aid climbing (i.e. the opposite of free climbing), the most widely used system is the A-grade system (e.g. A3+), which was recalibrated in the 1990s as the "new wave" system from the legacy...