Alpinisten bei einer Gletscherdurchquerung

Photo: Nikokvfrmoto, CC BY, Adobe Stock

Classifying the difficulty of alpine routes - UIAA and IFAS

Evaluating alpine routes is extremely complicated due to a wide variety of influencing factors. We use different scales (e.g. climbing difficulty, mountaineering difficulty, ice steepness) to classify the difficulty of a route under the best conditions.

About the evaluation of alpine routes

When evaluating mountaineering routes, not only the technical difficulty of the ice or climbing passages have a large impact on the difficulty. Much more important is the nature of the route, i.e. factors such as length, consistency of difficulty, objective danger, possibility to place protection, rock quality, etc.

The tours on our portal can therefore be rated using various scales. The SAC / IAFS mountaineering difficulty scale indicates the overall difficulty. Factors such as objective danger, rock quality etc. have a significant influence on the level of difficulty. The technical difficulty in rock and ice can be rated separately, with scales for climbing difficulty, the ice steepness or the difficulty of ice or mixed climbing.

IAFS / SAC Mountaineering Difficulty

The overall difficulty of a mountaineering route as per the SAC rating scale. Challenging orientation, difficult or impossible to place protection, bad rock quality or an especially committing route may lead to a higher difficulty. The given difficulty always assumes good conditions.

Easy - Easy for experienced mountaineers. Walking terrain, climbing up to I-II grade (UIAA), easy firn slopes, glaciers have hardly any crevasses.

PD-, PD, PD+

A little difficult - Mostly still walking terrain, advanced surefootedness required, straightforward climbing sections in the II-III grade (UIAA), somewhat steep firn slopes and glacier passages with few crevasses, small bergschrund.

AD-, AD, AD+

Fairly difficult - multiple rock pitches require a bely, longer and exposed climbing sections in III-IV grade (UIAA). Steep firn slopes, sometimes require anchored belaying, glaciers have many crevasses and a large bergschrund.

D-, D, D+

Difficult - good route-finding and efficient rope handling required, long climbing sections in IV-V grade (UIAA) and very steep firn slopes usually require anchored belaying. Glaciers with many crevasses and a large bergschrund.

TD-, TD, TD+

Very difficult - sustained challenging climbing in the V-VI grade (UIAA), sustained steep ice requires anchored belaying throughout.

ED-, ED, ED+

Extremely difficult - VI-VII grade (UIAA) ascents of serious rock faces and steep or vertical sections of ice that require ice climbing.

ABO, ABO-, ABO+

Exceptionally difficult - long, extremely steep or overhanging rock climbing graded VII (UIAA) or above and extreme ice climbing.

Ice steepness

Ice steepness describes the angle of the ice or snow slopes encountered on the route. The steepness doesn't directly translate to the ice climbing difficulty (Water ice scale or WI scale), however a minimum difficulty of ice climbing can usually be assumed.

<30°, 30°, 35°

Firn or ice slopes that can be mastered without ice climbing. Ice axe useful.

40°

Firn or ice slopes that can be mastered without ice climbing. Ice axe required.

45°, 50°, 55°

Steep firn or ice slopes that often are already WI1 grade ice climbing. Ice axe required, ice tools usually not yet.

60°, 65°

Usually ice climbing graded around WI2.

70°, 75°

Usually ice climbing graded around WI3.

80°

Usually ice climbing graded around WI4.

85°

Near vertical ice - usually ice climbing graded WI5 and above.

90°

Vertical ice - usually ice climbing graded WI5 and above.

95°, 100°, >100°

Overhanging ice - usually ice climbing graded WI5 and above.

Climbing difficulty (UIAA)

I-, I, I+

Easy climbing - not hiking terrain - a head for heights is required. Hands are needed for balance. Beginners require a belay with a rope.

II-, II, II+

Easy climbing - hands are needed to climb. Many climbers already belay with a rope here.

III-, III, III+

Easy climbing - vertical sections require strength. Most climbers belay with a rope.

IV-, IV, IV+, V-, V, V+, VI-, VI, VI+

Moderately difficult climbing

VII-, VII, VII+, VIII-, VIII, VIII+, IX-, IX, IX+, X-, X, X+, XI-, XI, XI+, XII-, XII, XII+

Difficult climbing

Risk potential and cardinal direction

Risk potential 1

The route leads through flat, level terrain.
The course of the path is easy to recognize, no dangers along the way.
There is no danger of avalanches.
The route has no key points.
There is no danger of crevasses.
There is no danger of falling branches.

Risk potential 2

The route leads mostly through flat, even terrain.
The route is easy to recognize, no dangers along the way.
There is hardly any danger of avalanches.
The route has hardly any key points.
On glaciers: There is hardly any danger of crevasses.
There is hardly any danger of breaking off snow cornices.

Risk potential 3

The route sometimes leads through steep terrain up to 30° slope.
The path is not always easy to recognize, there is hardly any danger on the way.
There is a partial danger of avalanches.
The route has some key points.
On glaciers: There is sometimes a danger of crevasses.
There is a partial danger of snowdrifts.

Risk potential 4

The route leads through steep terrain up to 34° slope inclination.
The route is not easily recognizable, numerous dangers along the way.
There is a danger of avalanches.
The route has numerous key points.
On glaciers: There is an increased danger of crevasses.
There is an increased danger of snowdrifts breaking off.

Risk potential 5

The route leads through steep terrain with 34° to 40° slope inclination.
The path is difficult to recognize, many dangers along the way.
There is a high risk of avalanches.
The route has many key points.
On glaciers: There is a high risk of crevasses.
There is a great danger of canyoning.

Risk potential 6

The route leads through steep terrain over 40° slope inclination.
The route is very difficult to recognize, many dangers along the way.
There is a very high risk of avalanches.
The route has many key points.
On glaciers: There is a very high risk of crevasses.
There is a very high risk of falling branches.