Climbing Grade Converter

YDS (Yosemite Decimal System)

The standard in North America. Routes range from 5.0 (easy scrambling) through 5.15d (the hardest routes in the world). Grades 5.10 and above are subdivided into a, b, c, d. Most gym climbers operate in the 5.8 to 5.12 range. If you're climbing in the US, Canada, or most of Central and South America, this is your system.

French grades

Used across France, Spain, Belgium, and much of sport climbing worldwide. Grades run from 1 (walking) through 9c (the hardest). The French system adds + modifiers and is widely considered the most granular. If you're climbing in Verdon Gorge, Céüse, Siurana, or Kalymnos, you'll use French grades. A 6a is roughly a 5.10b in YDS.

UIAA grades

The standard in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and much of Eastern Europe. Uses Roman numerals (I through XII) with +/- modifiers. UIAA VI is approximately YDS 5.10a. If you're climbing in the Dolomites, the Alps, or the Czech sandstone towers, you'll encounter UIAA grades.

British trad grades (adjectival + technical)

Used in the UK and Ireland for trad climbing. The British system is unique because it's actually two grades combined: an adjectival grade and a technical grade.

The adjectival grade (M, D, VD, S, HS, VS, HVS, E1–E11) reflects the overall seriousness of the route — not just the hardest move, but the quality of protection, the exposure, the sustained nature of the climbing, and the consequences of a fall. The technical grade (4a, 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b, etc.) describes the difficulty of the hardest individual move, using the French sport system.

This means the same technical difficulty can carry different adjectival grades depending on how well the route protects. For example, a climb at Fair Head in Northern Ireland might be graded VS 4b — the moves are technically 4b, but because it's a continuous crack that accepts gear whenever you want it, the overall grade is VS (Very Severe). That same 4b climbing on a runout face in the Mourne Mountains — where you can't place gear as easily — might be graded HVS 4b, one full adjectival grade harder, even though the moves themselves are identical. The difference is entirely about protection and commitment.

This is why British grades don't convert cleanly to other systems. A VS 4b and an HVS 4b are the same technical difficulty but very different experiences on the wall. If you're used to YDS grades, think of the adjectival grade as a combination of the difficulty grade and the R/X danger rating used in the US — except in the UK, it's all built into one system.

Important: Sport climbing in the UK and Ireland uses French grades, not the British adjectival system. The adjectival/technical system is specifically for trad routes. If you see a grade like "7a" at a sport crag in the UK, that's the French system. If you see "HVS 5a" at a trad crag, that's British trad grading.

Essential to understand for climbing in the Peak District, North Wales, the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District, and across Ireland — including Fair Head, Dalkey Quarry, and the Burren.

Australian (Ewbank) grades

A simple open-ended number system used in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Grades start around 10 for easy routes and currently go up to 39. An Australian 18 is roughly a 5.10a. The simplicity of the system — no letters, no modifiers — makes it easy to learn.

V-Scale (Hueco)

The standard for bouldering in North America. Created by John "Vermin" Sherman at Hueco Tanks, Texas. Grades run from VB (beginner) through V17. Most gym boulderers climb V0 through V8. A V5 is considered a solid intermediate benchmark.

Fontainebleau (Font) grades

Developed in the forest of Fontainebleau outside Paris — one of the birthplaces of bouldering. Uses a number-letter system (6A, 6A+, 6B, etc.) similar to French route grades but applied to boulders. Font 6A is approximately V3. Widely used across Europe and in international competition.