Climbing grades compared
by Carson Reynolds
Below is a comparison of climbing grades that includes the Ogawayama (kyuu / dan) system used in Japan:
Climbing Routes |
Bouldering |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French | UK | Australia | UIAA | USA | Hueco | UK | Font | Japan | |
| 1-2 | HVD | 8-9 | I-II | 5.2-5.3 | – | ||||
| 2-3 | MS | 10-12 | III | 5.4-5.5 | – | ||||
| 4 | S | 13- | IV | 5.6 | – | ||||
| 4+ | VS | 13+ | V- | 5.7 | – | ||||
| 5a | 14 | V | 5.8 | – | |||||
| 5b | HVS | 15 | V+ | 5.9 | V0 | B1 | 4 | 7 kyu | |
| 6a | E1 5b | 19 | VI+ | 5.10a | V0+ | B2 | 4+ | 6 kyu | |
| 6a+ | E2 5c | 19 / 20 | VI+/VII- | 5.10b | |||||
| 6b | 20 | VII | 5.10c | V1 | B3 | 5 | 5 kyu | ||
| 6b+ | E3 5c | 21 | VII+ | 5.10d | 4 kyu | ||||
| 6c | 21 / 22 | VII+/VIII- | 5.11a | V2 | B4 | 6a | |||
| 6c+ | E4 6a | 22 | VIII- | 5.11b | V3 | B5-6 | 6a+ | 3 kyu | |
| 7a | 23 | VIII | 5.11c/d | V4 | 6b/c | 2 kyu | |||
| 7a+ | E5 6b | 24 | VIII/VIII+ | 5.12a | |||||
| 7b | 25 | VIII+ | 5.12b | V5 | 6c+ | 1 kyu | |||
| 7b+ | E6 6b | 26 | IX- | 5.12c | V6 | B7 | 7a | ||
| 7c | 27 | IX | 5.12d | ||||||
| 7c+ | 28 | IX/IX+ | 5.13a | V7 | B8 | 7a+ | 1 dan | ||
| 8a | E7 6c | 29 | IX+ | 5.13b | V8 | B9 | 7b+ | 2 dan | |
| 8a+ | 30 | X- | 5.13c | V9 | 7c | ||||
| 8b | E8 7a | 31 | X | 5.13d | |||||
| 8b+ | 32 | X/X+ | 5.14a | V10 | B10 | 7c+ | 3 dan | ||
| 8c | E9 7b | 33 | X+ | 5.14b | V11 | B11 | 8a | ||
| 8c+ | 34 | XI- | 5.14c | V12/13 | B12 | 8a+ | 4 dan | ||
| 9a | E10 7c | 35 | XI | 5.14d/5.15 | |||||
This was created by merging Jonas Wiklund’s and Mountain Equipment’s guides. These things are always subjective; so take care in using it as a reference. Nearly every area’s grades/ratings/rankings disagree, sometimes severely.
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