6-7-2009
Comparison of the climbing grade scales
BCNYou think about your next stay in the far East. You prepare your future holiday in the United States. Be aware of one thing. There are as many climbing scales than countries in the world. To make your days easier, we buit below a chart to compare grades in free and boulder climbing.
In free climbing, the french scale has to be used in Belgium, France, Spain and Italy.
In bouldering, use the Fontainebleau scale (Fb on the table). Hueco system has to be used in North America.
Do not hesitate to print it and drop it in your backpack!
Free climbing |
Boulder climbing |
|||||||||
United States | UK | France | UIAA (Central-Europe) |
Australia | Czech Republic | Finland | Brazil | Fb | Hueco | |
5.2 | 1 | I | I | Isup | ||||||
5.3 | 2 | II | 11 | II | II | |||||
5.4 | 3 | III | 12 | III | IIsup | 2 | ||||
5.5 | 4a | VD | 4 | IV | IV | III | 3 | |||
5.6 | S | 5a | V- | 13 | V | 5- | IIIsup | |||
5.7 | 4b | HS | 5b | V | 14 | VI | 5 | IV | 4a | |
4c | V+ | 15 | V0 | |||||||
5.8 | VS | 5c | VI- | 16 | VIIa | 5+ | IVsup | |||
5.9 | 5a | HVS | 6a | VI | 17 | VIIb | V | 4b | ||
5.10a | E1 | 6a+ | VI+ | 18 | VIIc | 6- | Vsup | |||
5.10b | 5b | 19 | VI | |||||||
5.10c | E2 | 6b | VII- | 20 | VIIIa | 6 | ||||
5.10d | 5c | 6b+ | VII | 21 | VIIIb | VIsup | 4c | |||
5.11a | E3 | 6c | VII+ | 22 | VIIIc | 6+ | VIIa | 5a | V1 | |
5.11b | 6c+ | 23 | ||||||||
5.11c | 6a | E4 | 7a | VIII | 24 | IXa | 7- | VIIb | 5b | |
5.11d | 7a+ | 25 | IXb | 7 | VIIc | 5c | V2 | |||
5.12a | E5 | 7b | VIII+ | 26 | IXc | 7+ | VIIIa | 6a | V3 | |
5.12b | 6b | 7b+ | 8- | VIIIb | 6b | V4 | ||||
5.12c | E6 | 7c | IX | 27 | Xa | 8 | VIIIc | 6c | V5 | |
5.12d | 6c | 7c+ | 28 | Xb | 8+ | IXa | 7a | |||
5.13a | E7 | 8a | IX+ | 29 | Xc | 9- | IXb | 7a+ | V6 | |
5.13b | 9 | IXc | 7b | V7 | ||||||
5.13c | 7a | 8a+ | X- | 30 | XIa | 9+ | Xa | 7b+ | V8 | |
7c | V9 | |||||||||
5.13d | E8 | 8b | X | 31 | XIb | 10- | Xb | 7c+ | V10 | |
5.14a | 8b+ | X+ | 32 | XIc | 10 | Xc | 8a | V11 | ||
5.14b | 7b | 10+ | XIa | 8a+ | V12 | |||||
5.14c | E9 | 8c/8c+ | XI- | 33 | 11- | 8b | V13 | |||
5.14d | 7c | 9a | XI | 11 | 8b+ | V14 | ||||
E10 | 8c | V15 | ||||||||
5.15a | 9a+ | XI+ | 11+ | 8c+ | V16 | |||||
5.15b | 9b | XII- |