Ratings

From WallWiki

Big Wall Aid Ratings - A formal closed system of relating the relative difficulty and commitment required of a given route. Though originally the system did not take into account advances in technology, many routes have been up or down graded according to new wave gear.

The Commitment Rating or "Grade" is the Roman numerical value assigned to reflect the time span typically required to finish a given climb. They are typically understood to mean something like the following:

Grade I thru III reflects several hours to most of a day (not commonly used anymore). Grade IV reflects an all day route (not commonly used anymore as many Grade V, or overnight routes are commonly done in a long day in today's age).

Grade V reflects an overnight stay, maybe two. Grade VI reflects multiple nights stay. Typically understood to be 3 or more days for the average party. Grade VII Biggest of the multi-day Big Walls

The technical and security rating or "Aid" rating reflects the difficulty of placing and securing protection. The following excerpts are illustrative of the "A" or "Aid" rating definitions.

Yosemite Climbs by Meyers and Reid 1987

• A1 - "placements still hold trucks"
• A2 - "more difficult to place and holds less" [than A1 -ed.]
• A3 - "will hold a short fall"
• A4 - "only body weight"
• A5 - "entails enough A4 placements to risk a good 50-60 foot fall."

5th Edition Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills 1992

• A0 - "aid points are fixed"
• A1 - "aid placements are solid and easily placed"
• A2 - "placements are awkward to place and hold less"
• A3 - "will hold a short fall"
• A4 - "body weight only"
• A5 - "entails enough A4 placements to risk a very substantial fall"

Yosemite Climbs: Big Walls Reid 1993

• A0 - "(French Free) When the climber is generally in a free climbing mode and equipment, often *fixed, is grabbed or an improvised aid sling used for quick passage..."
• A1 - "...oustanding fall-catching placements..."
• A2 - "...short sections of marginal security"
• A3 - "Advanced familiarity with equipment options, placement and marginal rock ... coupled with an appreciation for falls of consequence."
• A4 - "...Exceptional skill and experience required with placement, route finding, and marginal/hazardous rock conditions while operating in situations that normally invite potential long and/or very serious falls."
• A5 - "...Expert skill and experience required with placement, route finding, and marginal/hazardous rock conditions while operating in situations that normally provoke potential death falls."

Big Walls! Long and Middendorf 1994

• A1 - "...bombproof..."
• A2 - "...fairly solid, though not ideal placements, certainly good for body weight and probably adequate to arrest moderate falls."
• A3 - "most veterans consider A3 is good enough for body weight, but little more. It will not arrest a fall."
• A4 - "Generally, A4 refers to a stretch of extremely dicey placements which would "zipper" en mass, shooting out like cloves from a holiday ham, should the leader ping."
• A5 - "If one placement goes, they all go, and physical harm is almost assured."

Big Wall Climbing: Elite Technique - Ogden 2005

• A1 - "...will hold a considerable fall..."
• A2 - "...crux is usually a short section of insecure climbing above good protection and a safe fall."
• A2+ - ""longer section under marginal security, though there is no serious fall potential."
• A3 - "...possible 50 foot fall, though such a fall is unlikely to result in serious injury."
• A3+ - "Has serious consequences in a potential 50 foot fall."
• A4 - "...there are serious consequences in a potential 60 to 100' fall."
• A4+ - "very serious consequences including death, in a potential fall."
• A5 - "... entire pitch consists of body weight only placements that won't hold a fall; a fall can be more than 200 feet and is certain to cause serious injury or death."
• A6 - "An A5 pitch that is lead off an A5 anchor."

Yosemite Big Walls 2nd Edition MacNamara 2005

• A0 - "...generally no aiders used..."
• A1 - "Easy Aid"
• A2 - "One or two bodyweight placements above bomber gear."
• A3 - "3-5 bodyweight placements in a row. 30-50 foot fall potential."
• A4 - "6-8 bodyweight placements in a row and a 50-80 foot fall potential."
• A5 - "8 or more bodyweight placements in a row. 80 foot plus fall potential."

See also Fraid