It is not always easy to keep track of terms like sport climbing, alpine climbing, rock climbing or bouldering.

There are many different types of climbing:

  1. Sport climbing
  2. Indoor climbing
  3. Rock climbing
  4. Multi-pitch climbing
  5. Alpine climbing
  6. Trad climbing
  7. Deep Water Solo
  8. Free Solo
  9. Bouldering
  10. Speed climbing
  11. Ice climbing
  12. Mixed climbing
  13. Dry Tooling
  14. Big Wall Climbing
  15. Via Ferrata

 

Packing list

Proper equipment for the tours is a question that is very difficult to answer! It depends on the season and weather, as well as the type and duration of the tour. Basically: as little as possible, as much as necessary!

Here is the link to our suggestion.

 

Climbing scale

The original UIAA scale was developed well before the emergence of modern sport climbing and is therefore only partially applicable to today's requirements. It is given in Roman numerals and ranges from I to VII. The UIAA scale used today has therefore been expanded and now extends up to grade 11+, although from the eighth grade onwards there is no longer a literal definition, but higher numerals simply place increased demands on climbing ability, physique and psyche.

Difficulty Description (Rock climbing)
I
little difficulties		 Simplest form of rock climbing (no easy walking terrain!). Hands required for balance. Beginners secured on rope. No fear of heights already required.
II
moderate difficulties		 Locomotion with simple kick and grip combinations (three hold technique).
III
medium difficulties		 Intermediate belays are recommended in exposed places. Vertical places or good-grip overhangs already require effort.
IV
great difficulties		 Considerable climbing experience necessary. Longer climbing sections usually require several intermediate belays.
V
very big difficulties		 Increasing number of intermediate belays. Increased requirements for physical conditions, climbing technique and experience.
VI
very great difficulties		 Überdurchschnittliches Können und guter Trainingsstand erforderlich. Große Ausgesetztheit, oft verbunden mit kleinen Standplätzen. Gute Bedingungen meist Voraussetzung für Bezwingbarkeit.
VIII
extraordinary difficulties		 Erreichbar nur durch gesteigertes Training und verbesserte Ausrüstung. Akrobatisches Klettervermögen und Beherrschen ausgefeilter Sicherungstechnik unerlässlich.
VIII bis XI+ A verbal definition is not possible here. It is a further increase in the difficulties to be mastered, which make ever greater demands on climbing skills and physical as well as mental performance.

[1]

Comparison of different route rating systems

YDS
(USA)		 British
(UK)
Tech/Adj		 French UIAA
(Central Europe)		 Australia Saxon
(Saxony/
North Bohemia1.)		 Scandinavia Brazil Fb scale
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   V 14 VI 5 IV 4A
  4c   5b V+ 15        
5.8   VS   VI− 16 VIIa 5+ IVsup  
5.9 5a HVS 5c VI 17 VIIb   V 4B
5.10a   E1 6a VI+ 18 VIIc 6− Vsup  
5.10b 5b   6a+ VII− 19 VIIIa   VI  
5.10c   E2 6b VII 20 VIIIb 6    
5.10d 5c   6b+ VII+ 21 VIIIc   VIsup 4C
5.11a   E3 6c VII+/VIII− 22   6+ VIIa 5A
5.11b     6c+ VIII− 23 IXa      
5.11c 6a E4 7a VIII 24 IXb 7− VIIb 5B
5.11d     7a+ VIII+ 25 IXc 7 VIIc 5C
5.12a   E5 7b VIII+/IX− 26   7+ VIIIa 6A
5.12b 6b   7b+ IX−   Xa 8− VIIIb 6B
5.12c   E6 7c IX 27 Xb 8 VIIIc 6C
5.12d 6c   7c+ IX+ 28 Xc 8+ IXa 7A
5.13a   E7 8a IX+/X− 29   9− IXb 7A+
5.13b             9 IXc 7B
5.13c 7a E8 8a+ X− 30 XIa 9+ Xa 7B+
                  7C
5.13d   E9 8b X 31 XIb 10− Xb 7C+
5.14a     8b+ X+ 32 XIc 10 Xc 8A
5.14b 7b E10 8c XI- 33 XIIa 10+ XIa 8A+
5.14c     8c+ XI−/XI 34 XIIa/XIIb 11−   8B
5.14d 7c   9a XI 35 XIIb 11   8B+
                  8C
5.15a     9a+ XI/XI+     11+   8C+
      9a+/9b XI+          
5.15b     9b XI+/XII−          
5.15c     9b+            
5.15d     9c XII          
YDS
(USA)		 British
(UK)
Tech/Adj		 French UIAA
(Central Europe)		 Australia Saxon
(Saxony/
North Bohemia1)		 Scandinavia Brazil Fb scale

1. The Saxon scale is only valid to a limited extent in the Czech Republic, where the original seven-level scale was retained until the 1990s.[2] The Czech Republic is the only country in which the Saxon scale is valid.

SimplyTourIt assumes no liability for this information.

References

[1] Kletterskala UIAA.

[2] Wikipedia. Vergleich verschiedener Routenbewertungssysteme.