Alternative Class Rating Definitions

Class Ratings Definitions ^*

^* by Edward Earl

Class Ratings Definitions
Class ratings contain a very subjective element which renders the value assigned to a specific route a subject of potential endless debate among those who have actually been there. The following definitions serve as a guideline that agrees fairly well with a broad cross-section of the mountaineering community.

"Class 0" - Drive-up. A passenger car can be driven to the immediate vicinity of the high point. A short walk may be necessary; I am loathe to give a specific distance, but it must be too short to satisfy most people's definition of a "hike".
Class 1 - Walking. Trail or easy cross-country (e.g. meadow, sand/gravel bar, slickrock).
Class 2 - Scrambling. Hands are occasionally used for balance. Off-trail travel does not necessarily constitute class 2. I draw the line between class 1 and class 2 by whether or not you can keep your hands in your pockets. Admittedly this entails individual judgement and it is perhaps best to use some average opinion.
Class 3 - Bouldering. You have to take a little time to find specific handholds and footholds. Inexperienced climbers may ask for a rope. I draw the line between class 2 and class 3 according to whether or not exposure is at least body height (but see below).
Class 4 - Climbing. Nearly vertical rock with great exposure. A rope is strongly advised. Roped glacier travel also constitutes class 4 since the party should have class 4 skills available for safety reasons, even if they are not actually used on a given climb. I draw the line between class 3 and class 4 according to whether a fall would be free, at least momentarily (but see below).
Class 5 - Lead climbing. A rope is absolutely essential, and the leader must periodically place protection in case s/he falls. However, the route can still be climbed using natural handholds and footholds, with the rope only for safety.
Class 6 - Aid climbing. The party must use artificial holds.

There have been some questions raised about whether this system is a difficulty rating or a danger rating. Mountaineers have traditionally used it as the former since long before there was any county highpointing. So, in that sense, one should not define it according to the exposure. If that becomes a question, I deal with it by extrapolating the surface I'm actually on below me, and then I ask myself what the exposure would be.

Examples:

The key ledge of the Le Conte route on North Palisade is class 2. Although the exposure below is severe, it is not representative of the surface you're actually on, which requires (very careful!) use of hands for balance, but not much more.

The ledge behind the Keyhole on Longs Peak is class 1 or 2. Although it's nearly vertical above and below, and people have died falling off it, the dropoff would not have been "predicted" if one extrapolated the surface down below.

John Mitchler offers, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, alternative class definitions using both a difficulty metric and an exposure metric.

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