Difficulty levels
Overall difficulty
An overall difficulty rating is given on a scale from to at the top of each outing sheet:
- : discovery outing, no prior knowledge needed, introduction.
- : introduction of a few technical notions, some sports practice preferable.
- : outing requiring regular practice of a sport, with significant technical difficulties.
- : fairly high technical and physical difficulty. Good fitness and knowledge of the activity required.
- : long days, high physical commitment, solid technique and self-knowledge essential.
Technical difficulty
The level is sometimes specified on each sheet. It refers to the official grading scales of each activity. Here is an overview:
Mountaineering
- F : Easy
- PD : Not very difficult
- AD : Fairly difficult
- D : Difficult
- TD : Very difficult
- ED : Extremely difficult
- ABO : Abominable
Climbing
Nine levels numbered from 1 to 9, divided into three sub-levels a-b-c and sometimes refined with an extra +.
For example: 6c+.
Ice
Seven levels numbered from 1 to 7, combined with a commitment level numbered from I to VI.
Ski
Two-part grading: a technical grade and a grade related to exposure.
Technique
Five levels numbered from 1 to 5, divided into 3 sub-levels 1-2-3. Each level corresponds to a class of slopes of similar steepness. For example: 4.2
- 1 : Introductory level. Slopes do not exceed 30°. Passages are not too narrow. The elevation gain is under 800m.
- 2 : Few technical difficulties. Slopes do not exceed 35°.
- 3 : Some technical passages. Long slopes at 35°, a few very short passages up to 40-45°.
- 4 : Couloir or steep skiing: slopes of 40 or 45° over more than 200m.
- 5 : Slopes of 45°/50° over more than 300m, or over 50° for 100m.
Exposure
- E1 : The exposure is that of the slope itself. The risk of injury is nevertheless significant on hard snow and/or steep slopes.
- E2 : In addition to the exposure of the slope, there are obstacles that would make injuries worse.
- E3 : In the event of a fall, death is likely.
- E4 : In the event of a fall, death is certain.
Canyoning
Open-ended three-part grading: a vertical difficulty related to the rope techniques involved, numbered V1 to V7, an aquatic difficulty numbered A1 to A7, and a commitment level numbered I to VI.
Via ferrata
Like mountaineering, via ferrata uses an overall grade ranging from F to ED.
