Yosemite Decimal System
Encyclopedia
The Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs. It is primarily used by mountaineers
in the United States
and Canada
. The Class 5 portion of the Class scale is primarily a rock climbing
classification
system. Originally the system was a single-part classification system. In recent years, Grade and Protection categories were added to the system. The new categories do not apply to every climb and usage varies widely.
While primarily considered a free climbing
system, an aid climbing
designation is sometimes appended. For example, The North America Wall on El Capitan
would be classed "VI, 5.8, A5" using this mixed system.
grading system in the 1930s to classify hikes and climbs in the Sierra Nevada. Previously, these were described relative to others. For example Z is harder than X but easier than Y. This primitive system was difficult to learn for those who did not yet have experience of X or Y. The club adapted a numerical system of classification that was easy to learn and which seemed practical in its application.
Guidebooks often append some number of stars to the YDS rating, to indicate a climb's overall "quality" (how "fun" or "worthwhile" the climb is). This "star ranking" is unrelated to the YDS system, and varies from guidebook to guidebook.
The system now divides all hikes and climbs into five classes:
The exact definition of the classes is somewhat controversial.
The original intention was that the classes would be subdivided decimally, so that a class 4.5 route would be a climb halfway between 4 and 5. Class 5 was subdivided in the 1950s. Initially it was based on ten climbs of Tahquitz Rock
in Idyllwild, California
, and ranged from the "Trough" at 5.0, a relatively modest technical climb, to the "Open Book" at 5.9, considered at the time the most difficult unaided climb humanly possible. This system was developed by members of the Rock Climbing Section of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club
.
Increased standards and improved equipment meant that class 5.9 climbs in the 1960s became only of moderate difficulty for some. Rather than reclassify all climbs each time standards improved, additional classes were added. It soon became apparent that an open-ended system was needed and further classes of 5.11, 5.12, etc. were added. It was later determined that the 5.11 climb was much harder than 5.10, leaving many climbs of varying difficulty bunched up at 5.10. To solve this, the scale has been further subdivided above the 5.9 mark with suffixes from "a" to "d". , several climbs are considered to have a difficulty of 5.15a. Akira, climbed by Fred Rouhling
, is claimed to be a 9b (French grade) which translates to YDS 5.15b. Chilam Balam climbed by Bernabé Fernández was rated as 9b+ or 5.15c YDS. Both were controversial, with 'Chilam Balam' downgraded to 9b (5.15b) by Adam Ondra
in April 2011.
The original Sierra Club grading system also had a Class 6, for artificial, or aid climbing
. This sort of climbing uses ropes and other equipment where progress is made by climbing directly on equipment placed in or on the rock and not the rock itself. Class 6 is no longer widely used. Today aid climbing uses a separate scale from A0 through A5.
Classification of climbs between indoor gym, sport and traditional climbing can also vary quite a bit depending on location and history.
The Grade is more relevant to mountaineering and big wall climbing, and often not stated when talking about short rock climbs.
rating indicates the spacing and quality of the protection available for a well-equipped and skilled leader. The letter codes chosen were, at the time, identical to the American system for rating the content of movies
:
The G and PG ratings are often left out as they are typical of normal, everyday climbing. R and X climbs are usually noted as a caution to the unwary leader. Application of protection ratings varies widely from area to area and from guidebook to guidebook.
.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Class 5 portion of the Class scale is primarily a rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
classification
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
system. Originally the system was a single-part classification system. In recent years, Grade and Protection categories were added to the system. The new categories do not apply to every climb and usage varies widely.
While primarily considered a free climbing
Free climbing
Free climbing is a type of rock climbing in which the climber uses only hands, feet and other parts of the body to ascend, employing ropes and forms of climbing protection to prevent falls only....
system, an aid climbing
Aid climbing
Aid climbing is a style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress....
designation is sometimes appended. For example, The North America Wall on El Capitan
El Capitan
El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith extends about from base to summit along its tallest face, and is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers.The formation was...
would be classed "VI, 5.8, A5" using this mixed system.
YDS class
The system was initially developed as the Sierra ClubSierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
grading system in the 1930s to classify hikes and climbs in the Sierra Nevada. Previously, these were described relative to others. For example Z is harder than X but easier than Y. This primitive system was difficult to learn for those who did not yet have experience of X or Y. The club adapted a numerical system of classification that was easy to learn and which seemed practical in its application.
Guidebooks often append some number of stars to the YDS rating, to indicate a climb's overall "quality" (how "fun" or "worthwhile" the climb is). This "star ranking" is unrelated to the YDS system, and varies from guidebook to guidebook.
The system now divides all hikes and climbs into five classes:
The exact definition of the classes is somewhat controversial.
- Class 1: Walking with a low chance of injury.
- Class 2: Simple scramblingScramblingScrambling is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges. It is an ambiguous term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock climbing. It is often distinguished from hillwalking by defining a scramble as a route where hands must be used in the ascent...
, with the possibility of occasional use of the hands. Little potential danger is encountered. - Class 3: Scrambling with increased exposure. A rope can be carried but is usually not required. Falls are not always fatal.
- Class 4: Simple climbing, with exposure. A rope is often used. Natural protection can be easily found. Falls may well be fatal.
- Class 5: Technical free climbing involving rope, belaying, and other protection hardware for safety. Un-roped falls can result in severe injury or death.
The original intention was that the classes would be subdivided decimally, so that a class 4.5 route would be a climb halfway between 4 and 5. Class 5 was subdivided in the 1950s. Initially it was based on ten climbs of Tahquitz Rock
Tahquitz
Tahquitz is a granite rock formation located on the high western slope of the San Jacinto mountain range in Riverside County, Southern California, United States, above the mountain town of Idyllwild...
in Idyllwild, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and ranged from the "Trough" at 5.0, a relatively modest technical climb, to the "Open Book" at 5.9, considered at the time the most difficult unaided climb humanly possible. This system was developed by members of the Rock Climbing Section of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
.
Increased standards and improved equipment meant that class 5.9 climbs in the 1960s became only of moderate difficulty for some. Rather than reclassify all climbs each time standards improved, additional classes were added. It soon became apparent that an open-ended system was needed and further classes of 5.11, 5.12, etc. were added. It was later determined that the 5.11 climb was much harder than 5.10, leaving many climbs of varying difficulty bunched up at 5.10. To solve this, the scale has been further subdivided above the 5.9 mark with suffixes from "a" to "d". , several climbs are considered to have a difficulty of 5.15a. Akira, climbed by Fred Rouhling
Fred Rouhling
Fred Rouhling is a French rock climber, famed for his 1995 proposal of the grade 9b/5.15b for his unrepeated climb Akira...
, is claimed to be a 9b (French grade) which translates to YDS 5.15b. Chilam Balam climbed by Bernabé Fernández was rated as 9b+ or 5.15c YDS. Both were controversial, with 'Chilam Balam' downgraded to 9b (5.15b) by Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra is a Czech rock climber. He also participates in lead climbing and bouldering competitions.-Biography:...
in April 2011.
The original Sierra Club grading system also had a Class 6, for artificial, or aid climbing
Aid climbing
Aid climbing is a style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress....
. This sort of climbing uses ropes and other equipment where progress is made by climbing directly on equipment placed in or on the rock and not the rock itself. Class 6 is no longer widely used. Today aid climbing uses a separate scale from A0 through A5.
Classification of climbs between indoor gym, sport and traditional climbing can also vary quite a bit depending on location and history.
YDS grade
The YDS grade system involves an optional Roman numeral grade that indicates the length and seriousness of the route. The grades are:- Grade I: One to two hours of climbing.
- Grade II: Less than half a day.
- Grade III: Half a day climb.
- Grade IV: Full day climb.
- Grade V: Two day climb.
- Grade VI: Multi-day climb.
- Grade VII: A climb lasting a week or longer.
The Grade is more relevant to mountaineering and big wall climbing, and often not stated when talking about short rock climbs.
YDS protection rating
An optional protectionProtection (climbing)
To make climbing as safe as possible, most climbers use protection, a term used to describe the equipment used to prevent injury to themselves and others.-Types of climbing:...
rating indicates the spacing and quality of the protection available for a well-equipped and skilled leader. The letter codes chosen were, at the time, identical to the American system for rating the content of movies
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
:
- G: Good, solid protection.
- PG: Pretty good, few sections of poor or non-existent placements.
- R: Runout, some protection placements may be very far apart (possibility of broken bones, even when properly protected).
- X: No protection, extremely dangerous (possibility of death even when properly protected).
The G and PG ratings are often left out as they are typical of normal, everyday climbing. R and X climbs are usually noted as a caution to the unwary leader. Application of protection ratings varies widely from area to area and from guidebook to guidebook.
Other systems
There are other systems used throughout the world. They are covered in the article about Grade (climbing)Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
.