Walking grades for our holidays

To give an idea how hard each of our holidays is, we grade them on two scales:

+ the skill needed for the terrain, for navigation and for self-reliance;
+ the fitness needed for the distance and ascent.

These two scales combine into an overall grade. We hope that using two separate scales allows finer accuracy than our previous combined rating. Our colour-coding of the skill grade might be familiar to clients who are also skiers or mountain bikers! So, this is our new system for 2012 and we hope that it proves useful.

The grades

Examples

Swiss Valais				Tour du Mont Blanc				Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut
Mountain walks at the easier end. We grade this trip as: Blue  for skill because of its: Clear paths and routefinding Lower walks, less weather impact Solid paths and tracks 2  for fitness because of its: Half-day walks, or slightly longer Limited climbing each day Valley walks, or small hills Typical terrain: A decent path by Stellisee, the Matterhorn ahead Blue 2  is therefore the grade. Swiss Valais				A challenging mountain trek. We grade this trip as: Red  for skill because of its: Routefinding that can be tricky High passes with snow possible Ladders, chains and rockiness 3  for fitness because of its: Some long, hard days outside Sustained climbs, long distances Walks in and over the mountains Typical terrain: Mountain paths by Ref les Grands, Tour du Mont Blanc Red 3  is therefore the grade. Tour du Mont Blanc				Technical ground but modest days. We grade this trip as: Black  for skill because of its: Tricky navigation in cloud Unseasonal snow on higher passes Steep and loose slopes 2  for fitness because of its: Medium-length days on trek Generally quick ascents Options for shortening Typical terrain: Steep and rocky ground in the shadow of Triglav Black 2  is therefore the grade. Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut

Features common to all grades

Our holidays are about walking and trekking; none of our trips involve rock climbing or via ferrata. There are no glaciers involved, apart from one simple glacier on the Walker's Haute Route that needs no special skills or equipment. High heat in the summer can make for slower going, especially when walking uphill. Especially important is that on most trips you'll be walking for successive days; tiredness can build up. We plan rest days but nevertheless it's crucial to be prepared for sustained walking and trekking.

Notes

Describing the challenges on our walks is one of our trickiest tasks. We try to be as descriptive as possible, realising that everyone has their own ideas about what's tough and what's easy. Within each of our grades, and within each of our trips, there is necessarily a wide range of difficulties. Please contact us any time; we'll give you as much detail as you want about what to expect on the trails.

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