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
Skill
(Terrain, and need for navigation and self-reliance)
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Fitness
(Distance and ascent)
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This easiest skill grade sees flat or gently-angled paths, often wide, with fairly smooth surfaces.
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There is little or no ascent at this easiest fitness grade, and daily distances are modest.
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Venturing into the hills, at this grade we meet sustained climbs, rougher ground, and rocky steps.
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The fitness to walk half- or full-days in the hills is needed, with typical daily ascents of 600m.
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Steep, rocky ground and some rough walking away from paths; the varied conditions of a mountain walk in the Scottish Highlands or a high trek in the Alps.
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Good fitness in the mountains is called for, to tackle comfortably an ascent of around 1,000m in a full day's walk; it's an all-round day out in the mountains.
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We keep this category for the hardest terrain met on UK or Alpine walks; experienced walkers will be challenged by particularly steep and loose climbs and by wild rocky landscapes where self-sufficiency and navigational skill are needed in bad weather.
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Strong fitness is needed at this highest grade, to tackle continuous ascents of between 1,000m and 1,500m in height gain in the course of a full day of 7 or 8 hours or longer. Exceptional days can involve even more ascent and time than this.
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Examples
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Swiss Valais
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Tour du Mont Blanc
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Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut
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Mountain walks at the easier end.
We grade this trip as:
for skill because of its:
Clear paths and routefinding
Lower walks, less weather impact
Solid paths and tracks
for fitness because of its:
Half-day walks, or slightly longer
Limited climbing each day
Valley walks, or small hills
Typical terrain: A good path above Zinal in the Swiss Valais
is therefore the grade.
 Tour du Val d'Anniviers
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A challenging mountain trek.
We grade this trip as:
for skill because of its:
Routefinding that can be tricky
High passes with snow possible
Ladders, chains and rockiness
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
is therefore the grade.
Tour du Mont Blanc
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Technical ground but modest days.
We grade this trip as:
for skill because of its:
Tricky navigation in cloud
Unseasonal snow on higher passes
Steep and loose slopes
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
is therefore the grade.
Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut
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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.
Holidays - all our walking trips
About our walking holidays (FAQs) - all the details
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