Route Grade Converter
Convert climbing route grades between YDS, French, UIAA, British, and V-scale systems. Instantly translate difficulty ratings across international grading standards.
Inputs
Results
YDS Grade
5.10a
French Grade
6a
How to Use This Calculator
- Select the grading system you are converting from: YDS (5.x), French (6a/7b), UIAA (VII), British, or V-scale for bouldering.
- Enter the grade value using the numeric selector — the scale maps each grade to a comparable difficulty level.
- Read all equivalent grades simultaneously in YDS, French, UIAA, British, and V-scale.
- Use the French or UIAA equivalent when traveling to European crags or using guidebooks in those systems.
- Compare the Difficulty Level (1–10) to get an intuitive sense of where the route sits overall.
- Cross-reference with the Climbing Calorie calculator to estimate session effort at the converted grade.
What each input means
- Grade System
- Select the grading system you are converting from: 0 = YDS, 1 = French, 2 = UIAA, 3 = British, 4 = V-Scale.
- Grade Index (Difficulty Level)
- Numeric difficulty index from 0 (easiest, ~5.4 YDS) to 16 (hardest, ~5.12c YDS). Each step maps to a specific grade in every system.
What each result means
- Input System
- The grading system you selected as input.
- YDS Grade
- Yosemite Decimal System grade, the standard in North America.
- French Grade
- French sport climbing grade, widely used in Europe.
- UIAA Grade
- International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation grade using Roman numerals.
- British Grade
- British adjectival and technical grade used in the UK.
- V-Scale (Bouldering)
- Hueco V-scale for bouldering, approximate equivalent at this difficulty level.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input ParametersGrade System = 0, Grade Index (Difficulty Level) = 6 = 2 input(s) provided
- Calculate YDS Grade5.10a = 5.10a
- Calculate French Grade6a = 6a
- Calculate Input SystemYDS = YDS
- Calculate UIAA GradeVI = VI
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.
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