Grade converter

Convert climbing grades

V5 is roughly Font 6C to 6C+. In bouldering, V0 is about Font 4, V3 about 6A, V5 about 6C, V8 about 7B and V10 about 7C+. These are approximations, the scales do not line up step by step.

Pick a scale and a grade and the converter shows the equivalents. Every value is also in the tables below.

Converter

Conversions are approximations and differ by region, rock type and gym. When one grade maps to two entries, both fit.

Table: bouldering grades

The V scale and Fontainebleau side by side. From V9 and 7C up the two scales line up almost exactly.

V scale (Hueco)	Fontainebleau (Font)
VB	3
V0	4 / 4+
V1	5
V2	5+
V3	6A / 6A+
V4	6B / 6B+
V5	6C / 6C+
V6	7A
V7	7A+
V8	7B / 7B+
V9	7C
V10	7C+
V11	8A
V12	8A+
V13	8B
V14	8B+
V15	8C
V16	8C+
V17	9A

Table: route grades

French sport, UIAA and YDS side by side. There is no fixed conversion between boulder and route scales, so they are kept apart.

French (sport)	UIAA	YDS (US)
3	III	5.3
4a	IV	5.4
4b	IV+ / V-	5.5
4c	V	5.6
5a	V+	5.7
5b	VI-	5.8
5c	VI	5.9
6a	VI+	5.10a
6a+	VII-	5.10b
6b	VII	5.10c
6b+	VII+	5.10d
6c	VIII-	5.11a / 5.11b
6c+	VIII-	5.11c
7a	VIII	5.11d
7a+	VIII+	5.12a
7b	VIII+ / IX-	5.12b
7b+	IX-	5.12c
7c	IX	5.12d
7c+	IX+	5.13a
8a	X-	5.13b
8a+	X-	5.13c
8b	X	5.13d
8b+	X+	5.14a
8c	XI-	5.14b
8c+	XI	5.14c
9a	XI+	5.14d
9a+	XII-	5.15a
9b	XII-	5.15b
9b+	XII	5.15c
9c	XII+	5.15d

The grade pyramid: how to read progress

A grade pyramid counts how many boulders you topped at each grade. A wide base of easy boulders and a narrow tip of hard ones shows you are getting stronger on a solid foundation. If the middle is missing, climb more boulders just below your limit.

Cruxbook shows the pyramid per gym in your stats and compares gyms through Font grades, so gym colours and scales become comparable.

Map gym colours to grades in Cruxbook

Many gyms grade with colours instead of numbers. In Cruxbook you add your gym with its colours and give each colour a Font grade. Your stats then use one scale, even if the gym only knows colours.

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Frequently asked questions

What is V5 in Font?

V5 is roughly Font 6C to 6C+. Depending on the table and region the grade sits a little higher or lower.

What is the difference between the V scale and Font?

The V scale (Hueco) comes from the US, is open-ended and has whole steps from VB to V17. Fontainebleau comes from France and uses numbers, letters A to C and a plus. Font is finer, so some V grades cover two Font grades.

Are grade conversions exact?

No. Every conversion is an approximation. Scales measure difficulty differently, and each region, crag and gym grades a little differently. Use the table as a guide, not as a yardstick.

Can I convert boulder grades to route grades?

Not reliably. A boulder is short and powerful, a route asks for endurance. There is no accepted conversion between V or Font and the French, UIAA or YDS scales. This is why the converter keeps both groups apart.

Which UIAA grade equals French 6a?

French 6a is roughly UIAA VI+ and YDS 5.10a. In the higher range, tables drift further apart between UIAA and the French scale.

How do I convert gym colours to grades?

Each gym decides which colour means which difficulty, so there is no fixed conversion. In Cruxbook you give each colour of your gym a Font grade and still see your stats on one scale.

Sources

The tables follow these published comparison tables. They differ in places, we show the common middle.

The climbing glossary explains terms like flash, onsight and redpoint.