Beginner
Climbing Grades EXPLAINED
Coach's take: Complete, correct, and it actually covers R and X ratings - send this one to a new climber.
3.8
Climbing grades explained
Climbing / Popular
Understand V-scale, Font, YDS and French grades and how they compare.
What coaches agree on
- A route's grade starts as a proposal from whoever climbs it first, and only becomes the accepted grade once other climbers repeat the route and the local community agrees on it.
- Your own body type, strength, and climbing style affect how hard a specific grade feels, which is why the same route can feel completely different to two different climbers.
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- V-scale, YDS, French, and Font each measure difficulty in their own way, so charts converting between systems are only rough estimates rather than exact matches.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a grade means the same thing everywhere: gyms, crags, and regions calibrate independently, so a climber who switches locations often finds a grade they'd mastered suddenly feels off.
- Fixating on the number itself, getting discouraged by falling on an 'easy' grade or steering clear of a 'hard' one, rather than treating it as a rough guide for picking what to try.
Intermediate
How Climbing Routes Are Graded
Coach's take: One of the better explainers on WHY grades disagree between gyms and outdoors, not just what the numbers are.
3.7
Beginner
The 8 Levels of Indoor Bouldering Grades EXPLAINED
Coach's take: Concrete expert detail on what actually makes grades go up -- excellent.
3.7
Beginner
So... What Do Climbing Grades Even Mean? | Climbing Daily Ep.889
Coach's take: Clear, thorough, and it explains the nuance most grade videos skip -- like danger vs. difficulty in British trad grades.
3.7
Intermediate
Why Climbing Grades Feel So Different Indoors vs Outdoors
Coach's take: Genuinely explains the why, not just the what -- useful mental model.
3.6
Beginner
How to Understand Climbing Grades | Rock Climbing
Coach's take: Clean, accurate intro -- covers exactly what a new climber needs to know.
3.6
Beginner
What Do British TRAD Grades EVEN Mean? | Climbing Daily Ep.1635
Coach's take: Solid, accurate explainer — the bit on reading grade anomalies for gear quality is the real value here.
3.6
Beginner
Sport Rock Climbing Grades in Yangshuo Explained in 5 minutes
Coach's take: Solid, accurate primer -- hits the key points a beginner actually needs, including the honest note that grades are subjective.
3.5
Beginner
Rock Climbing Grades
Coach's take: Dense and dry in delivery, but about as complete and accurate a grades reference as exists -- includes the safety/protection ratings most videos skip.
3.5
Beginner
Genie Answering All Your Questions about Climbing Grades (READ YOUR MIND!)
Coach's take: Genuinely useful benchmarks and honest answers to the questions every new climber actually has.
3.4
Advanced
Aid Climbing - The Grading System Explained
Coach's take: Explains the system AND its flaws -- real understanding, not just labels.
3.3
Intermediate
British Trad Climbing Grades Explained
Coach's take: The E1 5a versus E1 5c comparison is where it clicks - that's the whole trick of British grading.
3.3
Beginner
Rock Climbing Grades Explained
Coach's take: Worth it for the French and Font coverage; flat delivery and a couple of sloppy lines around 5.11.
3.3
Advanced
WTF is an E Grade?! || Trad Climbing Grades Explained
Coach's take: The E-grade-to-French exchange rate and the danger ceiling are the clearest I've heard it put - shame the recording falls over.
3.2
Advanced
Alpine Climbing Grades Explained
Coach's take: The commitment grades and the 'what the grade won't tell you' section are the real value here.
3.0
Intermediate
The Truth About Climbing Grades
Coach's take: Good, grounded perspective on not taking grades too seriously -- more mindset than mechanics.
2.8
Intermediate
50 shades of grades // my problem with climbing grades (at a meta level)
Coach's take: Solid explainer — you'll actually understand why two 7a's can feel nothing alike.
2.7
Beginner
Ice Climbing Grades Explained
Coach's take: Thorough, well-organized breakdown if ice climbing is what you're after.
2.5
Beginner
Depot Climbing Grades and Accessibility Explained
Coach's take: Good for understanding what a grade means in general - won't tell you how V-scale or French grades compare.
2.4
Beginner
Climbing Grades Explained!
Coach's take: The sandbagged-old-routes point is good; the rest is a looser version of what better videos here already cover.
1.8