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The Walk Grading System
All of the walks on this site are graded by myself to give you some idea of how difficult the walk is.
The problem with all such grading are that they are totally subjective. What I consider an easy walk may be difficult to others. Even walks I have done, then re-walked at some point later, may seem more or less difficult the second time around. This can be due to many factors; physical health, weather; mental state etc etc. We all have good and bad days after all.
So on the walks on this site, I have tried to give a basic grading and also to highligt whether this walk was done during the Winter or summer. Obviously a summer walk has different hazards to a winter one and "usually" will therefore be easier during the summer. This is not always the case but there are more objective factors to be taken into account during the winter.
The length of the walk, although obviously affecting it's difficulty - is given as a separate figure. The grading therefore reflects the purely objective aspects of the walk.
The basic grades are indicated as follows:
Grade 1 - An easy walk over straightforward ground with no significant height gain or loss.
Grade 2 - A walk over more uneven ground or with more strenous objective factors such as height gain or loss.
Grade 3 - A walk with more severe height gain or loss. Navigation skills may be required. Harder terrain. In mountainous areas some scrambling may be required.
Grade 4 - Significant height gain or loss. Harder navigation particularly in poor weather. More remote or at least a less popular route perhaps so help may be harder to get if you get into trouble. Navigation skills may be required or navigation may be harder. In mountainous areas scrambling may be required, or some routes exposed.
Grade 5 - Much more serious walking proposition. Significant height gain or loss. Perhaps significant navigation required. In mountainous areas the routes would require scrambling. Perhaps significant objective considerations such as exposed routes, potential for severe weather changes. Little or no assistance available locally if problems arise.
The downloadable walks will have walk specific information. This will include the recommended equipment to take, how much navigation is required, escape points from the route, Scrambling grades, and specific objective hazards.
It is important to remember that a route graded during the summer may be significantly more strenous under winter or adverse conditions.
Grading Symbols
Route Graded in Summer:
Route Graded in Winter:
Overall Grade:
