Australian Grade

In bouldering, the Australian Grade refers to a system used in Australia to rate the difficulty of climbing routes. It is part of the Ewbank system, which is also used for traditional and sport climbing in Australia. The grades begin at 1 for the easiest routes and increase numerically with the difficulty. Unlike some other grading systems, there are no sub-divisions such as letters or plus/minus signs. This system helps climbers gauge the challenge level of bouldering problems and assists in route selection based on their skill level.

Examples

Daniel is attempting a V5 boulder problem in the gym. He notices a friend marking the same climb as a grade 23 in the Australian grading system. Both systems, although different, describe the route's difficulty. Emily tackled a boulder problem in Australia rated as a grade 25. When she posted her climb online, she noted that it’s roughly equivalent to a V7 in the Hueco (V Scale). During a trip to the Grampians, Luke finished a 22 graded route. He knew from experience this would be comparable to a V4 in the US grading system. Sarah recorded her climbs in both the Hueco Scale and the Australian Grade. She completed a V8 route and noted it as a grade 28 for her Australian friends. Tom trained in a gym using both grading systems. He worked on a V6 boulder problem, also identified as a grade 24 under the Australian Grade system.