PG-13

PG-13 is a protection rating used in trad and sport climbing to indicate that a route has some risk beyond well-protected climbing. On a PG-13 route, gear placements or bolt spacing may be slightly runout in sections, meaning a fall could result in a longer-than-expected fall or a minor injury such as hitting a ledge, but the consequences are generally not severe. It is a step above a standard "G" rated route where protection is abundant, and a step below "R" rated routes where falls could result in serious injury.

Examples

In lead climbing, PG-13 indicates a route with moderate runout or sections where gear is less than ideal. For example, a climber might encounter a PG-13 sport climb where bolts are spaced farther apart than usual on a crux section, meaning a fall could be longer but the landing zone is relatively clean. On a PG-13 trad route, there may be a section where good gear placements are sparse, and a fall could result in a 6-8 meter whipper onto a small ledge. Climbers should be comfortable with the psychological challenge of climbing above marginal protection on PG-13 routes.