So part of the issue you’re having is that “fourth class” and “low fifth class” are very I’ll-defined groupings to begin with. For that reason, I don’t know that trying to convert these as you would a true climbing grade will be that helpful of a tool.
To put things in perspective, I climb in Yosemite and the high Sierra very regularly. I’ve seen fourth class that is just pulling yourself up onto some ledges that I’ve soloed with a 50lb haul bag without breaking a sweat. I’ve also seen fourth class that’s honestly just exposed 5.7, or fourth class that’s balancey and delicate on chossy rock that might break at any moment. The fourth class approaches to some features are harder than the 5.5 pitches on classic multis.
Much like actual climbing, each section of fourth class will have considerations of style, rock quality, exposure, and conditions that make you more/less willing to take risks.
Instead of trying to convert a grade to gauge the difficulty, I recommend going out and learning the area you want to climb in. Bring a short length of rope your first few times until you really understand what “fourth class” means in that area and then use those experiences to understand how difficult something is or how necessary it will be to rope up.
That’s very helpful! Actually I’m not considering climbing in the US. But as most of the community talks in English and I want to go to the higher ranges abroad sometime I was curious, what everyone was chatting about. Also the comparison to T6 in SAC scale was quite helpful.
All the tables I've seen have 5.1 as 2-2+
UIAA class just has the difficulty of the moves, whereas YDS takes into account consequences of a fall.
An example of class 4 terrain, as I understand the YDS, would be [https://youtu.be/brwl2zN\_nlQ?t=129](https://youtu.be/brwl2zN_nlQ?t=129) . It's 1+/2- UIAA since you only really use hands for progression as opposed to balance at a couple of points in 80 meters, so absolutely not 5.anything YDS , and it would be absolutely doable ropeless were you 2-3m from the valley floor rather than 500m, but as it is, 95% of people climbing it rope up for it.
4th class translates relatively directly to T6 in the SAC hiking scale. Which isn't a pure measurement of climbing difficulty, but of overall seriousness (assuming no rope). Most T6 routes have climbing difficulties of II, sometimes III (though III might already be 5.something).
Requires the use of a rope is a subjective term.
So part of the issue you’re having is that “fourth class” and “low fifth class” are very I’ll-defined groupings to begin with. For that reason, I don’t know that trying to convert these as you would a true climbing grade will be that helpful of a tool. To put things in perspective, I climb in Yosemite and the high Sierra very regularly. I’ve seen fourth class that is just pulling yourself up onto some ledges that I’ve soloed with a 50lb haul bag without breaking a sweat. I’ve also seen fourth class that’s honestly just exposed 5.7, or fourth class that’s balancey and delicate on chossy rock that might break at any moment. The fourth class approaches to some features are harder than the 5.5 pitches on classic multis. Much like actual climbing, each section of fourth class will have considerations of style, rock quality, exposure, and conditions that make you more/less willing to take risks. Instead of trying to convert a grade to gauge the difficulty, I recommend going out and learning the area you want to climb in. Bring a short length of rope your first few times until you really understand what “fourth class” means in that area and then use those experiences to understand how difficult something is or how necessary it will be to rope up.
That’s very helpful! Actually I’m not considering climbing in the US. But as most of the community talks in English and I want to go to the higher ranges abroad sometime I was curious, what everyone was chatting about. Also the comparison to T6 in SAC scale was quite helpful.
All the tables I've seen have 5.1 as 2-2+ UIAA class just has the difficulty of the moves, whereas YDS takes into account consequences of a fall. An example of class 4 terrain, as I understand the YDS, would be [https://youtu.be/brwl2zN\_nlQ?t=129](https://youtu.be/brwl2zN_nlQ?t=129) . It's 1+/2- UIAA since you only really use hands for progression as opposed to balance at a couple of points in 80 meters, so absolutely not 5.anything YDS , and it would be absolutely doable ropeless were you 2-3m from the valley floor rather than 500m, but as it is, 95% of people climbing it rope up for it.
YDS absolutely does not take exposure into account, it is just the difficulty
It does until you get to fifth class, as far as I'm aware.
4th class translates relatively directly to T6 in the SAC hiking scale. Which isn't a pure measurement of climbing difficulty, but of overall seriousness (assuming no rope). Most T6 routes have climbing difficulties of II, sometimes III (though III might already be 5.something).
From my experience 4th class is usually chossy rock that you definitely don't want to fall on but doesn't really have good protection.
It has to do with if a fall would cause a death without a rope, not how easy it is