When ice climbing, it’s important to know how difficult your route is. I’ve put together the following guide to explain ice climbing grades.
The ice climbing grades are:
- WI-1:No tools required to climb
- WI-2:Good protection, tools required in some spots
- WI-3:Sustained climbing with good rests and protection
- WI-4:Continuous steep or vertical ice
- WI-5:Long, vertical, strenuous ice
- WI-6:Highly technical, long, and vertical, with no rests
- WI-7:Long, technical, and on bad ice
Ice climbing grades are based on a system that takes into account several factors, including the steepness and quality of the ice, the amount of protection you can place, and how technical the movements are. Beginners might be able to climb anywhere from WI-2 to WI-4 on top rope, depending their degree of physical fitness. Most experienced ice climbers can climb in the WI-5 range, while WI-6 and WI-7 are reserved for a few cutting-edge routes around the world.
In the following guide I explain more about the ice climbinggrading system, before going into an in-depth explanation about each of thegrades.
Ice climbing grades, just like climbing and scramblinggrades, are intended to give a rough idea about how difficult a certain routewill be to climb. They do this by comparing:
- How steep the ice is: the steeper the ice, the more physically challenging a climb is, and the higher the grade of the climb will be.
- The ice quality: This is another important factor. Solid, thick ice that you can drive your tools into is much easier to climb than thin, cracking, late-season thaw.
- Availability of protection: This is less of a major factor, but it still plays a roll. The more exposed you are while climbing, the more mentally challenging it is, and the higher the grade will be.
- Technicality of the movements: How simple is the ice to climb? Are there any complex moves such as figure 4’s? Are there exposed bulges? What about chandeliers or columns? This is a major factor in determining the difficulty of a route.
- Length of the route: A long route with tough moves and bad ice will be rated harder than a short route with tough moves and bad ice.
- Availability of rest spots: Similar to above, if a route has several good resting points, it may score lower on the difficulty scale.
By taking into account all of the above factors, ice climbing grades can give people an idea of how challenging a certain route is going to be. Remember, ice climbing is much, much different than rock climbing, in that you don’t fall nearly as frequently. Because of that, it’s important to know the grade of a piece of ice before you decide to lead it.
One of the difficulties of this is that ice changesthroughout the season. The quality, shape, and steepness of the ice can allchange with the weather, how much the ice has been climbed on, and what shapethe water took when it first froze.
Because of that, ice climbing routes are rarely assigned asingle grade that will last forever, as they are in rock climbing. It’s verydifficult to look at a waterfall in the summer and declare, ‘That’s going to bea WI-4 ice climb’. The difficulty of certain routes may change from year toyear, or even within a single season if there are repeated periods of freezingand thawing.
This makes it essential to have a solid understanding of iceclimbing grades so that you can judge a route upon sight to know if it’s safeto climb.
As you can probably tell, there are two components to anice-climbing grade: the ‘WI’ prefix and then the number denoting the difficulty.The WI stands for ‘Water Ice’, and it refers to any ice climbing route that’sseason in nature (that is, it freezes in the winter and thaws in the summer).
There’s another prefix, ‘AI’, which stands for Alpine Ice.This refers to ice in high mountain areas that, because of its elevation andlocation, never fully thaws.
Alpine Ice may be easier to climb that a water ice route withthe same grading. Don’t be fooled, though; this is done to account for the factthat the alpine ice will be harder to get to, more remote, and possibly exposedto avalanche danger. Alpine Ice climbing is a sport all its own, and itshouldn’t be taken lightly just because the rating is lower.
Now that we’ve talked about what the grades mean and howthey’re used, it’s time to get into specific details about how difficult theyactually are to climb.
Before I start, however, I need to make a few disclaimers.Every single category that I give is a generality and can change based on anynumber of factors. There are no hard-and-fast rules to grading an ice climb,but I’m trying to give a broad overview so that you can have at least some ideaof what the numbers mean.
Second disclaimer: if I say a beginner can climb something, Imean on top rope. I cannot stress this enough. If you’ve never been iceclimbing before, it will take hundreds of routes before you’re ready to lead. AllI’m trying to say is that, for the easier grades, some beginners will have theright amount of natural skill and physical fitness to struggle their way up ontop rope. Other beginners might not be able to, so don’t start emailing me ifyou get cranky to find out that you can’t send WI-2. You’ve been warned.
Third disclaimer: I don’t want to hear a single peep aboutmy comparison to rock climbing grades. I know all the issues with tryingto compare ice climbing grades to rock climbing grades. I know them, okay? Irock climb. I ice climb. I understand that they’re different sports.
So, don’t start sending me angry emails about how stupid itis. I’m not trying to say that someone who climbs 5.12 could hop on a WI-5climb. I know that’s not the case. I’m simply trying to provide a baseline sothat someone who’s never ice climbed before will have a better idea of howchallenging a grade is.
Everyone good? Great. Let’s get into it!
WI-1
What is it? Easy climbing on low-angle ice that maynot require tools.
Steepness of the ice: Anywhere up to 60 degrees.
Who can climb it? Beginners and upwards.
Comparable rock-climbing grade: Class 4-5 scrambling.
Starting us off nice and easy is WI-1, the first andgentlest of all ice climbing grades. This grading is used to denote low-angledice that’s steep enough to need crampons on but not steep enough that you’llactually have to ice climb to get up it.
WI-1 is more akin to rock scrambling, where you need towatch your foot placement and take care to not fall, but you likely aren’tgoing to place protection or use your hands much. Experienced ice climbers oralpinists will be able to walk right up a W1-1 route with barely a secondthought.
WI-1 probably isn’t a great grade to learn how to ice climb,because it’s so low-angle that it’ll be hard to get the exact movements thatyou would on a more challenging ice climb. If you’re struggling to start iceclimbing or you don’t want to go on anything more exposed, I would recommendusing this grade. Otherwise, however, you might find it just as beneficial topush on to something more challenging.
WI-2
What is it? Consistent moderate ice, with a fewbulges and good spots to rest. The ice is in good quality and there is lots ofavailable protection.
Steepness of the ice: Sustained 60-degree slopes,with bulges that make it steeper.
Who can climb it: Beginners and up.
Comparable rock-climbing grade: 5.5 sport climb.
Next up is WI-2, which denotes longer sections of moderatelysteep ice with simple movements and good protection. The ice will be in the60-degree range for most of the route, with some bulges pushing into the70-80-degree range for a short period of time. The ice is good quality for yourtools and ice screws.
WI-2 is the perfect grade for an experienced ice climber towarm up: it’s challenging enough to get their forearms involved, steep enoughto allow for proper ice climbing technique, and yet simple enough that there’svery little chance of a fall occurring.
Because of this, WI-2 is also a very good place for anybeginners who are looking to try their hand at ice climbing. It’s safe andsimple, and it will allow you to try out the motions of ice climbing withoutneeding to worry about your forearms getting super pumped out.
WI-2 ice usually forms from low-angle or multi-tieredwaterfalls where the spring runoff is always touching the rock. This contactprevents the ice from getting it too steep and keeps it at a lower grading.
WI-3
What is it? Sustained nearly-vertical climbing withsome sections of vertical ice. There will be a decent amount of rests, and thestances for placing screws will be solid.
Steepness of the ice: Minimum of 70 degrees, withsections into the 80-90-degree range.
Who can climb it: Some beginners, moderate iceclimbers and up.
Comparable rock-climbing grade: 5.9 sport climb.
A WI-3 ice climbing route is fairly similar to a WI-2,expect that it’s going to be a little bit steeper, a little bit more sustained,and the rest positions won’t be quite as good.
WI-3 routes can still act as a warm-up, although only forthose with several seasons of rock climbing beneath their belts. For those justgetting into the sport or who are just learning to lead, the WI-3 grading is agood test piece to see how you fare on longer, trickier ice.
A WI-3 climb will likely have a few sections where potentialfalls are a real danger and you need to engage in vertical ice climbing. Youmight need to think a little bit about where you place your tools, and you’llhave to be smart about the stances you take to put your ice screws in.
Beginners with a knack for climbing and good physicalfitness will most likely be able to follow a WI-3 route, although they mightneed to take it slow and rest on the rope every now and then.
Remember, as I said above, that ice climbing grades can alsobe very variable. If you have a 10-meter route of 80-degree ice with good restsand solid-quality ice screw placements, that could qualify as WI-3. Alower-angle route where the ice is more thin and the protection is less prevalentcould also be WI-3.
WI-4
What is it? Continuous near-vertical climbing withseveral sections of vertical climbing, broken up by a few rests.
Steepness of the ice: 80-degrees at minimum, withsustained 90-degree climbing.
Who can climb it? Weekend warriors, experiencedclimbers, and the odd beginner.
Comparable rock-climbing grade: 5.11a sport climb.
Now we’re really starting to get into it.
For those who are just getting into ice climbing and seethemselves doing it for a long time, WI-4 is the test-piece grade to try yourleading skills on. It’s challenging, sustained, and requires a cool head andgood tool placement to ensure that you don’t fall, and leading a WI-4 is apretty good sign that you’re starting to figure out what you’re doing.
WI-4 routes feature long sections of ice that are rarelyshorter than 80-degrees, with several sections of 90-degree climbing. The icemay be rougher or thinner, and good tool placements may be harder to find.There might be features such as bulges or ledges that need to be navigatedaround, and rest positions will be scarcer.
Essentially, a WI-4 ice climbing route is one where fallingis a very real possibility that needs to be taken into account. For the mostexperienced climbers out there, this could be considered a warm-up, or a simpleenough task. For most people, however, leading WI-4 is a challenging and scaryendeavour.
WI-5
What is it? Sustained (50-60 meter) stretches ofvertical or near-vertical climbing, with few rests. Alternatively, it could bea shorter route with bad ice and technical moves.
Steepness of the ice: 85-90 degrees.
Who can climb it? Experience ice climbers, weekendwarriors.
Comparable rock-climbing grade: 5.12c sport.
If WI-4 was the test piece for any aspiring ice climbers,WI-5 is the goal for just about anyone who isn’t going to make climbing acareer. With long, strenuous sections, constant fall risks, and questionablescrew placement, WI-5 is going to be as high as many people ever climb on ice,even those who are dedicated to training and honing their skills.
A WI-5 route features full-rope-length sections of verticalclimbing with little to no rest on it. Alternatively, it could be used todescribe a shorter route of entirely vertical ice where the ice is thin, theplacements are bad, and the moves involve candlesticks, cauliflower ice, orchandelier features.
Leading a WI-5 would be a nice feather in the cap of anyalpinist. These routes are demanding, dangerous, and require years of trainingbefore you’re ready to tackle them.
WI-6
What is it? A full rope-length of vertical climbingwith no rests involved. Alternatively, it could be a shorter route with evenmore challenging moves than WI-5.
Ice steepness: 90 degrees, some overhanging sections.
Who can climb it: Career alpinists / ice climbers.
Comparable rock-climbing grade: 5.13d on sport.
WI-6 is an exclusive club.
For those who have spent significant portions of their lifeon ice and want to continue to push the limits, WI-6 routes provide a myriad ofdifficult challenges to be overcome. They’re steep and sustained withabsolutely no rest, meaning that a climber must have incredible technique andendurance to avoid falling.
The availability of protection is scarce, and the icequality is going to be highly questionable in some spots. If the routes aren’tsuper long, they’re going to feature highly technical moves such as chandeliersor columns to navigate.
Just like a WI-4 is the test piece for anyone who ice climbsas a hobby, WI-6 is the test piece for some of the best alpinists in the worldwho want to challenge themselves.
WI-7
What is it? Long, technical, steep climbing ontechnical and poorly formed ice. Protection is going to be non-existent orhighly dubious.
Ice steepness: 90-degreess plus.
Who can climb it? Will Gadd, Aaron Mulkey, Mark-AndreLeclerc; the best ice climbers in the world.
Comparable rock-climbing grade: 5.15 rock climbing.
As legendary climber John Long once said, we’re now talkingabout virtuoso climbing.
WI-7 routes are the ones that only the best of the best canput an axe to. They feature either long, vertical climbing on bad ice with noprotection, or massively overhanging routes with a variety of features andchallenges. They’re dangerous and demand a lifetime of climbing experience tobe able to tackle.
This is a grade that’s reserved for career ice climbers whoare looking to push themselves to the next level. They’re the king lines of iceclimbing, featuring either the most dangerous of scenarios or the hardestindividual moves that you can can find in nature.
It’s also the last consensus grade on the ice climbingscale, meaning that any new routes graded higher than this are going to need tobe a level of difficulty that, as of now, hasn’t really been seen in the iceclimbing world.
WI-8 and above
What is it? An indeterminate grade somewhere aboveWI-7. Features consistent, over-hanging climbing on bad ice.
Ice steepness: 30-50 degrees overhung.
Who can climb it? The best ice climbers in the world.
Comparable rock-climbing grade: V14 bouldering.
As technology continues to improve and people continue topush the limits, a new type of ice climbing has evolved.
Originally, the ice climbing grades were meant to denote thesteepness of a route, quality of the ice, and availability of protection. Youcould usually account for steeper and technical sections, but the main thingthey were measuring was the three above features.
Now, however, the limits are being pushed in different typesof ways. Climbers are finding overhung caves of ice, full of crazy formationsand insanely hard routes. These moves are right on the limit of human ability,demanding insane strength and flawless technique. However, they’re alsoprotected by bolts and relatively safe to fall from, because of how overhungthe route is.
This new form of ice climbing is more akin to redpoint rockclimbing, where the quickdraws are already in place and climbers push theirabsolute limits, fully aware that there’s a chance of falling. It’s a beautifulform of ice climbing, but it’s also markedly different from long, thin routeson bad ice, where screws are placed haphazardly and falling is never an option.
So, how do you rate these grades? Is an overhung, sustained,and technical piece with good protection more challenging than a 90-degree WI-7on bad ice with no bolts? Can we compare these two forms of ice climbing? Howcan we assign grades to them?
According to legendary ice climber Will Gadd, we shouldn’teven be trying. Says Gadd about the climbing in Helmcken Falls, BC, one of themost extreme overhung ice climbing destinations in the world:
“I don’t even try to grade these things. I haven’t for a couple of years now. They are what they are. If you can do it you get to the top, and if you can’t you fall off, and that’s good enough for me.”
https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/will-gadd-climbing-the-world-s-hardest-mix-route-climb
When Will Gadd talks, ice climbers listen. He’s essentiallysaying that there are too many factors involved in ice climbing to be assigninggrades, and that technology and the evolution of more and more overhung iceclimbing has made comparing different types of climbing irrelevant.
Because of that, you might now see people assigning crazygrades like WI-11 to some overhung routes. I’m not going to comment on whetherthey’re right or wrong to give a route that level of difficulty; god knows I’llnever be able to climb it myself. The climbing community has yet to reach aconsensus on such matters, however, so for now I’m going to leave it out of theguide.
So, there we go! That’s my complete guide on ice climbinggrades.
Please, for the love of god, don’t take anything I’ve saidtoo seriously. Just because I wrote that some beginners can climb WI-3 does notmean that you should go out and do it. You might risk injuring yourself orputting your partners at risk. If you’re just getting into the sport rememberto take it slow, learn the basics first, and always go with someone moreexperienced than you. Don’t lead until you have at least 100+ laps on top rope underyour belt (150, according to Gadd).
Also, if you’re upset about the climbing comparison, toobad. I did what I did.
Thank you for reading! Remember, this guide is meant toinform and entertain, not to recommend that you behave in any specific fashion.Seek expert advice and do your own independent research before making anydecisions.
