Difficulty Rating
14er Classifications or ratings typically follow the Yosemity Decimal System (YDS) and fall into 1 of 5 classes. The YDS was established back in 1930 for the Sierra Club grading system to compare hikes in the Sierra Nevada’s. It was eventually adopted as a defacto system for hiking and climbing alike.
A trail or routes rating is based on the hardest stretch (commonly called the crux). If you were hiking a class 1 trail that required you to scale a rock wall then the trails overall rating would be a class 4. That is to say, despite the entire 6 mile trail being class 1 the single class 4 crux makes the trail a class 4.
Most of the 14ers in Colorado have multiple summit routes of varying classes. Even Grays and Torreys (considered to be two of the easiest summits) have a class 4 summit approach.
Class 1: Well established trails that are mostly even and typically groomed. On a class 1 14er trail you can still expect a some what strenuous up hill hike but on a well defined trail. You will not find yourself using your hands for balance or any kind of climbing.
Class 1 Example
Class 2: Some trail finding may be involved. The trail will be uneven and will typically involve scree and small rocks. You may have to use your hands to stabilize yourself. Most of the standard approaches to a lot of the popular 14ers are class 2 and you can defiantly expect a strenuous up hill hike with scree and lose rock near the top.
Class 2 Example
Class 3: You will be using your hands in order to progress and encounter small boulders or somewhat vertical faces. Class 3 is where you make a transition from hiking to climbing. Ropes and specialized equipment are not necessary at this point and you would more then likely survive a fall from the trail. Class 3 hikes are not recommended for beginners unless they have previous rock climbing experience.
Class 4: Ropes and specialized equipment are often required. On class 4 trails you can expect exposure but still find some natural cover. The terrain is steep and hazardous and a fall will most likely be fatal.
Class 5: At this point we’re talking technical rock climbing. Ropes and specialized equipment are required and you will be exposed with no natural cover. Class 5 routes are broken into an expanded decimal system ranging from 5.1 to (just recently) 5.15. From there each expanded decimal rating can be categorized from a to d (example 5.10a) which gives more information about the route. For more information on the expanded decimal system, click here.