Key takeaways
- The Font (Fontainebleau) grade is the European bouldering difficulty scale.
- Format: a number, a letter (a/b/c), and an optional '+' — e.g., 6A, 7B+, 8A.
- It increases with difficulty and is open-ended at the top.
- It's the European counterpart to the American V-scale, corresponding closely via conversion.
From the Fontainebleau bouldering area in France.
What the Font grade is
The Font grade (Fontainebleau scale) is the bouldering difficulty system used in Europe and much of the world, named after the legendary Fontainebleau bouldering area near Paris. It grades boulder problems using a number, a letter (a, b, c), and an optional ‘+’ — for example 6A, 7B+, 8A — increasing with difficulty and open-ended at the top.
How it works
Difficulty rises through the numbers, and within each number the letters and ‘+’ subdivide it: …6A, 6A+, 6B, 6B+, 6C, 6C+, 7A… Note that Font bouldering grades are conventionally written with uppercase letters (6A), distinguishing them from the lowercase of French sport grades (6a), which look similar but rate roped routes.
A boulderer used to the V-scale travels to Fontainebleau and sees problems graded 6A, 6B+, and 7A. Using a conversion chart, they translate those into V grades (roughly V3, V4/5, V6) to gauge which problems match their ability.
Font vs V-scale
The Font scale (Europe) and the V-scale (US) both grade bouldering and correspond closely (e.g., V4 ≈ Font 6B+). See V-scale vs Font and our grade converter for translating between them; it’s a key part of grade conversion.
The bottom line
The Font (Fontainebleau) grade is Europe's bouldering scale — a number, a letter (a/b/c), and an optional '+' (6A, 7B+, 8A), rising open-endedly with difficulty. Named for the iconic Fontainebleau bouldering forest, it's the counterpart to the American V-scale, corresponding closely so a conversion chart lets you translate boulder grades between regions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Font grade?
The Font grade, or Fontainebleau scale, is the bouldering difficulty system used across Europe and much of the world, named after the legendary Fontainebleau bouldering area near Paris. It grades boulder problems using a number, a letter (a, b, or c), and sometimes a '+' — such as 6A, 6A+, 6B, 7C+ — with difficulty rising through the scale.
How does the Font scale work?
Difficulty increases through the numbers, and within each number the letters a, b, c and the '+' subdivide it from easier to harder, so the progression runs ...6A, 6A+, 6B, 6B+, 6C, 6C+, 7A, and so on. It's open-ended at the top. Note that Font bouldering grades are conventionally written with uppercase letters (6A), distinguishing them from the lowercase of French sport grades (6a) — though they look similar.
How does the Font grade compare to the V-scale?
The Font scale (Europe) and the V-scale (US) both grade bouldering and correspond closely — for example, V4 is roughly Font 6B+. The V-scale uses 'V' plus a number (V0, V1...), while Font uses the number-letter-plus format. Conversion charts and tools translate between them, which is useful when bouldering in different regions. See our V-scale vs Font comparison.
Sources
- Bouldering grades — UIAA
- Climbing grades — American Alpine Club