Key takeaways
- The French grade is the international sport-climbing difficulty scale (used outside the US).
- Format: a number, a letter (a/b/c), and an optional '+' — e.g., 6a, 6a+, 6b, 7c+.
- It's open-ended and increases with difficulty.
- It corresponds to the American YDS (5.x) scale via conversion charts.
From the French/Fontainebleau grading tradition.
What the French grade is
The French grade is the sport-climbing difficulty scale used across most of the world (outside the US). It expresses difficulty with a number, a letter (a, b, or c), and an optional ‘+’ — for example 5c, 6a+, 7b. The scale is open-ended and rises with difficulty.
How it works
Difficulty increases through the numbers, and within each number the letters and ‘+’ subdivide from easier to harder. So the progression runs: …6a, 6a+, 6b, 6b+, 6c, 6c+, 7a… — a fine-grained scale for roped sport climbing. (Note it’s distinct from the similarly formatted Fontainebleau bouldering scale.)
An American climber traveling to a sport crag in Europe sees routes graded 6a, 6b+, and 7a in the guidebook; using a conversion chart, they translate those to roughly 5.10a, 5.10d, and 5.11d in the YDS they’re used to, and pick routes that match their ability.
Converting to YDS
French grades correspond approximately to the American YDS (e.g., 6a ≈ 5.10a, 7a ≈ 5.11d). Conversion charts and our grade converter translate between them — handy when traveling. See YDS vs French and the broader topic of grade conversion.
The bottom line
The French grade is the world's main sport-climbing scale (outside the US): a number, a letter (a/b/c), and an optional '+', rising open-endedly with difficulty (6a, 6b+, 7c...). It maps approximately to the American YDS via conversion charts, so knowing your French grade lets you gauge routes internationally. Just don't confuse it with the similarly formatted Font bouldering scale.
Frequently asked questions
What is the French grade?
The French grade is the difficulty scale for sport (roped) climbing used across most of the world outside the United States. It expresses difficulty with a number, a letter (a, b, or c), and sometimes a '+', such as 5c, 6a+, or 7b. Higher numbers (and letters, and the '+') mean harder climbing, and the scale is open-ended at the top.
How does the French grade system work?
Difficulty rises through the numbers, and within each number the letters a, b, c (and the '+') subdivide it from easier to harder — so the order goes ...6a, 6a+, 6b, 6b+, 6c, 6c+, 7a, and so on. This gives a fine-grained scale. Note it's distinct from the closely related Fontainebleau (Font) scale used for bouldering, despite the similar format.
How do French grades convert to American (YDS) grades?
French sport grades correspond to the American Yosemite Decimal System (5.x) — for example, French 6a is roughly YDS 5.10a, and French 7a is roughly 5.11d. The match is approximate and conversion charts (or a grade converter tool) translate between them, which is useful when traveling between regions that use different systems. See our YDS vs French comparison.
Sources
- Grading systems — UIAA
- Climbing grades — American Alpine Club