If you’re starting to climb in New Zealand, two grading systems are worth getting familiar with: Ewbank grades for roped rock routes and V grades for bouldering.
They’ll help you choose climbs, understand guidebooks and follow conversations at the gym or crag. Once you know how they work, the numbers become much more useful.
The main thing to remember is that a grade gives you an indication of difficulty. You’ll still need to consider the climbing style, conditions and what’s involved in climbing safely.
What grade should you start on?
There isn’t one starting grade that suits everyone. At the gym, tell the staff you’re new and ask which routes or boulder problems they recommend. Give yourself a few climbs to get used to the movement before worrying about where you sit on the scale.
As you gain experience, you’ll develop a useful personal range: climbs you can usually manage comfortably, climbs that challenge you and climbs you want to work towards.
When visiting a new crag or bouldering area, start below your usual limit and build a feel for the place.
Bouldering grades explained
Bouldering uses a separate scale from roped climbing. V grades are commonly used for outdoor bouldering in New Zealand.
The sequence runs V0, V1, V2, V3 and upwards, with higher numbers indicating harder problems. You may also see VB used for problems below V0.
A “problem” is simply a bouldering climb: a sequence of moves to work out and climb.
Don’t be discouraged if V0 feels difficult when you’re starting. It’s a grade within the bouldering scale, rather than a promise that every beginner will climb it straight away.
What are Font grades?
Font, short for Fontainebleau, is another bouldering grading system you’ll come across in overseas guidebooks, climbing videos and some gyms.
It uses numbers, with letter subdivisions and plus signs at higher grades. For example, the sequence runs 6A, 6A+, 6B, 6B+, 6C, 6C+, then 7A. Each step indicates an increase in difficulty. Font grades and V grades describe bouldering difficulty, but their numbers don’t match directly.
How gym grades work
Some bouldering gyms use coloured circuits or their own numbered grading system. These numbers don’t necessarily match V or Font grades, so a gym’s grade 3 shouldn’t automatically be read as V3.
Look for a conversion chart on the wall to see how the gym’s grades relate to other systems, or ask the staff. Don’t assume the same colour or number means the same difficulty at another gym.
Use the easier circuits to find your feet, then try a few different styles. A problem that feels awkward at first can teach you plenty, even if it sits below your usual grade.
Ewbank grades explained
Ewbank is the system commonly used to grade roped rock routes in New Zealand and Australia. You’ll recognise it as a single number, such as 14, 18 or 22.
The higher the number, the harder the climb is graded. The sequence runs 16, 17, 18, 19 and so on, without letter subdivisions or a fixed upper limit.
That makes it straightforward to read, although the number alone won’t tell you exactly what the climbing will feel like.
An 18 might have one difficult section, often called the crux, with easier climbing either side. Another might require steady effort from bottom to top. Both can earn the same grade while asking quite different things of you.
Why do overseas grades include letters?
Other countries use different systems for roped climbing. French sport grades, for example, use letters and plus signs to describe smaller steps in difficulty: 6a, 6a+, 6b, 6b+, 6c, 6c+, then 7a.
The letters progress from A to C, and a plus sign indicates a harder step within that letter grade. You’ll often see lowercase letters for French sport grades and capitals for Font bouldering grades, although formatting can vary. Despite looking similar, these are separate scales, so always check which type of climbing is being discussed.
Conversion charts can help you compare overseas grades with familiar ones, but the equivalents are approximate. For everyday climbing in New Zealand, getting comfortable with Ewbank and V grades will give you a useful foundation.
Why the same grade can feel different
Grades involve judgement, and your own strengths affect how a climb feels. Rock type, climbing style and conditions also influence the experience.
For example:
- Slabs, where the rock leans away from you, can demand balance and precise footwork.
- Overhangs can ask more of your upper-body pulling strength, core strength and endurance.
- Cracks may require techniques you haven’t learnt on gym holds.
You might feel comfortable on one style and struggle on another at the same grade. That gives you something useful to practise.
Try keeping a few notes about what challenged you. “Needed better footwork” tells you more than simply recording whether you finished.
Read beyond the grade
Before choosing a climb, read beyond the number.
For bouldering, consider the height of the problem, the landing and how you’ll get down. For roped routes, understand how the climb is protected. Sport routes use fixed bolts for protection, while trad routes use removable protection or a mixture of removable gear and bolts. That distinction matters when choosing a climb and the equipment and skills it requires.
Alongside the grade, check:
- Protection and landings: What equipment and skills does the climb require?
- Length and height: How long or high is the climb? For roped routes, is it one pitch or several?
- Descent: How will you get back down?
- Conditions and access: Are there current restrictions, hazards or route alerts?
Being able to climb the moves is only part of being ready for a climb. If you’re moving outdoors from the gym, an introductory rock climbing course can help you build the necessary skills. NZAC’s starting guide outlines the options.
Use a local guidebook
A local climbing guidebook helps you understand a climb beyond its grade. Read the description alongside the number, and check it against current access information and route alerts before heading out.
Rock Deluxe North and Rock Deluxe South are useful starting points for exploring New Zealand crags and boulders. Choose the guide for the island you’re planning to climb in.
A note on alpine grades
New Zealand alpine routes may use the older Mount Cook grade or a two-part system separating seriousness or commitment from technical difficulty. Together, these describe the climbing and the overall undertaking, including hazards, route length and difficulty of retreat.
Check your guidebook’s grading explanation. Alpine grades aren’t interchangeable with Ewbank or V grades, and conditions can change the challenge considerably.
Use grades to guide your progress
Start with climbs that give you room to learn, try different styles and use the grades to build a picture of what suits you.
Climbing a harder number can be satisfying, but so can finding better footwork, feeling more comfortable on unfamiliar rock or finally working out a sequence that had you stuck. Those are useful signs of progress too.
If you’re getting set up for the gym or crag, explore our climbing gear range or talk through what you need with the team in store.
Only attempt climbs when you and your partners have the skills, experience and equipment to manage the climb, its hazards and the descent. A familiar grade alone doesn’t mean you’re ready.
Get qualified instruction when learning new skills, check current conditions and be prepared to turn back. This guide explains grades; it doesn’t replace practical training or sound judgement.
