Climbing difficulty categories. Alpinism: routes, difficulties of sections, categories of difficulty. Reference Information. General provisions for route classification
Route difficulty category is determined by a combination of three classification features: duration, length and technical complexity, depending on the nature, number and variety of obstacles.
UIAA CLASSIFICATION
UIAA (Union Internationale des Association d'Alpinisme)- International Union of Mountaineering Associations. The Union was created in 1932 at the congress of representatives of climbing societies of 18 countries in Chamonix (France). Official site www.theuiaa.org
This organization brings together about 2.5 million people who have a passion for mountains. As an international community of volunteers, its members exchange ideas, jointly develop recommendations and work in the following areas:
- Defending the interests of everyone in the possibility of access to mountainous regions around the world.
- Support for youth sports related to mountaineering and rock climbing.
- Conservation of the environment in mountain areas through the creation of local communities actively working with the UIAA.
- Development of reliable safety standards for climbing equipment
To be safe in the mountains, you need good and reliable equipment. UIAA has a Safety Commission which developed the first permanent standards for the safety of climbing equipment. These standards are the only international ones and have been adopted by the European Union as internal standards. Manufacturers of equipment that meets UIAA safety standards may receive a UIAA Safety Label.
- Consultations on medical issues related to mountaineering.
Prevention and assistance are needed in every sport and especially in remote places where self-reliance is required. In particular, frostbite and altitude-induced acute mountain sickness hazards are specific problems in the mountains. The Medical Commission is the largest international group of medical professionals dedicated to the prevention and treatment of problems that mountaineers and rock climbers may encounter.
- The fight against doping
- Safety and training
When engaging in mountain sports, it is necessary to understand the risks and dangers associated with them. Therefore, leaders and instructors must be well prepared. The Mountaineering Commission disseminates up-to-date knowledge of correct behavior in the mountains and promotes the unification of information so that it is understandable in all regions, such as the international avalanche danger scale and the route description standard. This commission also introduces international standards on training and evaluation of managers and trainers.
- Organization of international climbing competitions (Climbing); ice climbing (Ice Climbing) and ski mountaineering (Ski Mountaineering) with a view to their inclusion in the program of the Winter Olympic Games.
Competition in each of these disciplines has its own rules and restrictions, which are based on honesty, doping-free and environmental protection. There is a calendar for every species. international events such as World Cup, World Championship, Continental Championships and various youth events.
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The UIAA began as a predominantly European organization, but now all continents are represented. It includes 97 organizations from 68 countries. Today, the UIAA is a well-known global organization and a recognized expert in all matters related to mountaineering, rock and ice climbing and other similar activities. UIAA recognized International Olympic Committee recognized UIAA international federation mountaineering.
Funding and peer review comes from UIAA members, which are national mountaineering and climbing associations, as well as other national and international organizations with interests in mountain sports. The official representation of the UIAA is located in a small office in Switzerland.
The UIAA is based primarily on groups of volunteer professionals from affiliates. These groups work together to achieve the goals set by the strategic plan in the areas described below. Each working group has its own specialization.
CLASSIFICATION:
I (light rocks). For movement and balance, sometimes you need the help of your hands. Numerous, mostly large, hooks on a heavily dissected terrain.
II (rocks of medium difficulty). Maintaining balance and movement is impossible without the help of hands. For experienced climbers, simultaneous movement of the bundle on a short rope is possible.
III (rather difficult rocks). The upper limit for occasional climbers. The holds are relatively small and far apart. Simultaneous movement is not possible, only alternate insurance. You will definitely need loops, bookmarks, carbines and other hardware.
IV (very difficult rocks). Sports free climbing on steep rocks. Alternate and intermediate belay with hooks and other aids.
V (particularly difficult rocks). It already requires outstanding skills in technique, physical fitness, and self-confidence. Often there are poor belay opportunities (the requirements for climbing skills automatically increase), it is possible to use ladders.
VI (super difficult rocks).
RUSSIAN CLASSIFICATION
In Russia, there is a classification adopted back in the USSR using the UIAA system. This is 11 step gradation: from "ones" to "sixes" (and routes from "twos" to "fives" have intermediate semi-categories A and B).
To routes 1B k.t. include routes of ascents and traverses of rocky, snow-ice and combined nature to peaks from 500 m to 5000 m above sea level, with an average length of 500 m, and an average steepness of 10-25 °. Routes mainly consist of sections 0 - very easy difficulty, but should include 20-30 m or more sections I - easy difficulty, rocky or have several short (3-15 m) sections II - easy difficulty, or 80-100 m and more snow-ice sections I - easy difficulty, or have short (30-40 m) sections II - simple, difficulty. The duration of the route is from 1.5 to 5-8 hours. For mass ascents, you may need hook insurance.
2A category of difficulty 
To routes 2A k.t. include routes of ascents and traverses of rocky, snow-ice and combined nature to peaks from 500 to 6000 m above sea level. The average length of the route is 550 m. The average steepness is 15-30°. Routes mainly consist of sections 0 - very easy difficulty and I - easy difficulty, but must include at least 5-20 m of rock sections II - easy difficulty or at least 80-100 m of snow-ice sections II - easy difficulty. Traverses must include at least two routes 1B k.t. The duration of the routes is from 2 to 6-10 hours. In some areas, you may need hook insurance.
To routes 2B k.t. include routes and traverses of rocky, ice-snow and combined nature to peaks from 500 to 6000 m above sea level. The average length of the route is 550 m, the average steepness is 15-30°. The routes mainly consist of sections 0 - very easy and I - easy difficulty, but must include sections II - easy difficulty: rocky - at least 15-30 m or more or snow-ice - at least 80-100 m or more, or have several short sections III - medium difficulty: rocky - 3-10 m each or snow-ice - 20-50 m each. Traverses must include at least two routes 2A grade, and an unlimited number of routes 1B grade. The duration of the routes is from 2 to 5-8 hours. Required, although not always, hook insurance (1-3 hooks).
To routes FOR k.t. include routes of ascents and traverses of rocky, ice-snow and combined nature to peaks from 600 to 6500 m above sea level. The average length of the route is 600 m, the average steepness is 20-40°. The routes mainly consist of sections I - easy and II - easy difficulty, but should include sections III - medium difficulty: rocky - at least 5-20 m or ice-snow - at least 50-200 m. Traverses should include at least two routes 2B k.t. and an unlimited number of routes 1B and 2A k.t. The duration of the routes is from 3 to 10 hours. In most cases hook insurance is required. On the slopes, it is possible to use a sports method, and sometimes rappels.
To the routes of the ZB k.t. include climbing routes and traverses of rocky, ice-snow and combined nature to peaks from 600 to 6500 m above sea level. The average length of the route is 600 m, the average steepness is 20-40°. Routes mainly consist of sections I and II - easy difficulty, but should include sections III - medium difficulty: rocky - at least 20-30 m and ice-snow - at least 100-300 m, or have several short sections IV - higher medium difficulty: rocky - 3-15 m each or ice-snow - 50-100 m each. Traverses should include at least two routes 3A k.t. and may include an unlimited number of routes 1B and 2nd grade. The duration of the routes is 3-10 hours. Hook insurance is often required (2-6 hooks). Descent - in a sports way or by rappels.
To routes 4A k.t. include climbing routes and traverses of rocky, ice-snow and combined nature to peaks from 600 to 7000 m above sea level. The average length of the route is 650 m, the average steepness is 30-50°. The routes mainly consist of sections II - easy and III - medium difficulty, but must include sections IV - above average difficulty: rocky - at least 20-50 m or ice-snow - at least 50-200 m. Traverses should include at least five routes FOR k.t. or at least three ST routes of the ST, or, respectively, with one ST route of the ST. - at least four routes FOR the c.t., and with two routes ZB of the c.t. - at least one FOR k.t. and an unlimited number of routes 1B-2B k.t. The duration of the routes is 5-6 hours or more. For the organization of insurance and self-insurance on the routes, driving 10-20 hooks is necessary. The first must use a double rope, it is possible to organize overnight stays on the route. Descents along the routes in sections above average difficulty are carried out, as a rule, in a sports way and by rappels.
4B category of difficulty 
To routes 4B k.t. include climbing routes and traverses of rocky, ice-snow and combined nature to peaks from 600 to 7000 m above sea level, the average length of the route is 650 m, and the average steepness is 30-50 °. The routes mainly consist of sections II - easy and III - medium difficulty, but must include sections IV - above average difficulty: rocky - at least 40-80 m or ice-snow - at least 200-400 m, or have several short V difficulties of sections: rocky - 3-15 m each or ice-snow - 50-150 m each. Traverses must include at least two routes 4A k.t. and an unlimited number of routes 1B-ZB k.t. The duration of the routes is 6-8 hours or more. Overnight stays are required on most routes. For the organization of insurance and self-insurance, driving 10-15 or more hooks is required. Descents along the routes are carried out mainly in a sports way and by rappels.
To routes 5A k.t. include climbing routes and traverses of rocky, ice-snow and combined nature to peaks from 1000 to 7500 m above sea level. The average length of the route is 700 m, the average steepness is 40-60°. Routes mainly consist of sections III - medium and IV - above average difficulty, but must include sections of V difficulty: rocky - at least 10-40 m or ice-snow - at least 100-400 m. Traverses must include at least one route 4B k.t. and one route 4A k.t. and an unlimited number of routes 1B-ZB k.t. The duration of the routes is 6-8 hours or more. As a rule, the organization of overnight stays is required on the routes. For the organization of insurance and self-insurance, driving 15-20 or more hooks is required. Descents along the routes are carried out mainly in a sports way and by rappels.
To routes 5B k.t. include climbing routes and traverses of rocky, ice-snow and combined nature to peaks with a height of 2000 m and above above sea level. The length of the route is 750 m, the average steepness of its main part is 45-70°. The routes mainly consist of sections III - medium and IV - above average difficulty with the practical absence of sections 1 and II of difficulty, but they must include sections of difficulty V: at least 50 m of rocky and at least 300-500 m of ice-snow, or include several short (3-20 m) sections of VI difficulty. Traverses must include at least two routes 5A k.t. and an unlimited number of routes 1B-4B k.t. The duration of the routes is 8-10 hours or more. Routes, as a rule, require skills and ability to organize overnight stays in inconvenient places. For the organization of insurance and self-insurance, driving 40-50 or more rocky hooks is required. Descents are carried out only by rappels.
To routes 6A k.t. include climbing routes and traverses of rocky and combined nature to peaks with a height of 3000 m and above above sea level. The average length of the route is 800 m, the average steepness (excluding traverses) is 65-75°. There are practically no sections I-III of difficulty on the routes. The basis of the routes are sections IV and V of difficulty, but there should also be sections VI of difficulty with a length of at least 20-40 m with a total length of at least 200-250 m. The duration of the routes is at least 3-4 days. For the organization of insurance and self-insurance, driving more than a hundred rocky hooks is required. Routes require, as a rule, the organization of single sitting and hanging (in hammocks) overnight stays. Traverses must include at least two routes 5B k.t. and an unlimited number of routes 4-5A k.t. Descent - only by rappels and requires good organization of it when lifting.
6B category of difficulty 
To routes 6B k.t. include climbing routes and traverses of rocky and combined nature to peaks above 3000 m above sea level. The average length of the route is 800 m, the average steepness (excluding traverses) is 70–80°. There are practically no sections I-IV of difficulty on the routes. The basis of the routes are sections V and VI of difficulty. The duration of the routes is at least 3-4 days. To organize belay and self-insurance, it is necessary to use bookmarks and drive rock pitons more than a hundred times. The bivouacs are mostly hanging. Traverses must include route 6A k.t. Descent - only by rappels and requires good organization of it when lifting.
EUROPEAN (FRENCH SYSTEM)
F - easy-facile (easy) Analogue of the Russian 1B or I / II according to the UIAA system. YOU
PD - not difficult - peu difficile (not very difficult) Approximately PD / PD + corresponds to Russian 2A / 2B or II / III according to the UIAA system.
AD - fairly difficult - assez difficile (medium difficulty) An analogue of the Russian 3A and 3B (AD +) or III according to the UIAA system.
D - difficult - difficile (difficult) This category captures the Russian 3B (D-) and covers all 4. D+ can be equated to 4B or IV/V by the UIAA.
TD - very difficult - trés difficile (very difficult) Ratio: TD- = 4B, TD = 5A, TD+ = 5B, all within V/VI on the UIAA scale.
ED1/2/3/4 - extremely difficult - extramement difficile (extreme difficulty)
ED-: - 5A ED: - 5B ED+/ED1/ED2 - 6A ED3/ED4 - 6B
all EDs correspond to V to VI in the UIAA system.
AMERICAN SYSTEM
In the USA it is usually used NCCS (National Climbing Classification System). It consists of six categories:
I- One or two hours of technical sections. These are the easiest routes, a couple of levels harder than regular trekking.
II - Half day of technical sections. Requires real climbing, but with a small amount pitches.
III - Most of the day on the technical site. Rock sections can be easy (grade 4 or bottom 5)
IV- A full day of technical climbing. Expect rocky sections up to 5.7, or steep (40-50 degree) snow/ice sections on the route.
V- This will require you to bivouac on the route. Rocks up to 5.8, or serious ice climbing (50-70 degrees)
VI- One or two days of hard work - rocks, ice, snow, AID. Bigwalls of all types.
Description of the types and styles of rock climbing can be found at the link
http://activelife.dp.ua/rock-climbing/vidy-i-stili-skalolazaniya.html
Routes to mountain peaks and traverses differ in total complexity, absolute and relative heights, lengths and steepness, the presence of rocks, ice and snow cover and their condition. Routes also depend on meteorological conditions in the area where they are located.
Routes- these are the paths of movement along a predetermined middle - a ridge, a wall, a buttress, a rib, large fireplaces or lobbies, along the simplest, logical and safe forms of their microrelief.
In the former USSR, names of routes were given according to the average forms of mountainous relief relative to the cardinal points: along the Northern ridge, rib, wall; in the center of the South Wall; over the West Ridge chimney; along the Southwestern buttress of the Southeastern ridge, etc. Recently, routes (more precisely, their variants and combinations) of the highest categories of complexity, laid along the relief from one side of the world, are beginning to be named after the names of the leaders of sports groups who have passed them for the first time (it is desirable to transfer this approach to all routes). These rules are still in effect.
There can be many approaches to the beginning of the route, and the routes themselves must be unambiguous. Routes should have clear landmarks on the microrelief. Landmarks must unambiguously indicate the beginning of the routes and the places of change of direction on the routes of ascents, traverses and descents. With the development, passing by subsequent groups, some routes are simplified due to the found most simple and objectively safe options for passing the most difficult, complex and objectively dangerous sections. There are two types of routes in mountaineering: climbing and traverses .
Climbing routes- these are paths from the foot, lower bergschrunds or passes along ridges, ribs, buttresses, walls, slopes, large fireplaces or couloirs to the summits. Climbing the couloirs, as a rule, is technically the simplest, but also the most objectively dangerous due to rockfalls, avalanches, ice discharges, therefore, they are mainly used for descents.
Traverse routes- this is the passage along the ridge, in addition to ascent, of a section of a ridge, spur or massif, including two or more peaks, with an ascent to the first peak and a descent from the last along the simplest paths. Moreover, the descent from the previous peak should take place in the direction of the next one and be carried out not along the path of ascent. The term traverse in mountaineering also refers to horizontal movement along slopes, walls and other forms of mountainous terrain.
In the CIS, the categories of complexity of routes are understood as a complex of microrelief. This complex includes the difficulties and conditions of individual sections of the microrelief, their length, location and alternation on the route, the length and duration of the route as a whole. Possessing relatively certain requirements, each category of route difficulty imposes appropriate requirements on climbers, their physical, technical, psychological, moral and volitional training. Currently, climbing routes are classified from 1B to 6B category of difficulty.
For climbers and traversers routes can be: first ascents, first ascents, second and third ascents, variations and combinations. In connection with the appearance of foreign climbers in the mountains, a new concept arose: the passage of routes by the first climbers of such and such a country.
First ascents- these are the ascents of climbers to peaks or traverses that have not yet been conquered by anyone, including passing through peaks that have not yet been conquered (at least one).
First ascents- these are ascents to an already conquered peak along ridges, buttresses, ribs and walls, large slopes, couloirs and fireplaces that have not been passed by anyone, or traverses of ridges that have not been passed in this direction between two or more peaks. Climbing left, right, center, or various combinations of previously climbed walls, ridges, buttresses, large slopes, couloirs, or chimneys are not first ascents. Subsequent routes of first ascents along the same walls should be clearly separated from each other by pronounced ribs, buttresses, and couloirs. The first ascent of a route climbed with the help of bolt technique is credited to the sports group that was the first to pass it by free climbing. Pioneers, as a rule, spend 1.5-3 times more time on routes and equipment for organizing belay and self-belay.
Pioneers spend 1.5-3 times more time on routes and equipment for organizing belay and self-insurance.
In the photo: the famous American climber Fred Beckey, who has a huge number of first ascents in different regions.
Second and third passes of the route are considered for the sports groups that passed it, respectively, the second or third, regardless of the time elapsed since the previous groups passed it.
Variants are usually routes that pass along previously climbed walls or slopes at some distance from previously climbed routes, i.e. bypassing sites along the adjacent microrelief, without clearly defined landmarks of the middle mountainous relief that delimit the routes.
Combination are routes consisting of a set of sections of previously traveled routes.
The routes are considered passed only when the climbers reach the summit and only in this case they are entered in the KTMGV (Classification Table of Mountain Climbing Routes).
Difficulties of the sites
The main factors that determine the difficulties of the sections include: the steepness, nature, shape, size, position and number of hooks, ledges, cracks, shelves and other micro-elements of the torus relief that allow climbers to move, as well as the location of the microrelief in absolute height on route and its condition.
Relative indicators of the difficulty of the sections for a properly trained group of climbers can be: the speed of the section, the possible and most rational way to move around the site during ascent and descent, the possibility of passing the site with a backpack (a certain load), the necessary special equipment for passing the site and providing security.
Thus, the difficulty of the sections can be characterized as follows:
Plot zero (n / k)- very easy difficulty. These are wide scree, grassy, snowy, strongly destroyed rocky ridges and slopes with a steepness of up to 10-20 °. The sections are covered by the simultaneous movement of the whole group in ordinary trekking shoes, without the use of any special equipment.
Plots of the first (I)- easy difficulty - these are scree, snow-ice areas with a steepness of 15-30 ° and non-steep rocky areas. When ascending and descending, they are overcome by the simultaneous movement of the entire group, using the hands to maintain balance. When passing, elementary climbing training is required. Equipment: boots, ice ax, for organizing insurance - a rope.
Plots of the second (II)- simple difficulty - these are snow-ice sections with a steepness of 25-30 ° and not steep rocks. When ascending and descending, they are overcome alternately (by trained climbers at the same time) using hands to create supports. When passing, elementary climbing training is required. Equipment: climbing boots, ice ax, crampons, for organizing insurance - a rope, possibly hooks, bookmarks.
Sections of the third (III)- medium difficulty, mountaineering itself begins with this difficulty, because movement in such areas requires special climbing training and equipment to organize safe movement (insurance). Sections of medium difficulty are ice-snow sections with a steepness of 30-45 °, as a rule, passed in three cycles or on crampons; steep rocky slopes, ribs, internal corners, fireplaces, ridges, walls with good numerous hooks, ledges, crevices that allow you to move safely, or smooth but gentle slabs, ribs, ridges, gutters. Climbing on sections of medium difficulty is carried out by free climbing with the main load on the legs and with a backpack. Descents are carried out mainly in a sports way or by a rappel, as well as free climbing, although in this case it is difficult. Equipment: climbing shoes, crampons, ice axes, for organizing insurance and self-insurance - hooks, bookmarks, ropes, carabiners, loops, hammers, consumable cord.
Plots of the fourth (IV)- above average difficulty (difficult). These are steep (40-55°) ice-snow slopes and ridges with a variety of snow cornices, the passage of which is carried out mainly on the front teeth of crampons; steep rocky areas with a limited number of holds, ledges, ledges, cracks, and crevices, requiring strenuous free climbing and good command of the technique of movement on mountainous terrain. Passing sections with a backpack is possible, but very difficult. To ensure safety, the first one must overcome the wall sections on a double rope. Descent through the sections is mainly by rappels, in some cases it is possible in a sports way. Equipment: climbing shoes, crampons, ice axes, for the organization of insurance and self-insurance - various rock pitons, bookmarks, kamas, ice screws, carabiners, hammers, expendable cord, ropes.
Sections of the fifth (V) difficulty- difficult. These are steep (more than 45°) ice-snow slopes, walls and ridges with a variety of snow cornices, which are passed on the front teeth of crampons, but mainly require the creation of artificial support points (AI). These are also steep smoothed rocks of diverse mountainous terrain with a very limited number of inconvenient holds, stops, ledges, ledges, crevices, crevices, allowing free movement only for well-trained climbers, with a possible organization on short (2-3 m) sections of ATO; these rocks, however, have a sufficient number of cracks, crevices and crevices to create reliable insurance, as well as (albeit rarely) ledges, not very convenient platforms for organizing a change of leader (leader). For the passage of difficult sections, good special climbing technical, tactical, physical and moral preparation is required. The movement is carried out mainly by free climbing, but only alternately. Climbing first with a backpack over 15kg is next to impossible. Descents are carried out only by rappels. Equipment: special climbing shoes, crampons, ice axes, a large set of various rock pitons, embedded elements, drills, carabiners, hammers, auxiliary cord, ladders. Insurance and self-insurance - mostly hook.
Plots sixth (VI) difficulty- very difficult. These are smooth vertical and overhanging rocks with a very limited number of inconvenient and small-sized hooks, stops, ledges, ledges necessary for organizing movement, and even cracks that allow organizing artificial points of support, insurance and self-insurance, there are practically no even short narrow ones (for one person) shelves for rest. Places of belay stations, self-insurance and change of leader are mostly hanging. The sites require for their passage an excellent command of the highest special climbing technique of movement, tactical, physical, psychological and moral preparation, possession of special climbing techniques and can be climbed by a limited number of very well trained climbers. Descents by rappels are difficult and require some preparation of the descent route when ascending.
* To the above, useful information:
The distinction between free and artificial climbing:
In all descriptions of ascents, there should be a clear distinction between and. A route or part of it can be considered free-climbing if pitons, kamas, bookmarks and other aids are used only for belaying, and not as an additional means in overcoming the technical difficulties of the route.
The assessment of the difficulty of free climbing is made by Roman numerals from I to VI with intermediate steps: lower (-) or upper (+) limits. If, in free climbing, the condition of the rocks requires the use of instead of the usual ones, then this is indicated by the addition of the letter "e". For example: "ve".
Difficulty rating for artificial climbing is given by the letter "A" in combination with Arabic numerals from 1 to 5. Additional uses bolt hooks and here it is indicated by the addition of the letter "e". For example: "A1e".
For free climbing, six degrees of difficulty are accepted, which are indicated as follows:
I - light
II - moderately severe
III - heavy
IV - very heavy
V - especially heavy
VI - extremely heavy
And if, starting at least from category III, we add minus and plus signs, then there are a total of 14 degrees of evaluation. Free climbing of the VI category of difficulty - the upper limit of human abilities - is only possible for the most experienced climbers.
To assess the difficulty of artificial climbing, 4 degrees are used. At the same time, "A1" means that hooks and other aids are used relatively rarely and the passage requires relatively little strength, endurance and courage.
Large numbers mean great difficulties in organizing insurance and great physical costs (overcoming cornices, canopies, etc.), which require ever greater abilities from the climber.
After indicating the category of difficulty at the beginning of the description of the ascent, such important information for the climber should follow, such as:
- route security - places open and not protected from the wind, etc .;
- tedious, strenuous routes;
- the state of the rocky relief - destroyed rocks, etc.;
- danger of rockfalls, avalanches, ice falls, etc.;
- tactical difficulties, difficult orientation, etc.;
- poor possibility or complete absence of the possibility of returning after certain sections of the route;
- climatic hazards: a sharp change in the weather, etc. the total height in meters and the length of the route (the system of climbing passports has been adopted in Russia);
- the length of individual sections of the route - the most difficult, the so-called key;
- the time required to overcome the route or key sections;
- places for bivouacs;
- the number of hooks and other equipment, of course, necessary; logic, beauty and other advantages of the route.
When evaluating the ascent, the category of difficulty of the most difficult sections should be given first. If most of the other sections are of lesser difficulty, then their degrees of difficulty should be listed in sequence.
If the route has sections of both free climbing and artificial climbing, then this must be expressed in for each type separately. There should be no "universal" assessment, since it is impossible to establish such norms. The overall assessment of the route should be based on the assessment of individual sections of the route, additional conditions, the length of the route and from a comparison with previously traveled routes.
Difficulty rating should be based on normal route conditions. Frequently visited routes, the equipment of which (loops, railings, hooks, bookmarks, removed "live" stones, etc.) can be considered stable, the difficulty category must be indicated for the current state.
Along with the ascent paths, the route should indicate in detail the easiest way to descend from the summit. The direction "to the left" and "to the right" in this case is set on the condition that the observer is facing the valley. The possibility of using the left hooks should be indicated.
The technical difficulties of ice and snow ascents cannot be covered by the usual system, since they depend to a large extent on the slope and the ratios existing at a given time, for which no norms can be found.
Publication of this material on other resources only with the permission of the site administration.
Before we start talking about such a complex and multifaceted topic as the difficulty of climbing routes, let's answer one very important question: why does a climber need to know and be able to navigate the classification of routes and categories of difficulty?
The first and most important reason is the desire to go to the mountains without accidents! And for this, the main principle that you need to be guided by when choosing a route is its feasibility for you and your group. Then we can talk about the safety of its passage.
The system of uniform categories of difficulty in the Post-Soviet space allows you and your teachers to understand what experience you already have and what you are ready for, even if the peaks you have been to are one on and the other is on, and you yourself are with your teacher are in the Tuyuk-Su gorge.
In addition, the system of sports categories in mountaineering is based on the classification of routes. The qualification level of each climber is determined by the experience of climbing routes of a certain category of complexity and the amount of knowledge acquired during preparation for them, while fulfilling the requirements of a unified curriculum.
For the first time, the classification of mountain peaks in the USSR began in the pre-war years and since then has been constantly replenished and systematized. After the collapse of the USSR, it remained practically unchanged and is now in effect throughout almost the entire territory of the Post-Soviet space.
The classification of the route is intended to give an overall assessment of the route to the summit.
This assessment is subjective, but there are several factors that are usually guided by:
1) the difficulty of individual sections, their length and location on the route;
2) the absolute height of the peak, which simultaneously characterizes the change in the category of sites depending on the absolute height of their location;
3) the actual length of the route (excluding approaches and descents, regardless of their length and difficulty, along moraines, glaciers, screes, etc.);
4) the average steepness of the route;
5) the time required to complete the route, related to the groups prepared for this category of difficulty.
Based on these parameters, there 6 categories and 6 semi-categories in each category. Below is a very brief description of them:
In addition, according to the type of relief, climbing routes are divided into rocky, snow-ice and combined. Discharge norms provide for the experience of rock and combined. There are few purely ice-snow routes in the classification, and according to the experience gained on them, they are actually equated to combined ones. The assignment of the route to rocky or combined is made according to the predominant nature of difficult places that determine the category of difficulty.
Rock activities Mountaineering and rock climbing team ExtremeGuide.
Purpose: to prepare participants for routes of various categories of difficulty.
All successful ascents and safe descents!!!
When classifying tourist trips, they are attributed to one or another type of tourism, to one or another category of complexity. This is the basic principle. The rules for conducting tourist sports trips and the category requirements of the Unified All-Union Sports Classification (EVSK) established that sports trips are carried out in the following types of tourism: hiking, skiing, mountain, water, bicycle, motorcycle, automobile and caving. In order of increasing length, duration and technical complexity, they are divided into hikes I, II, III, IV, V and VI categories of complexity. Depending on the category of the hike, you need to choose the right camping equipment in the online sale.
The affiliation of a hike to a certain type of tourism is mostly obvious. The difference between the means and methods of transportation used is beyond doubt. Among all types, mountain tourism is to some extent conditionally singled out. It may indeed be considered a type of hiking, but with good reason it should be considered a type of mountaineering. Nevertheless, its independent allocation is justified and there is no doubt about the need for this. The natural conditions of high-mountain regions and the specifics of obstacles pose many challenges for mountain tourists that are not inherent in other types of tourism. Here is a large arsenal of special equipment, and its own techniques and tactics, and issues of high-altitude acclimatization.
Assigning a hike to one or another category of complexity is a more difficult task and not always undeniably solvable. The classification adopted many years ago and currently in force has many conventions and is based mainly on subjective expert assessments. Measures have been and are being taken to make the classification of routes more objective. To do this, the materials of reports on campaigns are carefully studied, the sections that determine the complexity of the route are evaluated after repeated or multiple passage.
Attempts have been made to develop systems for assessing obstacles to be overcome in points or points. But they did not lead to any acceptable results. In addition to the extreme complexity and digital cumbersomeness and the danger that the collection of such information can become the main task of the campaign, the point system is simply not able to set objective "prices" for countless different obstacles, not to mention such concepts as the features of areas, autonomy, weather conditions, objective danger, etc. For example, which obstacle should be given preference in points: crossing a mountain river or pass, skiing in deep snow in the taiga or on crust in the tundra, the same threshold on the river at a high or low level and water consumption?
The adopted method of assigning a route to a certain category of complexity by comparing it with the reference routes established for a given area and type of tourism has justified itself and continues to be the only acceptable one.
The main factor influencing safety is the level of practical tourist experience acquired in previous trips. The requirements for this experience are determined by the Rules for conducting tourist sports trips (hereinafter referred to as the Rules). But this level cannot be verified without a detailed route classification. The category requirements for tourism establish for each category of complexity of the trip and types of tourism only the minimum length in kilometers and duration in days.
The hikes, which have a length and duration less than those established for hikes of the I category of complexity, are non-categorical. Their most common type is weekend hikes. Non-categorical hikes can include elements (sections) of hikes of any, up to the VI category of difficulty. They are most widespread in water tourism, less often in mountain tourism. The experience gained in such trips is taken into account when deciding on admission to future trips, and, of course, they are not accepted for credit for the category.
In table 1 there are no standards for hikes of the VI category of complexity. Such trips are not required to fulfill sports categories and the title of "Master of Sports of the USSR" in tourism. Compared to the "fives", they contain areas of increased technical complexity. Their selection into an independent category is dictated by the same security issues. Basically, these trips are made in mountain and water types of tourism, incomparably less - in skiing and hiking.
Taking into account the indicators of duration and length, the assignment of hikes to various categories of complexity is carried out by comparing them with the reference routes of the List of classified tourist routes (hereinafter referred to as the list). This list is regularly reviewed, once every four years, simultaneously with the Unified All-Union Sports Classification (EVSK), and the accumulated information and changes are made to it.
Table 1
| Types of tourism and characteristics of hiking | Hiking difficulty categories | ||||
| I | II | III | IV | V | |
| Duration of trips in days (at least) | 6 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 16 |
| Length of hikes in kilometers (at least): | |||||
| pedestrian | 130 | 160 | 190 | 220 | 250 |
| ski | 130 | 160 | 200 | 250 | 300 |
| mountain | 100 | 120 | 140 | 150 | 160 |
| water (on rowing boats and rafts) | 150 | 175 | 200 | 225 | 250 |
| cycling | 250 | 400 | 600 | 800 | 100 |
| on motorcycles | 1000 | 1500 | 2000 | 2500 | 3000 |
| by car | 1500 | 2000 | 2500 | 3000 | 3500 |
| speleotourism (number of caves) | 5 | 4-5 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1 |
In the current list for 1985-1988. more than 1100 routes of all categories of complexity are presented for all types of tourism and for most regions of the USSR visited by tourists.
The nature and variety of natural obstacles, their technical complexity in different parts of the country are different. The information available today has made it possible, with some degree of conditionality, to establish the maximum categories of hiking difficulty for all types of tourism in each area.
The absence in Table 2 of the maximum categories of hiking difficulty (and, consequently, classified routes) in a number of areas for certain types of tourism is explained in different ways. In some cases, this indicates the insufficiency or absence of objective information on the categorization of routes in these areas, in others - the absence of the necessary natural conditions. So, mountain hikes cannot be carried out in the flat areas, as well as in the middle mountains, where the nature of the terrain and obstacles is favorable for hiking. Skiing requires snow, which is not available, for example, in Central Asia.
table 2
| Districts | Types of tourism | |||
| pedestrian | ski | mountain | water | |
| Kola Peninsula | III | V | V | |
| Arkhangelsk region, Komi ASSR | III | V | IV | |
| Karelia, Leningrad and Vologda regions | III | III | IV | |
| The middle flat part of the European territory of the USSR | II | II | II | |
| Southern flat part of the European territory of the USSR | I | I | II with el. III | |
| Carpathians | II | III | III with el. IV | |
| Crimea | II | |||
| Caucasus Western | IV | V | III with el. VI | |
| Caucasus Central | VI | III with el. VI | ||
| Caucasus East | IV | V | IV with el. VI | |
| Transcaucasia | III | V | III | III with el. V |
| Ural Polar | IV | VI | IV | |
| Ural Subpolar | V | VI | IV | |
| Ural North | III | V | III | |
| Ural Middle and South | III | III | II | |
| West Siberian. lowland | III | IV | III | |
| Desert and semi-desert regions of Central Asia | III | II | ||
| Pamir-Alai | VI | VI | ||
| Pamir | VI | VI | ||
| Tien Shan Western | IV | IV | VI | |
| Tien Shan Central | VI | VI | ||
| Tien Shan Northern | V | VI | ||
| Altai | V | VI | VI | VI |
| Dzungarian Alatau Kuznetsk Alatau | IV | V | IV | |
| Sayan Western | V | V | V | |
| Sayan East | V | VI | II | VI |
| Taimyr and the Putorana Plateau | V | VI | V | |
| Krasnoyarsk Territory (other regions) | V | V | V | |
| Baikal region, Transbaikalia | V | VI | III | VI |
| Khabarovsk Territory, Primorye | V | V | V | |
| Yakutia, Magadan region, Chukotka | VI | VI | V | |
| VI | VI | |||
| Sakhalin Region, Kuril Islands | IV | |||
Table 3
| Districts | Type of tourism | ||
| cycling | automoto | caving | |
| the Baltic States | II | II | |
| Carpathians | IV | V | III |
| Caucasus | V | V | V |
| Central Asia and Kazakhstan | V | V | V |
| Ukraine (other regions), Belarus, Moldova | III | III | IV (Crimea) |
| RSFSR: European North | V | V | III |
| central Russia | III | III | |
| European South East | V | III | |
| Ural | V | V | III |
| Altai | V | V | III |
| Western Siberia | IV | V | III (Sayans), II (Kuznetsk Alatau and Mountain Shoria) |
| Eastern Siberia and Far East | V | V | I |
The question may arise why in such areas as the Central Caucasus, Pamir-Alai, Pamir, Northern and Central Tien Shan, there are no hiking and skiing routes. In these high mountainous (or traditionally climbing) areas, the obstacles that determine the category of difficulty of the hike are mainly classified passes. In the valleys and gorges, on the approaches to them, there are roads or well-filled paths, and bridges are thrown everywhere across the rivers. There are no crossings necessary for hiking, off-road taiga, difficult orientation, etc. In winter, there is a lot of snow in these mountains, but you have to move mainly not on skis, but on foot: there is insufficient snow cover in the valleys, and glaciers with their icefalls and steep slopes of passes not for skis. Therefore, in these areas, it was agreed to carry out only mountain hikes (in winter with the use of skis).
Tourist sports trips should not, as it sometimes happens, be carried out only for the sake of overcoming obstacles (technology for technology's sake). In such campaigns, the idea of travel is emasculated, which is replaced by a narrow sporting goal. The artificial stringing of obstacles leads to the loss of tourist specificity, the degeneration of travel into a bad resemblance to, for example, independent sports such as mountain climbing and water slalom.
Tourism is something more than a complex of physical exercises. Unlike most sports, it has an incomparably greater content: the expansion of the traveler's horizons when meeting new places and people, the impact on him of a diverse nature, the active interaction of a team of people in the fight against difficulties and their own shortcomings, the autonomous actions of the group in underdeveloped and uninhabited areas, education of independence, initiative, determination and self-control under unexpected circumstances.
Preserving the sporty nature of hikes (significant speeds of movement, time limits, overcoming natural obstacles, conscious avoidance of outside help, etc.), the classification focuses on naturally and logically built routes.
The logic of the route consists of several concepts. Ideally, this is a continuous route without (or with a minimum number of) radial exits and with an even distribution of physical, technical and psychological stress and natural obstacles. It provides maximum familiarity with the travel area.
The continuity of the route is a mandatory element, without which the physical and psychological stress of the trip is sharply reduced. A break in the route is considered to be a stay in the settlement for more than two days that is not caused by extreme necessity, as well as the use of intra-route transport. As an exception, and only if necessary, a short-term break in the route using transport within a given tourist area may be allowed. Basically, transport is used by watermen and speleologists, who pass several rivers or caves in one trip.
The duration of the trip is set by the category requirements, based on the minimum time in days required for the route to be completed by a trained group. The increase in duration can be justified by the greater length of the route, the greater number and complexity of natural obstacles. Days are also added for reconnaissance and in case of bad weather. The number of days should be within 20% of the total trip duration.
The sportiness of tourism lies not in the speed of the route. If a group “runs” on a hike without looking around, without comprehending what has been passed and what is to be passed, then the meaning of the journey is lost. If, for example, a group in the mountains passes through avalanche and rockfall areas at the wrong time, instead of waiting, then its "sportiness" is not only doubtful, but also dangerous. And dangerous not only for her, but also for other groups. A precedent is being created for a quick and, if you're lucky, accident-free passage of such sections of the route at the wrong time.
The length of the hike, set for each category of difficulty, is understood as the smallest allowable length scoring route. Attempts to reduce it should be treated in the same way as in the case of duration - and the logic of the journey should be preserved here. Only in exceptional cases (perhaps only in water and less often in mountain trips), with a high technical complexity of the route, the length can be reduced, but not more than 25%. Naturally, requirements for length do not apply to cave hiking.
The main part of the route must be linear or circular (one ring) with a length of at least 75% of the complexity of the hike established for this category and contain the most difficult obstacles of the route (for mountain hikes - at least two of the most difficult passes).
A radial exit is a section of the route with a return to the starting point. Distances and natural obstacles covered in circular radial exits (with a return along a different path) are counted in full, and those covered in linear radial exits (with a return along the same path) are counted in one direction.
A route built only on radial exits from one point (base camp), especially with a significant number and small length of such loops, excludes the very spirit of travel. Basically, such deviations from the norm are observed in mountain hikes.
It is also agreed that the lengthening of the route with the same nature of the obstacles cannot be the basis for increasing the difficulty category of the hike. Attempts to overestimate the difficulty of the route are especially noticeable among hikers when they hike in high mountain areas. Increased in comparison with the mountain reference route, the length and number of passes of the same complexity seem to them to be the basis for raising the category of complexity of the hike. And if a mountain route 140 km long with two 2A passes is assessed as a hike of the III category of complexity, then a hiking route in the same area of 190 km with a large number of the same passes is offered as IV, or even V category of complexity. Under no circumstances should this be done.
The technical complexity of the route is determined by the nature, number and variety of obstacles. The nature of the obstacles is determined by the level of skill and technical skill required to pass the given obstacle with the proper guarantee of safety. Routes of each category of difficulty have their own level of typical obstacles. Routes of a higher difficulty category contain more difficult obstacles than routes of the previous category. When assessing routes, obstacles are primarily taken into account, which give tourists the technical experience necessary to ensure safety on subsequent hikes.
The reference routes summarize and streamline the actually traveled routes, do not lead the practice of tourism, but somewhat lag behind it and are based on the already achieved level of technical complexity of the hikes. But this level should not be a record: a route passed by one or two groups at the limit of skill in an acceptable risk cannot be considered a criterion for this category of hiking complexity.
As already mentioned, each revision of the current lists of classification routes is timed to coincide with the next four years of the Unified All-Union Sports Classification. The reason for reducing the category of complexity of the route, indicated in the previously valid list, is mainly the tendency to complicate the trips of one or another type of tourism. Less often, this is caused by a change in the situation in the route area (the appearance of roads, bridges, new settlements, regulation of river flow, etc.) or the special popularity of the route, which forms good continuous trails, there is always a ski track, frequent meetings with other groups, etc. The latter, however, almost does not apply to mountain, water and speleotourism.
The assignment of a route to a certain category of complexity is carried out by the ICC within the limits of its authority by comparing it with the reference routes of a given type of tourism in a given geographical area. Lists of classified routes are compiled and adjusted on the basis of proposals from places by highly qualified tourists working in the ICC and commissions for the types of tourism of the All-Union Tourism Federation. This takes into account the need to unify the requirements for routes of the same categories of complexity, but lying in different regions of the country and passable in different conditions.
Along with the List of classified tourist routes, when determining the categories of difficulty of hikes, you should use the lists of classified passes in high and middle mountains.
The first of these is an invaluable reference material for developing mountain hiking routes. It was officially approved in 1973 and, together with additions and changes issued in 1975 and 1978, included more than 1.5 thousand passes. The current list contains the characteristics of more than 3 thousand passes, which have been repeatedly passed and described by various tourist groups.
The passes are grouped according to high-mountainous regions and according to their main ridges and nodes: Western, Central and Eastern Caucasus; Pamir-Alai, including the Fann Mountains, Hissar Range, Matcha, Alai Range and Dugoba; Pamir; Western, Northern and Central Tien Shan; Altai; Dzungarian Alatau.
To assess the categories of difficulty of the passes, a special methodology has been developed, which is based on the following defining features: the nature of the most difficult sections of the pass; equipment necessary to overcome the pass, tactics of movement and features of overnight accommodations; quantitative characteristics (movement time, number of insurance points); necessary special equipment. Depending on the totality of all these signs, the passes are classified into one of three categories of difficulty, divided in turn into two semi-categories (A and B).
For each pass, the list contains the following data: the name of the pass, in parentheses - less used; height above sea level; categories of difficulty of the pass at different times of the year; the nature of the main defining areas (rocks, ice, scree, grass, snow); the names of glaciers, rivers, valleys, gorges, lakes that the pass connects. If possible, the notes contain brief information about the options for passing the pass, the number of saddles, possible dangerous phenomena (cornices, rockfalls, avalanches), etc.
The list of classified passes of the middle mountains is primarily intended to help in the difficult task of assessing the complexity of hiking and skiing trips carried out in such areas as the Kola Peninsula, the Urals, the Sayans, the Baikal and Transbaikalia, Yakutia, Kamchatka. The list was approved in 1985 and so far includes more than 1000 passes and observation peaks. These passes have the same difficulty category designations as the passes in the highlands. But you cannot put an equal sign between them. The areas that determine their complexity are insignificant in length, height and glaciation are incomparable. Therefore, the experience of passing the passes of the middle mountains for hiking in high mountainous areas should be taken into account as follows: the participants of the hike must have experience of passing (leader-experience of the leader) two passes of the middle mountains of the same category of difficulty as the most difficult pass of the route in this high mountainous area. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the nature of the most difficult sections (ice, snow, rocks) and the height of the passes.
All of the above about the classification of routes applies to almost all types of tourism. But the specificity of each of them predetermines its own characteristics in the construction of routes. And the more technical these types are, the more additional requirements are aimed primarily at ensuring safety. Before proceeding to the consideration of the features of the classification of routes in the types of tourism, it is useful to familiarize yourself with Table 4, which characterizes the development of categorical trips of different types.
For many years, the number of categorical trips has been occupied by hiking tourism. True, mainly due to hikes of I and II categories of difficulty. In more difficult campaigns, he was confidently ahead of such technical types tourism, both water and mountain. Their attractiveness and sportiness is obvious. The table shows that in terms of sports, the types of tourism are arranged in the following sequence: water, hiking, mountain, skiing, cycling, caving, automoto.
The number of rivers on which you can raft is limited. Therefore, at first glance, it is not very difficult to compile a list of water routes. But it's not. The assessment of the river depends on the type of vessel on which the group is rafting, on the level and flow of water during the trip, on the density and nature of the obstacles. The same river, depending on this, may have a different category of complexity. Moreover, an increase or decrease against the average water regime complicates the passage of some obstacles and simplifies the passage of others. If in other types of tourism you can stop at almost any difficult area in order to gather strength, find the best solution, then in the water course of the river it does not allow you to do this. The guarantee of the correct actions can only be given by the worked out reaction of each tourist individually and the ship's crew as a whole. Water tourism remains the most difficult type of tourism.
The classified water routes listed in the list are evaluated differently in many cases, depending on the use of various vessels for rafting (kayaks, rafts, inflatable boats and catamarans equivalent to them). Examples of water reference routes (symbols: n - rafts, n - inflatable boats, b - kayaks);
Altai. Katun river. Pos. Yazevka-pos. Yin (d, n-IV, b-V).
Sayans. Gutara river. Pos. V. Gutara - pos. Shelekhovo (b, n, n-III). River Uda. Pos. Alygdzher-pos. Threshold (n, n-III; b-III with elements IV).
Baikal region. River Vitim. Pos. Karaftit - pos. Romanovka (n, n-III; b-IV). River Chaya. Nizhneangarsk-pos. Chaya - rafting from the upper reaches of the river. Tea to the river. Lena (n, n-IV; 6-V).
Carpathians. The Black Cheremosh River - the Cheremosh River. Burkut - Vizhnitsa (b-II with elements of IV; n, n-II with elements of III).
Caucasus. Kura river. Pos. Atskuri - Mtskheta (b - III with elements IV; n, n-111). River Kodori. Sat. Kvemo-Azhara-r. Kodori to the mouth (b, p, n-p with elements of V).
Ural. Vishera river. Su. Midnight - Krasnovishersk (p, n-p).
| Type of tourism | Categories of difficulty | ||||||
| I | II | III | IV | V | VI | Total | |
| Pedestrian Ski Mountain Water Bicycle Automotive motorcycle Speleo Total |
4682(52 128) 1526(13961) 2208(21 281) 3538(29 029) 695 (6 327) 189 (1 551) 38(280) 363(3 505) 13239(128 062) |
960(10 182) 524 (4 548) 1 171 (10 055) 1588(14 285) 300(2 426) 88(537) 20(126) 166(1 474) 4 817 (43 633) |
333(2 992) 216(1 880) 545(4 602) 888(8 361) 130(1 223) 31(211) 10(65) 80(758) 2 233 (20 092) |
99 (820) 84 (679) 274(2 317) 362(3 374) 54(433) 6 (44) 1(7) 23(236) 903(7 910) |
75 (586) 67(554) 240(1 961) 297(2 952) 30 (277) 3(29) 3(20) 16(176) 731(6 555) |
1(7) 17(155) 27 (304) 45(466) |
6149(66 708) 2418(21 629) 4455(40 371) 6700(58 305) 1209(10 686) 317(2 372) 72 (498) 648(6 149) 21968(206 718) |
The basis of the classification of mountain routes are passes (taking into account their number and complexity).
Table 5 shows that each increase in the difficulty category of a hike depends on the inclusion of the pass of the next semi-category of difficulty in it. The apparent simplicity of the classification by no means eliminates many difficulties and does not take into account a number of additional factors. A significant increase in the technical level of mountain hikes, the appearance of special equipment led to the spread of mountain hikes with an increase in the number of difficult passes while maintaining and even reducing the minimum duration. As a result, the routes are passed at the limit of the physical and nervous capabilities of the participants, the likelihood of accidents and injuries increases (and in mountain tourism now accidents account for almost 50% of the total). Therefore, additional requirements appeared both for the experience of participants in mountain hikes and for the classification of routes. The number of passes, especially difficult ones, is limited. It is more than enough for a real trip, if you do not run the route without seeing anything around. It is also agreed that mountain hikes cannot include more than two first ascents of the most difficult, determining the category of difficulty of the hike passes. At the same time, it is necessary to plan an additional increase in 1.5-2 times the time for passing such passes. Overcoming the most difficult pass on the route should be preceded by the passage of one or two passes on the category of difficulty below. There are areas where it is not possible to build a logical route without increasing the total number of passes with easy passes or pass combinations. In each individual case, this issue is decided by the ICC.
| Hiking difficulty category | Duration of the trip in days (at least) | Number of categorical passes (no more) with a minimum duration of the trip | Maximum allowable number of categorical passes with a corresponding increase in the duration of the trip | ||||||
| Total | including | ||||||||
| 1A | 1B | 2A | 2B | 3A | 3B | ||||
| I | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||
| II | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5, including 1B no more than 3 | ||||
| III | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6, including 2A no more than 3 | ||||
| IV | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7, 2A, 2B - no more than four, including 2B no more than 3 | |||
| V | 16 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8, 2B, FOR - no more than five, including FOR no more than 3 | |||
| VI | 16 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9, FOR, ST - no more than five, including ST no more than 3 | |||
Unreasonable ascent from the pass point to the neighboring peak is prohibited.
Examples of mountain routes
Caucasus
Nalchik - t / b "Chegem" - per. Narzanny (n / c) - t / b "Chegem" - ice. Fist-per. Twiber (1B) - ice. Dzinal ice. Keithlod-per. Semi + per. Zanner (2A) - ice. Bezengi-per. MVTU (2A) - ice. Bashkauz - ice. Dykhsu - trans. Gezewcek (1B) -r. Rioni-Kutaisi. III category of complexity.
Sat. Top. Balkaria - ice. Dykhsu - trans. MVTU (2A) - ice. Bezengi - trans. Sports Friendship (2B) - ice. Sha-urtu-t / b "Chegem" - per. Bodorka + per. Lychat (FOR) - lane. Bashil (2A) - ice, Lekzyr - per. Dollacora + per. Yu. Chatyn (2B) - ice. Shkheldinsky-per. Ahsu (2A) - r. Dolra - sat down. Mestia. V category of complexity.
Pamir-Alai. Fay mountains
Dushanbe - lake. Iskanderkul - r. Iskanderdarya - r. Norvat-per. Jpjik (1A) -trans. Lower Zinakh (1B) - r. Imat - r. Pasrud - lake. Alaudinskiye - lake. Muddy lane. V. Kaznok (1B) -r. Kaznok-r. Arg-r. Ahbasai lane. Double (1B) -oz. B. Allo-r. Zin-don - r. Voru - Samarkand. II category of complexity.
Dushanbe - r. Pasrud - lake. Alaudinsky - trans. Adamtash (1B) - lake. Kulikalon-per. Mezhozerny (2B) - lake. B. Hello - trans. Samara (2B) - r. Kaznok-r. Arg-r. Ahbasai lane. Moscow (1B) -r. Archamaidan - per. Pshtikul (1B) -r. Karakul-per. Aksu (1B) - r. Sarymat - trans. 3. Sarymat (2A) - lake. Marguzor - Samarkand, IV category of complexity.
Pamir-Alai. Dugoba
Pos. Khaidarkan - r. Alaudin - trans. Gaumysh (1A) - r. Gaumysh - r. Gialisu - ice. Gialisu - trans. Illiksu (2A) - ice. Illiksu-per. Hope (2A) - ice. Abramova - GMS - r. Koksu - r. Dzhugurtash - trans. Three (1B) -r. Archakanysh ice. Dugoba-per. Aktash (1B) -r. Dugoba-a/l "Dugoba" -t/b "Shakhimardan". III category of complexity.
Pamir
Pos. Kudara - r. Khabarvivkhats - trans. Zheleznodorozhny + per. Optimal (2A) -r. Khabarviv-hats- per. Autumn (1B) -r. Yazgulemdara-per. Lower Khurjin (1B) - ice. Rokzou-per. Birjraf (2A) -r. Bartang nose. Sea Pong. III category of complexity.
Pos. Vanch - r. Vanch - trans. Pulkovsky II (2A) - ice. Vanchdara - ice. Garmo is ice. Vavilov - trans. Bivachny (FOR) - ice. Fedchenko-per. Yazgulemsky (2B) - ice. Yazgulemsky-per. Dustyrosis (2B) - ice. Right Dustiroz - pos. Crystal - pos. Vanch. V category of complexity.
Central Tien Shan
Przhevalsk - r. Karakol - lake. Alakel - trans. Alakel Yu. (1B) - trans. Labor (2A) -per. Jetyoguz (2B) - r. Baitor - trans. SOAN (2A) - r. Ailama - r. Kelds-ke-ice. Keldyke-per. Riddle 3. (2B) - ice. Kolpakovsky - r. Sarychat - HMS "Tien Shan" - lane. Davydova (1B) - b. Karasai-pos, Karasai. IV category of difficulty.
Przhevalsk - r. Saryjas-r. Tuz-per. Tyuz (1B) - r. Inylchek - glad. exit to the lake Marzbacher - trans. Maibulak (1B) - ice. Mushketova - then two options:
a) per. Mushketov (2A) - ice. Semenov-per. Bayan-Kolsky (2A) - ice. 3. Bayankolsky - r. Bayankol - pos. Narynkol; b) per. Lucky (2A) or trans. Obzorny (2A) - ice. Semenov - trans. V. Ashuter (2A) - r. Ashu-ter - r. Bayankol - pos. Narynkol. III category of complexity.
Altai
Pos. Aktasch - ug. Maashey - trans. Upper Shavlinsky (2A) - trans. Abyloyuk (1B) -r. Abyloyuk-r. Karagem - r. Camryu - trans. S. Foggy (2A) - r. Yungur - trans. Moskvich + per. Orbita (1B) -oz. Shavlinskoe - r. Shavla village Chibit. III category of complexity.
Dzungarian Alatau
Pos. Kopal - trans. Kopalsky (n / c) - r. The bark is ice. Araltobe-per. Araltobe (1B) - ice. Tronova- per. Academician B. N. Petrov (2B) - ice. Bezsonova - trans. Tekeli (1A) -r. Korzhun-per. Academician S. V. Ilya tire + trans. Abolina (2B) - trans. Makarevich (2A) - pos. Arasan. IV category of difficulty.
Pedestrian tourism has been and remains the most massive. Almost all tourists started with it. Most of the weekend trips and I category of difficulty, which are mainly held in the native land, are hiking trips. Noticeably fewer groups go on difficult hiking trips than on water and mountain trips. Getting out of the plains into the mountains, rafting down an easy river at the end of the journey, many may have a desire to test themselves in these more emotional and technical types of tourism.
When assessing the complexity of hiking trips, the autonomous actions of the group are taken into account, the continuity of uninhabited difficult terrain in the absence of often short emergency exit options in the event of an accident. The absence of certain landmarks in the remote taiga region, the movement through thickets, swamps, canyons without a permanent path - all this becomes an essential addition to the purely technical aspects of the route. To increase the technical complexity of walking tours, their routes are supplemented by ascents to observation peaks.
Examples of walking routes
Sayans
Pos. Upper Gutara - r. Gutara - trans. to the river M. Sigach - r. Chatyg-Khem - r. B. Sigach - r. B. Agul - ice. Kusurgasheva peak Grandiose (rising) -r. Kazyr-upper reaches of the river. Chavash - r. Chapshi - r. Systyg-Khem - nose. Systyg-Khem. V category of complexity.
Baikal region
Pos. Zun-Murin - r. Zun-Murin - Margasanskaya Sopka (1A, rise) - lane. on the river Utulik-r. Rossokha-per. on the river Bobkha - Peak Porozhisty (1A, rise) -r. Salzan-Baikalsk. V category of complexity.
Ridge Kodar
Pos. Chara-r. Wed Sakukan-per. Surprise (1B) - trans. Leningradets (2A) - lane. Rigan (2A) - per. Upper Sakukansky (n / c) -r. L. Sygykta-r. Sygykta - lake. Oron - r. Vitim. V category of complexity.
Chersky Ridge
Pos. Ust-Nera-rafting on the river. Indigirka to the mouth of the river. Inali - hr. Ust-Nersky - r. Kur - r. Erikit - r. Buordah-per. Krasnoyarova (2A) -r. Lunkide - ice. Tsaregradsky ice. Oyunskogo-per. Flight (2B) - ice. Salishcheva - trans. II Congress of the RSDLP (2A) - trans. Tent (2A) - ice. Sumgina - trans. Bukovinsky (2A) - ice. Cureter - r. Tirekhtyah - nose. Sasyr. VI category of complexity.
Kamchatka
S. Milkovo - lake. Seva - Kornilovskaya - r. Maltsevskaya - r. Gavanka - r. Tipping - on. Yuryevsky - volk. Zhupanovsky (2A) - r. P. Nalacheva - r. L. Nalacheva-per. Avachinsky (1A) -vl. Avachinsky (1A) - Yolizovo (ascent to the 2nd volcano). IV category of difficulty.
Pos. Achaivayam - r. Apuka - r. Nankichnatvayam - trans. through Apukinsky ridge. to the tributary Achaivayam - trans. on the river Yayolvayam L. - b. Chingakenwayam - trans. to the tributary Yayolvayam P. - trans. to the top. R. Ukelayat (Mt. Ukelayat) - glad. exit to the summit 2 145 m - per. on the river Ukelayat P. - sun. on Mount Ledyanaya (1B, 2562 m) - lev. tributary Achaivayam - trans. on the river Etelwayam - trans. on the river Ilpi - ice. Snowy - per. through hr. Snowy - r. Vatyna - the bay of Natalia. VI category of complexity.
Winter in a significant part of the territory of our country lasts for several months, and in a number of areas it is the only time of the year when you can make hiking trips, of course skiing.
Everything that has been said about the approach to assessing the complexity of hiking trips also applies to ski trips.
On skis you can develop high speeds, but not always and not everywhere. If there is no ice and ski tracks, moving through deep snow becomes one of the main obstacles. You can't get used to the cold, and he is a constant companion in ski trips. So, you need to be able to organize a good overnight stay, keep warm: otherwise you will not be able to restore strength for work the next day. In the treeless zone, this is especially difficult. A snowstorm, a blizzard - a combination of strong wind, snowfall and frost - should not be taken by surprise, lead to frostbite and hypothermia, to hopelessness. You need to be good at skiing, especially on steep slopes, ice (and all this with a heavy backpack).
Skiers have learned to deal with the cold. Here they are rescued by skillfully made (by themselves) equipment, warm clothes and bedding. Worse with avalanches. They are the main danger in ski trips, and only experience can help to avoid it, the ability to choose the only correct way to ascend or descend an avalanche-prone slope, and the organization of reliable insurance.
Among others, all these factors are taken into account when developing the classification of ski routes.
The main and decisive condition for the successful conduct of cycling, car and motorcycle trips is the reliable technical condition and equipment of vehicles.
The classification of the routes of these wheeled types of tourism is based on large distances compared to other types and off-road factors in the transition from simple to complex hikes. What is found in related sports (bicycle marathons, auto and motor rallies) is also present here: the professional skill of the driver, the ability to drive a car along country, broken roads (or even without them at all), a good reaction, etc. And to all this is added by the change of weather conditions inherent in other types of tourism, the need to organize overnight stays, self-sufficiency and the problem of compatibility in the team during long-term interaction with each other. It is impossible to deny the presence of great physical exertion, the expenditure of muscular energy, especially in cycling trips.
The categories of complexity of automotor trips are determined depending on the inclusion in their routes of classified sections or obstacles similar to them in nature and number and the technical complexity of overcoming them. Additional up to the standard length of these routes should be made up of road sections without obstacles or sections, the complexity of which is characterized by a lower category.
We should not welcome the attempts of individual groups (this is especially noticeable among cyclists, less often among motorcycle tourists) to complicate routes by dragging vehicles, for example, through passes, or in taiga regions along the railway track. There have been cases when such drags accounted for 25-30% of the time allotted for the entire trip. But the wheels are given for that, to move around on them.
Speleotourism differs from other types of tourism primarily in the absence of long distances. In this regard, it is more like mountaineering "in reverse": first the descent, then the ascent. But since it is cultivated as a type of tourism, then in other aspects it should be similar to it, be a journey.
When evaluating cave trekking, a set of caves of various difficulty categories that determine the complexity of the trek is taken into account.
Table 6
| Hiking difficulty category | Number of category caves (not less than) | ||||||||
| Total | 1 | 2A | 2B | BEHIND | ZB | 4A | 4B | 5A | |
| I | 5 | 3-4 | 1-2 | ||||||
| II | 4-5 | 2-3 | 1-2 | ||||||
| III | 1-2 | 2 or 1 | |||||||
| IV | 1-2 | 2 or 1 | |||||||
| V | 1 | ||||||||
The entire set of caves must be completed in one trip. As an exception, it is allowed to count "combined" trips for those areas where there are not enough caves located at an acceptable distance from each other.
If a cave of I or II category of difficulty is very long, the passage of several caves can be replaced by the passage of several routes in the same cave.
When classifying caves, the transition to a higher category of difficulty is determined by the appearance of new elements in technology and tactics, caused by the presence of certain natural obstacles. A qualitative leap occurs when moving from caves of category I difficulty to category 2A, from 2B to 3A, etc. Caves designated by the same number (for example, 2A and 2B) differ from each other mainly quantitatively.
In vertical caves, the main obstacles are steep and steeply sloping sections (wells), in horizontal caves, water obstacles (siphons). Most of the caves can easily be attributed to one of these two types, although there are quite a few caves of a mixed type (combined).
When developing caving routes, one should use the List of classified caves, approved in 1985. It contains about 500 caves in the following areas: the White Sea-Kuloi Plateau, Podolia and Bukovina, the Middle and South Urals, the Crimea, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Western Tien Shan , Altai, Kuznetsk Alatau, Mountain Shoria, Sayans, Irkutsk region, Far East. Basic information about each cave is given: name, type of cave - horizontal (G), vertical (V), combined (K), length and depth in meters, category of difficulty.
When classifying combined trips, a number of accepted conventions are taken into account. The site of one type of tourism must be a continuous hike that can be classified on its own. For example, carry-overs, walking around individual obstacles, as well as radial walking exits in a water trip do not turn it into a combined one. If the complementary route is a section with a different way of moving in all respects not higher than the I category of complexity, then the total complexity of the hike does not increase: the “one” added to the “four” does not make the trip a “five”. But if the combined hike consists, for example, of the water part of the IV category and the pedestrian part of the III category of complexity, then it is accepted for offset for categories as a hike of the V category of complexity. This assessment, of course, does not affect the technical experience actually acquired in such a campaign.
The most common and natural should be considered water-pedestrian trips. There may be mountain-water, very rarely - ski-water. It is very difficult to combine walking and mountain routes. In practice, in the mountains it is impossible to single out independent continuous areas belonging to one of these species. They are so mixed that they cannot be divided into individually evaluated parts of the combined trip. Now, and apparently correctly, it is agreed that in the highlands, hiking can only be related to the mountain type of tourism.
photo by B. Zhunusov
Mountaineering
The need to classify routes stems from the characteristics of mountaineering. The system for classifying routes to mountain peaks solves several problems at the same time. Safety in mountaineering is ensured primarily by the compliance of the training of climbers with the complexity of the upcoming ascent. Arranging the routes in a certain sequence according to their degree of complexity, a single classification allows you to compare routes with each other, even if one mountain is in the Caucasus, and the other is in Kamchatka.With a unified training system, this makes it possible to ensure a consistent increase in the complexity of the ascents made at all stages of training and sports improvement, thereby making each ascent accessible and at the same time interesting and safe. Assigning a certain place in the hierarchy to each route allows you to pre-evaluate the set of difficulties on the route and thereby determine its availability for groups of participants of a certain level of training.
The system of sports categories in mountaineering is based on the classification of routes. The qualification level of each climber is determined by the experience of climbing routes of a certain category of complexity and the amount of knowledge acquired during preparation for them, while fulfilling the requirements of a unified curriculum.
Evaluation is made on the basis of the impressions that a given team or group has in the conditions of a particular ascent, to the best of their strength, experience and qualifications. A certain conditionality of such an assessment is obvious. Subsequent passages of the route confirm its legitimacy or provide material for adjusting the category of difficulty.
When assessing the complexity of the route, the absolute height of the summit, the length of the route, its steepness, the nature of the terrain, the technical complexity of individual sections and their total number along the entire path to the summit, and the complexity of the route as a whole are taken into account. Sometimes probabilistic factors associated with the weather or special conditions of the location of the peak or the entire region are also taken into account.
Approaches and descent from the summit are not included in the route difficulty category.
The increase in the category of complexity is mainly due to the steepness, saturation of the difficulties of the terrain, requiring the use of a wide range of technical techniques and tactical solutions, a high level of interaction and comprehensive preparedness.
According to the type of relief, climbing routes are divided into rocky, snow-ice and combined. Discharge norms provide for the experience of rock and combined ascents. There are few purely ice-snow routes in the classification, and according to the experience gained on them, they are actually equated to combined ones. The assignment of the route to rocky or combined is made according to the predominant nature of difficult places that determine the category of difficulty.
Along with ascents to peaks, traverses are also classified - the passage of at least two peaks, and the descent from the previous peak must take place in the direction of the next one and be carried out not along the path of ascent. Both ascents and traverses can be classified differently for summer and winter ascents. The following categories of routes are accepted for credits and titles in mountaineering: 1B, 2A, 2B, ZA, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B.
Abroad, a slightly different system is based on the classification of individual sites. Elements of such a system are also used in our country. Thus, the route scheme in UIAA symbols implies a mandatory assessment of the complexity of each individual section. In this method, the following difficulty scale is used for free climbing sections: I, II+-, III+-, IV+-, V+-, VI+-.
I - very easy - knowledge of the basics of technology is required. Leg supports are reliable, practically any tricks. Maintaining balance on the transfer of the body does not cause great efforts. In general, it's easy.
II - easy - to maintain balance, you need an ice ax, the choice of supports and techniques is diverse, the transfer of the body requires sufficient effort, some knowledge of the technique of movement is required.
III - medium difficulty - the choice of steps (supports) is not limited, but not all of them provide convenience and reliability. Locomotion - on the feet, hands are used to maintain balance and ensure smooth transfer of the legs.
IV - difficult - the choice of supports and techniques is limited. Those that are acceptable do not provide maneuverability and confidence. To move and maintain balance, make significant efforts.
V - very difficult - there are few supports, not all are reliable, they require careful testing, and the choice of path and methods requires serious thought; to maintain balance and transfer the body will require great effort and dexterity.
VI - extremely difficult - there are very few supports, the choice of techniques is very limited. Maintaining balance and movement require agility and strength, up to maximum effort. Often you need the help of a partner.
When climbing with the use of artificial support points (ladders, loops, platforms suspended on hooks), the complexity is assessed on a 4-point scale: A1, A2, AZ, A4.
* A1 - the hooks on which the ladders are hung are hammered into reliable cracks. The transition from support to support and maintaining balance is easy, both feet are on the rock, fixing with a second rope is not needed.
* A2 - hooks in uncomfortable places, maintaining balance is difficult. When working with ladders, both feet are on the rock. Fixation with a second rope is optional.
* A3 - moving along unreliable cracks using a series of special hooks. The leg hangs. A second rope is required. Overcoming overhangs.
* A4 - only special hooks hammered into unreliable cracks. A large series of transitions from support to support with obligatory fixation with a second rope. Legs hang. Overcoming large cornices, ceilings.
Logic and beauty of the route
Many routes can be laid on the mountain, converging at the top and at one point. In the early stages of mountaineering, paths to the summit were usually made along ridges. Such routes have many advantages. On the ridge, there is little chance of going astray: both general and detailed orientation are relatively simple. Rockfalls and avalanches are unlikely there, snow eaves are clearly visible, therefore, there is less opportunity to get into a dangerous situation. The paths along the ridges have the least steepness, the technical difficulties on them are minimal for this mountain. Walking along the ridge is interesting - good review, the world opens wide, the relief and work on it are diverse. Ridge routes attract climbers with a combination of logic, optimality and beauty. Most of the routes on which a person joins mountaineering are ridge. In the perception of mountains, in changing their attitude towards mountains and climbing, each climber to some extent repeats the history of mountaineering.
Over time, climbing teams began to lay new, more difficult paths, turning to buttresses, ribs, and couloirs. Such paths rarely lead directly to the top, you still have to go up the ridge to the top; rare exceptions are extraordinarily beautiful. Significantly greater steepness and technical richness of such routes in comparison with ridge routes provide them with prestige and sports interest. And in the history of mountaineering, and in the minds of every climber, as skill, knowledge and opportunities grow, the concept of a logical and beautiful route gradually changes its meaning.
Paying tribute to the paths traveled, a person strives for a new one. It is no longer the path along the long ridge that begins to seem logical and beautiful, but the movement straight up, to the top, along the steep walls. Even if this wall is a thousand-meter vertical. And you have to climb it for many days, and sleep only in hammocks or sitting. But the route is beautiful and strict - from the bottom up, almost in a straight line, only slightly deviating to the side in places.
Traverses have a peculiar logic and attractiveness. When a team declares traverses from one seven-thousander to another for the championship, the "golden sheen" certainly plays a role in choosing such a route. It is beautiful with its transcendent and incredible breadth of view. Every year teams go to the traverse of Talgar (5A), Talgar horseshoe (5B), Tuyuksu horseshoe (4B) - routes that have not been recorded for a long time. On the same Talgar there are several difficult 5B routes that can be completed in 1-2 days without wasting time on the traverse. But they go to the traverse, because the route is beautiful and elegant. Along the entire ridge, from tower to tower, along walls, scallops, snow-ice cornices. Sunrise, the picture is unique, although it is repeated every morning.
It is clear that both the logic and the beauty of the route are relative concepts. Some like plumb lines, others like ice domes.
But the rejection of the aesthetic criterion in the choice and evaluation of the route will definitely impoverish the moral content of mountaineering. The mountains were beautiful even a thousand years ago, but the routes on them gained their true beauty only when people walked along them.
Mountain Tourism
The difficulty category of routes is determined by a set of passes and peaks of certain categories of difficulty. The term "pass" in mountain tourism refers to the place where a ridge or its spur crosses from one valley to another. The pass point may not coincide with the lowest point of the watershed.In sports tourism, 6 semi-categories of difficulty of passes are accepted - from 1A to 3B. It should be noted that the tourist classification does not always coincide with the climbing scale of peak difficulty. Passes easier than 1A k. t. are called non-categorical (n / k). The classification of passes is given in the "List of Classified Passes in High Mountain Regions" and its supplements. The category of difficulty (c. t.) of the passes, depending on the conditions (times and years, snow and ice conditions ...) can change into a semi-category. Such passes are marked with * in the list. Successive passage of two or more passes, if a significant part of the descent into the valley from one and the ascent from the valley to the next pass falls out, is considered as a pass link and is counted as one pass.
1A - simple scree, snowy and rocky slopes with a steepness of up to 30 degrees, gentle (up to 15 degrees) glaciers without cracks, steep grassy slopes, on which sections of rocks are possible; usually the presence of trails on the approaches.
1B - simple rocks, snowy and scree slopes of medium steepness (from 20 to 45 degrees), and in some years also areas of ice on the slopes, usually covered with snow, closed glaciers with areas of hidden cracks.
2A - rocky snow, ice slopes of medium steepness (from 25 to 45 degrees), closed glaciers and simple icefalls.
2B - steep (over 45 degrees) snow, ice and rocky slopes of medium complexity, short (up to 10-15 m) wall sections are possible; icefalls of medium difficulty.
3A - steep (from 45 to 65 degrees) snow, ice and rocky slopes of considerable length, wall sections up to 1-2 pitches in a row; complex icefalls.
3B - The same as for 3A, but with a large length of complex sections, their diverse nature or ultimate complexity, including walls with a steepness of 60 degrees or more.