All treks/climbs require different levels of fitness and experience.
We use a two-tiered grading system to give you an overall level of technical difficulty and fitness required for our trekking and mountain climbing trips. A number will indicate the technical difficulty and a letter will indicate the level of fitness required.
| GRADE | DESCRIPTION |
| 1 | Walking on established trekking routes that are well developed, signposted and marked. Minimal or no scrambling. Prior hiking or trekking experience is ideal but not required. |
| 2 | Walking on established trekking routes that are well developed, signposted and marked. May include moderate to steep rock scrambles or scree and snow. Exposed places mostly secured with ropes or chains. Good to have prior trekking experience. |
| 3 | Some exposure to challenging terrain of snow covered glacier passages, low angle or short section of snow or rocky slopes up to 50 degrees. Ropes may be used. Expect weather extremities and sub zero cold exposure. Peak climbing experience with use of crampon and ice axe is desirable but not essential. |
| 4 | Prolong exposure to challenging terrain of snow covered glacier passages, mid to high angle or long section of snow or rocky slopes up to 50 degrees. Expect weather extremities and sub zero cold exposure. Peak climbing experience with ice and snow mountaineering skills (ie: use of crampon and ice axe, rope-up and fixed rope, self-arrest techniques) is essential. |
| 5 | Extreme terrain and weather exposure. Very steep ice or rock and require mountaineering skills (rope skills, crampons and self-arrest etc). Suitable for competent mountaineers who have climbed consistently at these standards. |
| LEVEL | DESCRIPTION |
| A | Moderate fitness level. Ability to hike for 1-5 days, at an elevation from 1000m to 3000m +, for 5-8 hours, carrying a daypack of average weight between 3-5kg, without undue difficulty. |
| B | Good fitness and endurance level. Ability to hike for up to a week and/or in undulating mountain terrain with an elevation between 1000m and 4000m for 5-8 hours, without undue difficulty, carrying a daypack weighing between 5-6kg . |
| C | Above average fitness and endurance level. Ability to hike up to 10 hours daily and/or for more than a week, carrying a backpack weighing between 5-8kg, in undulating mountain terrain with an elevation up to 6000m. |
| D | High level of fitness and endurance level. Climbs of this grade are exceptionally strenuous, usually in extreme altitude of above 6000m and/or with challenging mountainous terrain exposure. Average backpack weighs between 6-8kg. Some climbs may require load ferrying of 12-16kg. |
| E | Extremely high fitness and endurance level. Extended period of exposure to hash weather conditions, challenging mountainous terrain and extreme altitude. Comments for ‘D’ also apply. This grade of climb entails long days of 10-16 hours or more, climbing at altitudes above 4000m most of the days and to above 6000m. |