The Two Systems at a Glance
🇫🇷 Fontainebleau (French)
- Used across Europe, Asia, and globally
- Official system for IFSC competitions
- Format: number + letter + optional plus (e.g. 7a, 7a+, 7b)
- Starts from 1 (easy scramble) to 9c (current max)
- Sub-grades: a, b, c and optionally + (e.g. 6b+)
- Named after the Fontainebleau forest near Paris
🇺🇸 Yosemite (YDS)
- Used primarily in North America
- Developed in Yosemite Valley in the 1950s
- Format: 5.number + optional letter (e.g. 5.11d, 5.12a)
- The "5." prefix refers to Class 5 (technical climbing)
- Sub-grades a–d above 5.10; no sub-grades below
- Current max: 5.15d (Adam Ondra's Silence)
Quick answer: At equivalent grades, Fontainebleau tends to run slightly harder in the mid-to-upper range (6c–8b). Below 6b, Yosemite grades are often more conservative. Neither system is consistently harder — it depends on the route, the crag, and who set the grade.
Full Conversion Table: Fontainebleau ↔ Yosemite
This table reflects the most widely accepted conversion used by guidebooks, training platforms, and the IFSC. Individual routes can vary by half a grade or more depending on crag culture and age of the ascent.
| Fontainebleau | Yosemite (YDS) | UIAA | Level | Who climbs it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5.2 | II | Beginner | Complete beginners, first day outdoors |
| 4 | 5.4 | IV | Beginner | First months of climbing |
| 5 | 5.7 | V+ | Beginner+ | After a few months of consistent training |
| 5+ | 5.8 | VI | Beginner+ | End of beginner phase |
| 6a | 5.10a | VI+ | Intermediate | 1+ year of training, basic technique solid |
| 6a+ | 5.10b | VII- | Intermediate | |
| 6b | 5.10c | VII | Intermediate | Solid footwork and body positioning required |
| 6b+ | 5.10d | VII+ | Intermediate | |
| 6c | 5.11a/b | VIII- | Intermediate+ | 2–3 years training, redpointing regularly |
| 6c+ | 5.11b/c | VIII | Intermediate+ | |
| 7a | 5.11d | VIII+ | Advanced | Dedicated climbers, 3–5 years consistent training |
| 7a+ | 5.12a | IX- | Advanced | |
| 7b | 5.12b | IX | Advanced | Significant strength and technique required |
| 7b+ | 5.12c | IX+ | Advanced | |
| 7c | 5.12d | X- | Advanced+ | 5+ years training, serious finger strength |
| 7c+ | 5.13a | X | Advanced+ | |
| 8a | 5.13b | X+ | Elite | Top 5% of sport climbers globally |
| 8a+ | 5.13c | XI- | Elite | |
| 8b | 5.13d | XI | Elite | World-class level, professional or near-professional |
| 8b+ | 5.14a | XI+ | Elite | |
| 8c | 5.14b | XII- | Elite | Sub-50 climbers in the world at any time |
| 8c+ | 5.14c | XII | Elite | |
| 9a | 5.14d | XII+ | Elite | Chris Sharma, Alexander Megos level |
| 9a+ | 5.15a | XIII- | Elite | Adam Ondra, Stefano Ghisolfi level |
| 9b | 5.15b | XIII | Elite | Sub-10 climbers ever |
| 9b+ | 5.15c | XIII+ | Elite | Adam Ondra (Silence) |
| 9c | 5.15d | XIV- | Elite | Proposed grade, not yet confirmed |
Why the "Same" Grade Feels Different
1. Grading philosophy
French grades reflect the overall difficulty of the route, weighting sustained sections heavily. A 7c that is sustained at 7b+ for 30 meters is graded for the average of difficulty over the whole route.
American YDS grades historically emphasize the hardest single move — the crux. Two routes with identical crux difficulty but completely different lengths of climbing below can end up with the same YDS grade, even though one is far more demanding physically.
2. Grade inflation by region
Grades are not standardized by a central authority — they reflect the consensus of the local climbing community at the time of the first ascent. This creates significant drift:
- Spain (Siurana, Margalef, Rodellar): Often considered generous — popular "soft" 8a crags have helped many climbers tick their first route at that grade
- France (Céüse, Verdon): Historically stiff, especially Céüse which is often cited as "full value" grades
- United States (Rifle, Red River Gorge): Can be sandbagged, especially on older routes established before the 5.13 era
- Germany (Frankenjura): Notoriously stiff — a Frankenjura 8a is often equivalent to 8a+ elsewhere
3. Rock type changes everything
A 7b on limestone (pockets, slopers, technical footwork) and a 7b on granite (crimps, friction slabs, crack climbing) are completely different physical challenges. Grades are calibrated within a rock type — transferring between them is part of the adjustment any climber faces when visiting new areas.
The Frankenjura effect: When visiting Frankenjura in Germany, downgrade your expectations by roughly half a grade. A solid 7b+ climber at home might struggle on 7b there. This isn't unusual — it happens with every new area and rock type.
Which System Is More Precise?
Fontainebleau wins on resolution. The progression from 6c → 6c+ → 7a → 7a+ → 7b gives finer granularity than 5.11a → 5.11b → 5.11c → 5.11d, especially at the higher end where both systems converge in resolution. However, both have roughly the same number of distinct grades across the typical sport climbing range.
In practice, neither system is significantly more precise — the human factors (route age, setter preference, local culture) introduce far more variation than the theoretical resolution difference between the two scales.
Which System Should You Use?
Use Fontainebleau if: you climb or plan to climb in Europe, compete in IFSC events, follow European climbing media, or use platforms like 8a.nu or theCrag. Font grades are the international standard.
Use Yosemite if: you primarily climb in North America, use Mountain Project as your main topo resource, or communicate with American climbing partners. YDS is the domestic standard in the US and Canada.
For anything international — training plans, comparisons with pro climbers, competition references — Fontainebleau is the cleaner choice. The IFSC has effectively made it the global lingua franca of climbing grades.
Practical Tips for Switching Systems
- Never trust a single conversion directly. A 7a in Font is "roughly" 5.11d, but your first day on either system will feel different. Give yourself 2–3 sessions to calibrate.
- Check the crag's reputation before visiting. Search "[crag name] grade sandbagged/soft" — the climbing community is vocal about grade accuracy.
- Your redpoint grade travels, your onsight grade doesn't. Knowing a system's nuances (where to clip, how to read holds) gives local climbers a significant advantage on onsight attempts.
- Use a converter for quick references — our interactive grade converter handles Font, Yosemite, UIAA, and Australian grades simultaneously.
🔄 Convert your grade instantly
Use our interactive converter to switch between Fontainebleau, Yosemite (YDS), UIAA, and Australian grades in real time.
Open Grade Converter →Frequently Asked Questions
At the mid-to-upper range (6c+–8b), Fontainebleau grades tend to run slightly harder because they weight sustained difficulty more. Below 6b, Yosemite can be more conservative. Neither system is consistently harder — crag culture and route age matter far more than the system itself.
Font 7a corresponds to approximately 5.11d in the Yosemite system. This is a solid advanced grade — achievable by dedicated climbers with 3–5 years of consistent training. Some conversion tables place 7a at 5.12a, reflecting that Font grades can run slightly harder.
The 5.12 range in YDS spans Font 7a to 7b+: 5.12a ≈ 7a+, 5.12b ≈ 7b, 5.12c ≈ 7b+, 5.12d ≈ 7c. This is a wide range in Font terms — don't assume all 5.12s are equal difficulty.
Grade inflation, local setting culture, rock type, and route age all contribute. Spanish limestone crags are often considered generous; Frankenjura is notoriously stiff. The same number can mean meaningfully different physical challenges depending on where you are.
IFSC World Cup competitions use Fontainebleau for all disciplines (lead, boulder, speed). This has effectively made Font the international standard for competitive climbing.
Use our interactive converter for instant results. Quick reference: 5.10 ≈ 6a/6a+, 5.11 ≈ 6b–6c, 5.12 ≈ 7a–7b+, 5.13 ≈ 7c–8a, 5.14 ≈ 8a+–8c, 5.15 ≈ 9a+.