At the American Alpine Institute, we provide difficulty grades for our courses and climbs as a helpful guideline, but it’s important to remember that these ratings are inherently subjective. Factors such as personal experience, fitness, technical background, and even daily conditions can make the same route feel very different for different climbers or skiers.

The difficulty levels shown on our website are based on collective instructor experience and standard rating systems, but they are meant to inform rather than dictate your expectations. They serve as a starting point for planning your adventure, and we encourage participants to approach each challenge with awareness of their own abilities and judgment.

If you have questions about your physical or technical preparedness for a program in which you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to call or email us, or to fill out our online inquiry form with your questions. Our office is staffed with climbers and guides who can talk you though a decision making process to get you on the best trip for you.

Now is the time to sweat the details.

Being honest with yourself about your experience, fitness, and skill level might be the single most important consideration as you decide on a trip or course with AAI. Don’t rush it. Study the program details and the difficulty level descriptions below, and don’t hesitate to call us with questions. We love to chat about the courses and routes, and we’re dedicated to making sure our participants have peak experiences in the mountains.

Call us at (360) 671-1505 between 9:00am and 5:30pm Pacific Time, or send us an inquiry using our online inquiry form.

---

How to Read the Difficulty Meters

Each program has two difficulty meters, one for technical difficulty (from “beginner” to “very advanced”) , and one for physical difficulty (from “easy” to “very strenuous”). Each meter shows either a single number or a range of numbers. You can mouse over the numbers below to see how they work.

If you are browsing programs and you have questions about the difficulty level definitions, just click on the
round “i” button at the right side of the rating type. It will lead you back to this page.

If multiple numbers are highlighted, they represent a range, NOT a total. In other words, it doesn’t work like a thermometer. The physical difficulty shown above, on the right, represents a range of “easy to challenging.”

If the meter indicates a range, this could reflect different things. For example, it could reflect:

• Distinct parts of a single program. For example, “mostly easy but one day of moderate”; or
• The availability of different difficulty levels, depending on your choices. For example, a private program can be customized to be “beginner” or “advanced,” or anything in between.

Keep reading to break down what each difficulty level means, in detail.

---

Physical Difficulty

Intensity of endurance, strength, and aerobic effort required.

Easy

Participants should expect short periods of physical exertion. It’s unlikely that any period of exertion will last for more than two hours with breaks. Distances will seldom exceed two miles at a time, and elevation gain will be less than 1,500-feet/460meters per day.

Moderate

Participants should expect periods of up to five hours of physical exertion in a day with breaks. Distances may be up to five miles with 3000-feet/915-meters per day.

Challenging

Participants should expect at least one day on the program to include long distances – more than five miles – and up to 5000-feet/1500-meters in elevation gain. There may be a day that requires more than eight to ten hours of movement with breaks. On multi-day programs there will likely be a number of moderate and/or easy days that culminate in a challenging day. On long multi-day programs (12-days or more), there may be two or three challenging days, offset by moderate and easy days.

Strenuous

Participants should expect long distances (over five miles) with significant elevation gain (5000-feet/1500-meters). On multi-day programs eight, ten and twelve hour days of movement should be expected with breaks. There may be one or more days that exceed twelve hours. And on one or more days, breaks may be short or limited due to the duration of the day. On multi-day programs the number of easy and/or moderate days will be limited. 

Very Strenuous

Elevation gain and distances will be significant. Breaks may be limited. A strenuous day will exceed twelve hours and may even exceed sixteen hours of movement. Participants should expect a combination of challenging and strenuous days on a multi-day program.

---

Technical Difficulty

Difficulty of maneuvers, gear handling, and route-finding skills required.

Beginner

Hiking/Backpacking/Trekking

• Entry-level program, no experience necessary.
• Trail walking with short periods of steep hiking.
• Possible off trail travel on snow.

Climbing/Mountaineering/Technical

• Backpacking experience required.
• Entry level. No technical experience necessary.

Skiing/Splitboarding

• Experience with inbounds skiing/snowboarding required.
• No backcountry experience required.

Moderate

Hiking/Backpacking/Trekking

• Baseline backpacking experience required.
• Sections of steep hiking should be expected.
• Possible off trail travel on snow.
• Snowshoes may be required on some programs.
• Altitude may be a factor.

Climbing/Mountaineering/Technical

• Backpacking experience required.
• Entry-level rope system experience required.
• Rock scrambling may be expected.
• Rock climbing may include sections of near-vertical rock.
• Off trail travel may be expected.
• Snow and glacier travel may include 40+ degree slopes.
• Ice programs may include 50 to 70-degree terrain.
• Altitude and significant cold may be a factor on some programs.

Skiing/Splitboarding

• Understand basics of backcountry ski and snowboard equipment.
• Participants should be able to descend black diamond runs with good snow conditions.

Intermediate

Hiking/Backpacking/Trekking

• Backpacking experience required.
• Expect steep hiking.
• There may be off-trail travel.
• There may be creek crossings.
• Altitude may be a factor.

Climbing/Mountaineering/Technical

• Backpacking experience required.
• There may be creek crossings.
• Experience with more complicated rope systems may be required (e.g. crevasse rescue/self-rescue systems).
• Rock climbing may include sections of vertical rock.
• Off trail travel may include bushwacking.
• Snow and glacier travel may include 50+ degree slopes.
• Ice programs may include 60 to 80-degree terrain.
• Altitude and significant cold may be a factor on some programs.

Skiing/Splitboarding

• Understand basics of backcountry ski and snowboard equipment.
• Completion of an avalanche course may be required.
• Participants should be able to descend black diamond runs in all snow conditions.

Advanced

Hiking/Backpacking/Trekking

• Significant backpacking experience required.
• Steep hiking and significant off-trail travel is expected.
• There may be one or more significant creeks or rivers to cross.
• Off trail travel may include bushwacking.
• Altitude may be a factor.

Climbing/Mountaineering/Technical

• Significant climbing/mountaineering experience required.
• Off trail travel may include bushwacking.
• An ability to cross significant creeks and rivers may be required.
• Rock climbing may include complicated systems.
• Mountaineering will include a combination of rock, ice, glacier and possibly aid climbing.
• Technical self-rescue experience with rope systems required.
• Rock climbing may include extended sections of vertical rock.
• Steep and complicated rock, snow and ice should be expected.
• Altitude and significant cold may be a factor on some programs.

Skiing/Splitboarding

• Winter camping experience may be required.
• Completion of an avalanche course required.
• Participants should be able to descend double black diamond runs in all snow conditions.

Very Advanced

Hiking/Backpacking/Trekking

• Private programs only.
• Significant experience required.
• There may be bushwacking.
• An ability to cross significant creeks and rivers may be required.
• Altitude may be a factor.

Climbing/Mountaineering/Technical

• Significant climbing/mountaineering experience required.
• An ability to cross significant creeks and rivers may be required.
• Off trail travel may include bushwacking.
• Techniques and systems in these programs approach “guide-level.”
• Rock climbing may include a wide array of complicated systems.
• Mountaineering programs may include every aspect of mountain travel.
• Technical self-rescue experience with rope systems required.
• Rock climbing may include extended sections of vertical and/or overhanging rock.
• Steep and complicated rock, snow and ice should be expected.
• Altitude and significant cold may be a factor on some programs.

Skiing/Splitboarding

• Winter camping experience may be required.
• Completion of an avalanche course required.
• Participants should be able to descend double black diamond runs in all snow conditions.
• Participants are required to have previous experience with snow anchors, glacier travel and rappelling with skis.