About Walk Grades
Walks differ greatly in their level of difficulty. Our grading system should help you to make an informed decision about whether a walk is suitable for you. These grades indicate the level of difficulty associated with the walk. Our club grading system provides a better indicator of the difficulty of the walk than many other grading systems you may see online which only describe the nature of the track.
Our walk grades include consideration of the following factors:
If you are unsure whether a walk is suitable for you please have a chat with your leader. As you gain experience and develop a better understanding of your ‘comfort zone’ you should be able to select the walks that will give you the greatest enjoyment and perhaps challenge.
Our Grading System
Club walks are graded on a scale of 1 (Easy) to 5 (Hard). The descriptions below relate to difficulty, time and distance and therefore apply equally to a day walk or backpack. A further grade, Exploratory, may be used when the available literature is vague or the walk is in an undocumented area.
Grade 1: Easy
Forest Walk, Thirlmere Lakes Circuit, Auburn Botanical Gardens
Grade 2: Easy / Medium
Bundeena – Little Marley – Bundeena, Manly to the Spit, Grand Canyon (walk)
Grade 3: Medium
Lockley Track to Blue Gum Forest and return, Mermaids Pool & Tahmoor Canyon (walk), Starlight’s Track.
Grade 4: Medium / Hard
Royal Coast Walk, Carlons Head, Kowmung via Roots Ridge & Brumby Ridge, Donkey Mountain, Red Track, Bungonia
Grade 5: Hard
Katoomba-Kanangra, Katoomba-Mittagong, Ettrema Creek
Walks differ greatly in their level of difficulty. Our grading system should help you to make an informed decision about whether a walk is suitable for you. These grades indicate the level of difficulty associated with the walk. Our club grading system provides a better indicator of the difficulty of the walk than many other grading systems you may see online which only describe the nature of the track.
Our walk grades include consideration of the following factors:
- total km. This is probably the least important piece of information!
- anticipated walking time
- total ascent
- steepness of the track
- terrain and track conditions
- exposure (to heights & weather)
- vegetation and
- whether spikes, chains and safety lines or rock hopping / scrambling are involved
If you are unsure whether a walk is suitable for you please have a chat with your leader. As you gain experience and develop a better understanding of your ‘comfort zone’ you should be able to select the walks that will give you the greatest enjoyment and perhaps challenge.
Our Grading System
Club walks are graded on a scale of 1 (Easy) to 5 (Hard). The descriptions below relate to difficulty, time and distance and therefore apply equally to a day walk or backpack. A further grade, Exploratory, may be used when the available literature is vague or the walk is in an undocumented area.
Grade 1: Easy
- Relatively level and well formed tracks
- Less than about 8km
Forest Walk, Thirlmere Lakes Circuit, Auburn Botanical Gardens
Grade 2: Easy / Medium
- Mainly on well formed tracks
- Up to about 15km
- Up to about 4 hours walking time
- Moderate ascents, up to about 300m per day
Bundeena – Little Marley – Bundeena, Manly to the Spit, Grand Canyon (walk)
Grade 3: Medium
- Mainly on tracks
- Possible light scrubby vegetation
- Up to about 20km
- Up to about 6 hours walking time
- Moderate ascents, up to about 500m per day
- Could include minor creek crossings & easy rock hopping or scrambling
Lockley Track to Blue Gum Forest and return, Mermaids Pool & Tahmoor Canyon (walk), Starlight’s Track.
Grade 4: Medium / Hard
- Could involve substantial off-track walking in medium scrub
- Up to about 8 hours walking time
- Up to about 800m ascent per day
- Could include rock hopping and scrambling and some height exposure (spikes / chains)
- May be an exploratory walk
Royal Coast Walk, Carlons Head, Kowmung via Roots Ridge & Brumby Ridge, Donkey Mountain, Red Track, Bungonia
Grade 5: Hard
- Any sort of negotiable terrain
- Possible heavy scrub and route finding difficulties
- 8+ hours walking
- Ascents of greater than 800m possible
- May be an exploratory walk
- Head for heights / scrambling ability may be required
Katoomba-Kanangra, Katoomba-Mittagong, Ettrema Creek