02 8319 2266 from Australia
416-628-3473 from Canada
04 889 4515 from New Zealand
646-757-1102 from the USA
Walking grades for our holidays
To give an idea of the difficulty of each of our holidays, we use Skill and Fitness as 2 separate gradings, which then sit together to form an overall grade:
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Skill Green - Blue - Red - Purple - Black (Terrain and seriousness) |
 Black We keep this category for the hardest walking terrain. Experienced walkers will be challenged by particularly steep and loose slopes and by wild rocky landscapes. Good balance is essential; steep drops might be present to one or both sides, with serious consequences of a slip.
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Purple A new grade for 2023, slotted in between Red and Black, to describe a more challenging terrain than a standard mountain path with more likelihood of long drops in the case of a slip (one or both sides) and with more rockiness.
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Red Steep, rocky ground and some rough walking away from paths; the varied conditions of a mountain walk in the Alps or the Scottish Highlands. Generally the path is dusty or muddy, but there might be unavoidable sections with steep drops to one or both sides.
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Blue Venturing into the hills, at this grade we meet sustained climbs, rougher ground, and rocky steps. There is possible minor exposure to one side.
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Green This easiest skill grade sees flat or gently-angled paths, often wide, with fairly smooth surfaces. All of Alpine Exploratory's trips are higher than this Green grade and we include it to give context.
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Fitness 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 (Distance and ascent) |
| 4 Strong fitness is needed at this highest grade, to tackle our longest distances such as those consistently over 20km or with continuous ascents of between 1,000m and 1,500m in height gain, in the course of a full day of 7 or 8 hours or longer. Exceptional days can involve even more distance, ascent and time than this. |
| 3 Good fitness in the mountains is called for, to tackle comfortably an ascent of around 1,000m or up to around 20km, in a full day's walk; it's an all-round day out in the mountains. |
| 2 The fitness to walk half- or full-days in the hills is needed, with typical daily ascents of 600m. |
| 1 There is little or no ascent, and modest distance, at this easiest fitness grade, and daily distances are modest. |
Examples of grades
 Walker's Haute Route
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Our toughest trek. We grade this trip as: Black for skill because of its:- Loose, slippery, rocky ground - Difficulty in wet, windy, cold weather - Path unclear in places 4 for fitness because of its: - Full-day stages - Long, all-morning climbs - Steep and long descents  Typical terrain Rocky combes Photo: Towards the Prafleuri hut Black4 is thus the grade. |
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 Walker's Haute Route |
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Tour du Mont Blanc
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A challenging mountain trek. We grade this trip as: Red for skill because of its:- Routefinding that can be tricky - High passes with snow possible - Ladders, chains and rockiness 3 for fitness because of its: - (Some) long, hard days outside - Sustained climbs, long distances - Walks in and over the mountains  Typical terrain Mountain paths Photo: By Refuge les Grands Red3 is thus the grade. |
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Tour du Mont Blanc |
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Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut
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Technical ground, modest days. We grade this trip as: Black for skill because of its:- Tricky navigation if in cloud - Unseasonal snow on high cols - Steep and loose slopes 3 for fitness because of its: - Medium-length days on trek - Occasionally sustained ascents - Rough terrain  Typical terrain Steep, rocky ground Photo: In the shadow of Triglav Black3 is thus the grade. |
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Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut |
The Alpine Exploratory grades in a table
Here we show which of our routes fall in which grades. Please also see the notes below.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
No trips at this grade.
About our span of grades
Many of our trips fall into the Red3 grade, being solid mountain walking. Our Red terrain assessment can include difficulty of rockiness or technicality underfoot, as well as difficulty of remoteness and lack of (as opposed to abundance of) features. We take into account situation, as in mountainousness and habitation, as well as the features under your boots.
Some trips involve harder terrain and more wild, rocky and remote situations and thus attract our Purple or Black grades.
Of course, if you decide to hike your route in a shorter time than normal, for example doing the Tour du Mont Blanc in 9 stages instead of the normal 11, then your Fitness grade might go up, while the Skill grade stays the same. In this case the Red3 grade would go up to Red4.
Because of the landscape and paths in mountainous parts of the Alps, Scandinavia, UK and Ireland, it's harder to find the exciting scenery at the Green grade. Indeed we include Green as a theoretical exercise, seeking context and completeness, much as a ski map might include green pistes on its key even if there are none in that resort. Our Green grade would be like walking in an urban park.
Schedule - a list of our walking holidays
Factors that can make the hiking harder than predicted
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Our grade for the trip is an overall grade, governed by the grade of the hardest day. On many trips our Routecards give alternative routes, in some cases harder, in other cases easier. (Example: The Alta Via 1 is a Purple trip with some alternative paths at Black grade and others at Red. |
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Describing the challenges of our walks is one of our trickiest tasks. We try to be as descriptive as possible, but everyone has their own ideas about what's easy or tough. |
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Grades span a wide range of difficulties. Within each of our grades, and within each of our trips, there is necessarily a wide range of difficulties. |
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It can be hot! High heat in Summer can make for slower going, especially when walking uphill. |
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You'll be walking for successive days. Tiredness can build up and it's crucial to be prepared for sustained hiking. |
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You will be outside with limited or no shelter all day. Self-sufficiency and navigational skill are needed, especially in bad weather, at all grades. |
Factors that limit how hard it can be
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Alpine Exploratory holidays are about walking, trekking and hiking. None of our trips involve rock climbing or via ferrata. |
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Alpine Exploratory holidays do not involve any glaciers. Thus, no skills of, or equipment for, glacier travel are needed. |
Please email us
Please contact us any time. We'll give you as much detail as you want, about what to expect on the trail. Thank you.
Holidays - all our walking trips
About our walking holidays (FAQs) - all the details
Snohetta ascent
Alpine Exploratory
