What is a UK trad grade?

The adjectival grade

The adjectival grade gives a sense of how hard the whole climb is: how serious, sustained, exposed and strenuous, and how good the rock is. In ascending order the BMC lists Moderate (M), Difficult (D), Hard Diff (HD), Very Difficult (VD), Hard Very Difficult (HVD), Severe (S), Hard Severe (HS), Very Severe (VS), Hard Very Severe (HVS), then Extremely Severe, split into E1, E2, E3 and on, currently up to E11. The app's UK Trad list runs from M to E11 and leaves out HD and HVD.

The technical grade

The technical grade marks the hardest move on the route, however many of them there are, however strenuous it is and however frightening. It runs 4a, 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c, 7a, 7b. The app calls this system British and the adjectival one UK Trad, and you log them as two systems.

Reading the pair

A climb of a given adjectival grade often has a usual technical grade: S 4a, HS 4b, VS 4c, HVS 5a, E1 5b, E2 5c. A high technical grade for the adjectival grade, such as VS 5a, points to a technical climb with maybe one hard, well protected move. A low one, such as HVS 4c, points to a sustained, strenuous climb, or easier climbing in a serious place. The BMC calls this a guide only.