Mountaineering Difficulty Levels
If hiking along the white-red-white marked mountain trails is not challenging enough for you, the Engadin offers you wonderful opportunities to get a little closer to the seventh mountaineering heaven – on alpine hikes. The white-blue-white marked routes promise ‘pure wilderness’: to lonely places, to mountain tops and right into the spectacular panorama.
The requirements specified for the high-altitude tours are recommendations of the Pontresina Mountaineering School based on the scales of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC).
Alpine hiking scale
Well-trodden path. If marked according to the standards of Swiss Hiking Trail (SAW): yellow. Terrain flat or slightly sloping, no risk of falling.
Requirements: None, also suitable for trainers. Easy orientation, usually possible without a map.
Path with continuous route. If marked in accordance with the Swiss avalanche warning standard: white-red-white. Terrain partly steep, risk of falling not excluded.
Requirements: Some sure-footedness. Trekking shoes are recommended. Elementary sense of directi
The path may not be visible throughout. Exposed sections may be secured with ropes or chains. You may need to use your hands for balance. If marked: white-red-white. Partially exposed sections with a risk of falling, scree slopes, pathless crags.
Requirements: Good sure-footedness. Good hiking boots. Average sense of direction. Basic alpine experience.
No compulsory track. Hands are needed to move forward in some places. If marked: white-blue-white. Terrain is already quite exposed, tricky grassy slopes, scree, easy firn fields and snow-free glacier passages. Familiarity with exposed terrain.
Requirements: Stable trekking shoes. Some knowledge of terrain assessment and good orientation skills. Alpine experience. With a sudden change in the weather, retreating can be difficult.
Often pathless. A few easy climbing sections. If route is marked: white-blue-white. Exposed, challenging terrain, steep scree. Glaciers and firn fields with risk of slipping.
Requirements: hiking boots. Safe terrain assessment and very good orientation skills. Good alpine experience and in high alpine terrain. Basic knowledge of how to use an axe and rope.
Mostly pathless. Climbing sections up to the second level of difficulty (WS). Mostly not marked. Often very exposed. Delicate scree terrain. Glacier with increased risk of slipping.
Requirements: Excellent
Mountain and high-altitude tours
Rock: easy terrain (scree, easy block ridge).
Firn and glacier: easy firn slopes, hardly any crevasses.
Rock: mostly still walking terrain, increased sure-footedness necessary, climbing sections clear and easy.
Firn and glaciers: generally not very steep slopes, short steeper sections, few crevasses.
Rock: repeated securing necessary, longer and exposed climbing sections.
Firn and glaciers: steeper slopes, occasional securing of standing places, many crevices, small bergschrund.
Rock: good route sense and efficient rope handling required, long climbing sections, usually require belaying.
Firn and glaciers: very steep slopes, usually require belaying, many crevasses, large bergschrund.
Rock: continuous belay protection necessary in difficult sections, sustained challenging climbing.
Firn and glaciers: sustained steep terrain, continuous belay protection.
Rock: wall openings that require great commitment.
Firn and glaciers: very steep and vertical sections, require ice climbing.
Rock: extremely steep, partly overhanging wall climbs.
Firn and glaciers: extreme ice climbing.