Mixed climbing is a great activity to get into. Understanding the grades can be a little bit difficult, so I put together the following guide to help.

So, what are the mixed climbing grades? Mixed Climbs are graded on the following system:

• M1: Equivalent to climbing 5.5
• M2: Equivalent to climbing 5.6
• M3: Equivalent to climbing 5.7
• M4: Equivalent to climbing 5.8
• M5: Equivalent to climbing 5.9
• M6: Equivalent to climbing 5.10
• M7: Equivalent to climbing 5.11
• M8: Equivalent to climbing 5.11+
• M9: Equivalent to climbing 5.12
• M10: Equivalent to climbing 5.12+
• M11: Equivalent to climbing 5.14
• M12-M16: Debatable

Because of how new the sport is, the advancement of technology, and the transferability of ice climbing skills, there are some grey areas in terms of mixed climbing grades that need to be addressed. However, for the most part, the difficulties can be understood on a fairly linear scale to that of rock climbing, with M1 being equivalent to a 5.5 climbing route. The grades of a mixed climb rely on the steepness and difficulty of the moves.

Mixed Climbing

To understand the grading system, it’s important to first understand what mixed climbing is. Mixed climbing is a discipline where you use both dry rock and ice to climb a route, relying on your crampons and ice tools to gain purchase on either surface.

Dry tooling mixes ice climbing and rock climbing technique, along with a few moves that are completely unique to the sport. The discipline hardly existed until Jeff Lowe sent Octopussy in 1995, assigning it the grade of M8. For this ascent, Lowe took mixed climbing— which had traditionally been viewed as more on an offshoot of traditional ice climbing than anything else — and incorporated sport climbing red pointing techniques. He rehearsed moves, pre-placed gear, and did powerful boulder-style problems with ice tools in his hands.

It was a type of climbing that had never been done before, and it signaled to a slew of young ice climbers that they could furlough the sport’s traditional strictness and instead start having fun.

Enter an entirely new disciple.

With Lowe’s ascent of Octopussy, mixed climbing went from a method of training for ice climbing to a new and exciting sport, where scaling rock faces allowed you to gain access to new and exciting ice routes. Young climbers like Will Gadd, Ryan Nelson, and Stevie Haston rushed to crags all around the world, putting up ridiculous lines and daring ascents on mixed grades. Their goal was simple:  find the coolest features, be it ice or rock, and climb them with crampons on your feet and tools in your hands.

The advent of dry tooling also brought in a slew of new moves, some of which are important to understand for the grading system:

• Steins: A classic dry tooling maneuver where you flip your ax upside-down and wedge the blade upwards into the rock. You then pull down on the handle, lodging the blade in place. Steins are most commonly used on overhanging sections.
• Torques: This move is almost exactly what it sounds like. You jam the blade of your pick into a thin crack and then pulls sideways, ‘torqueing’ the tool so that it stays in place. This is useful with vertical cracks.
• Underclings: And undercling is like a more advanced stein. Steins only work when you’re hanging below the tool, or if you’re pressing downwards on it. This obviously makes it more difficult to move upwards. In an undercling, you lodge the tip of your blade under a hold and pull on it until you find traction.
• Figure fours and figure nines: The coolest looking moves in mixed climbing. Where you hook a leg over your own arm and use it as a foothold. Covered in more detail here.

Grading Issues

This explosion of mixed climbing, while hugely beneficial to the sport, has started to cause issue with the grading system. As with any new discipline, there’s very little certainty as to what constitutes a certain grade, what degree of difficulty you need to add a new grade, and what the rules are.

For example, say a climber is able to climb an M13 route. They then go out, find their own route, and deem it to be harder than the M13 they just climbed. Does that mean they can assign the grade of M14?

That question is a difficult one to answer. At first glance, it seems that the answer should be a fairly resounding yes. After all, the route is more difficult, and that should earn it a stiffer grade.

However, some within the sport take issue with this philosophy. Grading isn’t completely linear, not all routes of the same grade will be the same difficulty. Anyone who rock climbs knows the feeling of confusion when you flash one 5.10 and then fall four times on the next one. Better conditions, new beta, one extra rest day — all of these things can contribute to making a route feel easier or harder.

With the explosion of mixed climbing, some feel that people are getting a little overzealous with their grading or new routes, and that leads to some disagreement about the higher grades.

Furthermore, there are questions about the rules on the sport. In 2003, Mauro Bole was projecting an M13 route in the Canadian Rockies when he realized he was too short for the crux. Instead of finding alternative beta, he added a 10-centimetre attachment to his ice tool and climbed the route.

This one example illustrates almost perfectly how mixed climbing walks a delicate line between free and aid climbing. Such was the issue in 2002, when Will Gadd declared that ‘spurs’— small spikes that mixed climbers wore on the back of their boots that allowed them to heel hook incredibly well— were for horses and that he would no longer be using them.

Because of those two factors, the high end of grading system in mixed climbing becomes a little fuzzy, as does the rules surrounding what gear you can use. For the routes that most of us normal folks will be climbing, however, there remains a fairly agreed-upon scale that can be used to judge the difficulty of your route.

Mixed Climbing Grades

So, now that I’ve rambled about history enough, let’s actually get on to the mixed climbing grades. Just like I did in my article about ice climbing grades, I need to give a quick disclaimer about my rock climbing grade equivalency. I am not saying that a climber who can climb 5.11 will be able to climb an M7 mixed route. What I am saying is that an experienced mix climber should have about the same degree of difficulty with an M8 route that an experienced rock climber would have with a 5.11 climb.

All good? No one’s going to send me angry emails about the purity of the sport and the stupidity of comparing disciplines? Then let’s get into it!

M1-M3

What it is: Easy, low-angled rock and ice that usually does not require tools (except for crampons). More akin to scrambling than true mixed climbing.

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.5-5.7

For the early grades, it makes most sense to lump them together, because there isn’t a whole lot that distinguished an M1 from and M3 except for the difficulty of the moves.

These routes are fairly casual, with low angles and non-demanding moves that don’t really require you to use ice climbing tools. That doesn’t mean, however, that there’s no point in climbing them.

M1 and M3 routes are great for learning what it feels like to climb a mixed route. The first time I ever tried to dry-tool, I could barely move because I didn’t trust any of my placements. It’s a weird feeling, wedging your axe onto a ledge of rock and trusting it with your weight, and it requires some degree of practice. Additionally, transitioning from rock to ice and back again can take some practice, and low-grade mixed climbs are the perfect place to do it.

M4

What it is: Near vertical or vertical rock that requires a few technical moves

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.8

M4 is the next step up in mixed climbing. These routes will be on steeper rock and ice, featuring standard ice climbing moves — up to W1-4 — and a few technical dry tooling maneuvers.

M4 would really be the first step in challenging yourself while dry tooling. You should be decently comfortable on steep ice here, because there’s a good chance that you’ll need to climb on WI-3 terrain, with some moves that may be more challenging. The transitions to and from the ice will also begin to get a little bit trickier.

The dry tooling will be fairly straightforward, although there are a few moves that will require some more skill and trust in your tools. A lot of the ledges and handholds you would still be able to grab with your hands if you chose to.

In terms of route length, these will probably be less than thirty meters, with no significant overhanging or bouldering sections.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call M4 a test piece, but it’s a good experiment if you want to learn about dry tooling. It’ll challenge you enough to make you uncomfortable, and you’ll start to learn the basics of the sport. You won’t be doing any absurd dry tooling moves, although the odd stein might be required depending on the route.

M5

What it is: Sustained, vertical mixed climbing with long rock sections and WI-4 ice.

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.9

The jump from M4 to M5 isn’t massive, but it’s still a difference that’s worth talking about. An M5 can really just be seen as a longer, more challenging version of an M4, where the ice is steeper, the route is taller, and the ledges get a little smaller.

On an M5, you still probably won’t be expected to do any advanced dry tooling techniques. You would most likely be able to use your hands for some of the rock climbing if you so chose, although your crampons will l start to become more valuable for finding footholds.

The ice for an M5 will begin to get more challenging. You can except sustained sections of WI-4 ice, with some features or overhangs included. Transitions may become more challenging between the ice and the rock. If you’re placing protection as you go, you can expect the protection to get a little more exposed.

M5 is where the first-time mixed climber will probably find their limit. If you’re strong and have some climbing experience, you could probably struggle your way up one of these on top rope. However, given the difficulty of the ice and how sustained the route is going to be, expect it to be a bit of a fight before you find your top out.

M6

What it is: Vertical or overhanging terrain with technical dry tooling moves involved

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.10

Now we’re starting to get into it.

If you’re a mixed climber at heart, M6 is probably where the fun starts for you. These routes are longer, steeper, and feature a variety of weird and funky moves that are going to really put the strain on your ice tools. The ice is going to be thin, overhanging, or maybe even detached from the wall, and you’ll need to navigate through it with a degree of skill that’s honed over the years.

M6 is probably the first level where you’ll truly need your ice tools to work your way up the rock. The holds get so small and so tenuous that only the sharp blades of your ice axes will be able to find any traction in them. Additionally, the variety of the terrain will mean that you need to start engaging in some of the more exotic techniques.

Torques and steins should be expected, and any red-blooded ice climber will take every excuse possible to throw up a figure four (although don’t do it unless the rock is overhanging enough).

In terms of ice, you should expect sustained pitches of WI-4 ice, although it might not be that simple. On an M6 route, you might be confronted with hanging pillars or massive icicles that you need to navigate.

Because of this, I would say that M6 is definitely not for beginners. You have to have the skill required to judge the ice and know when it’s safe to transition to/from the rock, so that you don’t send any massive chunks flying down to your belayer.

M7

What it is: Powerful moves on long, overhanging terrain. Anywhere from 5-15 meters of a route could be described as ‘hard’ climbing.

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.11

M7 is what I would call the first real test piece grade on the mixed climbing scale. On these routes, the angle starts to get steeper, the holds get smaller, and the moves get more complex.

Almost all M7 routes are going to be overhung, and this added gravitational force bumps up the difficulty and makes these climbs what they are. You can expect a good 80-120 feet of sustained, pumpy climbing, with crux sections that would be equivalent to a V6 boulder problem.

The moves on an M7 are going to require a higher degree of technical knowledge. No longer will things be as simple as just hooking your ice axe on a ledge of rock and weighting it. Steins and underclings will become essential on the overhung terrain, and you can expect to have to throw some figure fours and figure nines in there as well.

In terms of ice, you’ll likely notice a shift in the type that you’re dealing with. Because of how overhung the routes are, you won’t be spending as much time on large slabs of ice that you can assign a rating (say, WI-5) to. Instead, you’ll be dealing with large features that cling to the rock walls in weird shapes. Prepare to navigate your way over, around, and through an assortment of bulges, spikes, and cauliflowers in order to finish the route.

M8

What it is: Technical dry tooling with longer routes or more difficult moves than M7. Here, routes may be approaching horizontal climbing.

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.11+

M8, the grade that launched mixed climbing from a fringe activity into its own sport, remains to be something that many mixed climbers aspire to.

These routes are very similar to 5.11+ in terms of where they sit in the difficulty standings. No mixed climber is going to be overly impressed that you climb M8, just like no one shows up to the crag and starts bragging about the 5.11d they’re projecting. By the same token, however, you’re not going to take your friend cragging for the first time and watch them flash Under the Milky Way.

No one is going to find M8 easy, but Reel Rock isn’t going to make a movie about you climbing it. This route sits in the middle. It has technical moves and long sections of restless climbing. It takes proper technique and a lot of strength to climb, and it’s a good goal for any aspiring alpinist out there.  

M9

What it is: Either a long, vertical climb with extremely technical holds, or a moderate route with a 10-20 foot horizontal crux section.

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.12

M9 is probably the highest grade you could get to on vertical rock, because at some point the holds can only get so small. These routes will either be extremely technical and delicate vertical climbs, in which you need to fight your way up 30 meters of thin moves, or they’ll be short, pumpy, and heinous boulder problems.

If you’re an alpinist, you might want to look for the former; after all, how many times do you find yourself on horizontal terrain while 4000 meters up? If, however, you’re mixed climbing for the fun of it, M9 can be a great way to get your pump on and show all of your friends how cool you look when steining.

M10

What it is: At least 30 meters of overhanging routes, or 10 meters of pure vertical climbing, with little to no rest

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.12+

With the vertical rocks now out of the way, you need to start finding some pretty extreme terrain to set an M10 route.

These require caves or basins where you can find long sections of overhanging or vertical terrain. The moves are going to be burly and technical, the rests will be non-existent, and the pump will be real.

As with rock climbing, M10 is where you’ll start to raise some eyebrows in the mixed climbing scene. No one will be lining up to make you famous, but people will have to respect you for hitting this level of difficulty.

M11

What it is: Either 15 meters or vertical climbing, or a full rope-length of overhung and boulder-style moves.

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.13

To quote rock climbing legend and all-around badass John Long: you’re now in virtuoso territory when you start climbing M11. These routes are long, overhung, and feature incredibly difficult moves on tenuous holds.

Either your fighting your way across a vertical section for 50+ feet, or you need to do a full rope length— 40 meters or more— of burly moves.

M12

What it is: An M11 route that features harder holds and more difficult moves, or 20+ meters of horizontal climbing

Equivalent rock climbing grade: 5.14

When you talk about an M12, you’re talking about an absurdly difficult piece of rock with bad holds, dynamic moves, and super steep terrain. Really, there’s not much else I can say about these; you’ll need years of training and experience to have a chance on one.

M13-M16

What it is: The top edge of mixed climbing difficulty. These routes are overhung, long, and feature a series of complex and difficult moves.

Equivalent rock climbing grade: ?

Once you get above M12, things start to get a little fuzzy.

This is where the controversy that I mentioned earlier comes into play. Because of the rapid expansion of the sport, question marks about what gear/techniques you can use, and the fallacy of human judgement, it becomes incredibly difficult to make an accurate judgement about what these routes are.

Sure, based on the criteria mentioned for M12, we can make some judgements: an M13 route would probably have to have at least 40 meters of restless, overhung dry tooling, with 20 meters of horizontal roofs and lots of bouldering. But what about M14? What if there’s an M13 that’s short but strenuous? If I climb 50 meters horizontally, does that automatically qualify the route as an M15?

As you can see, things begin to get a little fuzzy. Even some of the experts have started to realize this. Check out this Will Gadd quote from his routes in Helmcken Falls, one of the premier ice climbing destinations in the world:

“I don’t even try to grade these things. I haven’t for a couple of years now. They are what they are. If you can do it you get to the top, and if you can’t you fall off, and that’s good enough for me.”

https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/will-gadd-climbing-the-world-s-hardest-mix-route-climb

As the quote shows, Gadd has reached the point where he no longer feels the need to assign a rating to the climbs that he’s doing. His message is simple: if you’re good enough to climb it, go climb it. Don’t puff your chest because you assigned a higher number; focus on the quality of the climb and the beauty of the moves.

Also, if you want to see what real edge-of-the-limit ice climbing looks like, check out the video of Gadd climbing at Helmcken:

Now, I know a little bit about ice climbing, but there’s no way I’m going to contradict anything that Will Gadd says. Maybe, as the sport continues to grow and the rules become more established, it will become clear where the line is between M12 and M15. For now, however, I would say that, for the few people in the world who can climb these routes, it should be enough to know you can climb them.