climbingcrags.
junk.
so many cliffs, so little time
rocks and ratings.
scales, ratings & grade comparison
you never know what you might find here.

but that's the beauty of it;

neither do I.
ice ratings.
Note:  The prefixes of New England Ice (NEI), Alpine Ice (AI), and Water Ice (WI) are mostly interchangeable.  For instance NEI 5 is close in difficulty to AI5 and WI 5; the primary difference is geographic -- the AI grade means that the route is in an alpine environment.  NEI is self explanatory, though back East they factor commitment into the grade, meaning that a NEI 3 near the road is technically harder than a NEI 3 in the backcountry.  WI routes are usually near a road.  Many climbers use WI to rate their routes, regardless of where they are.

WI 1:  Low-angle ice that you can climb with only one tool.  Competent ice climbers don't require a rope.

WI 2:  Steepening terrain, though you usually will only need one tool.

WI 3: WI 2 with the occasional near vertical section..

WI 4:  Requires two tools and mostly frontpointing; vertical ice mixed with lower-angled bits..

WI 5: Continuous vertical ice; placing protectio is strenuous; expect at least half a rope of this terrain.

WI 6:  Vertical to overhanging (rare) ice; ice may be rotten and difficult to protect..

WI 7: Laborious, usually rotten ice that requires extensive cleaning; tool placements are difficult; protection is sparse; leader feels lucky to have survived the pitch..
commitment grades.
Grade I:  Short (a couple of pitches); near a road.

Grade II:  Longer climbs; up to five pitches if moderate and near a road.

Grade III:  Serious multi-pitch routes with some difficulty of retreat, or very sustained technical difficulty; some parties may take a full day.

Grade IV:  Exceptionally long and committing moderate routes (possibly remote or at high elevation); very difficult free or mixed free-and-aid clibs of eight pitches or more.

Grade V: For free-and-aid climbs, most parties will bivouac while strong parties will take a full day.

Grade VI: Requires at least two bivouacs (speed ascents of Yosemite walls excepted) and perhaps 10 or more; on continuously difficult rock.

Grade VII:  Very remote and long alpine wall lcimbs.  Reserved for the biggest Baffin Island and Himalayan walls.         
more ratings >>>
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BEEN THERE.  DONE THAT. 
A travel journal by Karla.  That's me, not you.
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