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Atlanta Outdoor Club - Difficulty Ratings
It is challenging to quantify the difficulty rating for various events, but in keeping with our mandate
of being a variety club, and not a hard-core single-activity club, our rating system/guidelines are
described in detail below. Notes:
- In the winter or other challenging conditions, difficulty levels may be increased by 1-2 levels according
to coordinator discretion/understanding of the conditions.
- All difficult and advanced trips will only be open to those who meet the Trip Leader's criteria:
if this is your first event with that coordinator, you may be contacted before being allowed to participate.
Hike
Hikes are rated according to the amount of distance travelled, the amount of elevation gained, seasonal
conditions, and if applicable, special considerations for the route, pace, etc.
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 2 |
Easy to Moderate |
Less than 5mi distance and negligible elevation gain |
| 3 |
Moderate |
Approx 5-9mi with gentle elevation gain |
| 4 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Greater distance (over 10mi) and more challenging elevation gain. |
| 5 |
Difficult |
Greater distance (over 15mi), challenging elevation gain, and/or seasonal conditions or special considerations. |
Backpack
Backpack trips are rated according to distance covered per day as well as elevation gain.
Backpack trips which involve packing in and out with lighter-pack day hikes on the in-between days are
rated according to the hike rating system, but one notch higher. Trips which involve packing every
single day will be bumped yet another notch to account for the additional weight required to to carry
each day.
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 3 |
Moderate |
Pack in and Out Only: Less than 5mi distance and negligible elevation gain per day |
| 4 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Pack in and Out Only: Approx 5-10mi with gentle elevation gain per day
Pack every day: Less than 5mi distance and negligible elevation gain per day
|
| 5 |
Difficult |
Pack in and Out Only: Greater distance (over 10mi), more challenging elevation gain per day
Pack every day: Approx 5-10mi with gentle elevation gain per day
|
| 6 |
Advanced |
Pack every day: Greater distance (over 10mi), more challenging elevation gain per day, challenging terrain
|
Caving (horizontal)
This is for horizontal caves only. This is where no or very little rope work is needed.
Caving trips are rated according to many factors, including the length of travel in the cave, how much crawling, climbing,
squeezing, and/or swimming.
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 1 |
Easy |
Comercial cave. Lighted. Walk in, walk out.
No equipment needed. |
| 2 |
Easy to Moderate |
Very easy to get around. Little to no crawling or climbing. May get feet wet.
Standard equipment needed. |
| 3 |
Moderate |
Moderately easy to get around. May have some crawling, climbing and/or squeezing. May get a little wet.
Standard equipment needed. |
| 4 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Movement in the cave becomes more difficult. Will have some crawling, climbing and/or squeezing.
Climbing may require use of a handline. May get wet, including swimming. May be a long and/or time consuming cave.
Standard equipment needed. |
| 5 |
Difficult |
Movement in the cave is difficult. Will have a lot of crawling, climbing and/or squeezing.
May get wet, including swimming. May require more advanced rope work. Will be a long and/or time consuming cave.
Standard equipment needed. |
| 6 |
Advanced |
Real tough to get around. May have everything already listed, just harder.
Standard equipment needed. |
Urban Hike
Urban hikes (walks) are rated easier than mountain hikes because of the extra considerations
introduced by any activity in the mountains.
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 1 |
Easy |
Less than 5mi distance and negligible elevation gain |
| 2 |
Easy to Moderate |
Approx 5-10mi with gentle elevation gain |
Canoe
Canoe trips are rated according to distance, hazards and technical difficulty.
Our ratings for canoe trips are Difficulty Descriptions are based on the
International Scale of River Difficulty
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 2 |
Easy to Moderate |
Short/easy trips on stationary or slow-moving water |
| 3 |
Moderate |
Rivers with at most Class I rapids: Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all obvious
and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy |
| 4 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Rivers with at most Class II rapids: Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting.
Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium-sized waves are easily missed by trained paddlers. Swimmers are seldom
injured and group assistance, while helpful, is seldom needed |
River Raft
River rafting trips are rated according to distance, hazards and technical difficulty.
Generally, a river rafting trip is rated one level easier than the canoeing rating. Trips rated higher than Moderate
must be organized by a certified river rafting company.
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 2 |
Easy to Moderate |
Rivers with at most Class I rapids: Fast moving water with riffles and small waves.
Few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy |
| 3 |
Moderate |
Rivers with at most Class II rapids: Straightforward rapids with wide,
clear channels which are evident without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and
medium-sized waves are easily missed by trained paddlers. Swimmers are seldom injured and group assistance,
while helpful, is seldom needed |
| 4 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Rivers with at most Class III rapids: Rapids with moderate, irregular waves
which may be difficult to avoid and which can swamp an open canoe. Complex maneuvers in fast current and
good boat control in tight passages or around ledges are often required; large waves or strainers may be present
but are easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on large-volume
rivers. scouting is advisable for inexperienced parties. Injuries while swimming are rare; self-rescue is usually
easy but group assistance may be required to avoid long swims |
| 5 |
Difficult |
Rivers with at most Class IV rapids: Intense, powerful but predictable rapids
requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Depending on the character of the river, it may feature
large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure.
A fast, reliable eddy turn may be needed to initiate maneuvers, scout rapids, or rest. Rapids may require
"must" moves above dangerous hazards. Scouting may be necessary the first time down. Risk of injury
to swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions may make self-rescue difficult. Group assistance
for rescue is often essential but requires practiced skills |
| 6 |
Very Difficult |
Rivers with Class V rapids: Exceedingly difficult,
long and violent rapids, following each other almost without interruption; riverbed extremely obstructed;
big drops; violent currents; very steep gradient. |
Road Bike
Road biking is rated according to distance, pace, hills and hazards (ie. traffic)
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 2 |
Easy to Moderate |
An urban bike ride on city trails. Less than 18mi. |
| 3 |
Moderate |
Urban or highway ride. 18-30mi |
| 4 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Highway ride, often in the mountains. 30-50mi |
| 5 |
Difficult |
Highway ride, often in the mountains. 60+mi |
Mountain Bike
Mountain biking is rated according to pace, terrain and technical difficulty
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 3 |
Moderate |
Easy terrain. Slow pace, easy hills, hard packed trail, beginners are often welcome. |
| 4 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Moderate pace. Some steep hills, tree roots, muddy sections, loose surface, narrow trail. |
| 5 |
Difficult |
Technically challenging, moderate/fast pace. Steep hills, mud, roots, rocks/scree, loose surface, narrow trail. |
| 6 |
Advanced |
Very technically challenging, moderate/fast pace. Steep hills, mud, roots, rocks/scree, loose surface, narrow trail. |
Inline Skate
Inline Skating is rated according to trail conditions, hills, traffic exposure, intended
distance covered and intended pace.
| Difficulty (D) # |
Name |
Specs |
| 1 |
Easy |
Intended for beginners. Small distance, smooth flat trail with little/no hills/traffic. |
| 2 |
Easy to Moderate |
Not intended for beginners. Greater distance, some experience required for dodging debris, children, traffic. Some hills. |
| 3 |
Moderate |
Experienced skaters only. Greater distance, faster pace. Debris, children, traffic and some hills. |
| 4 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Experienced skaters only. Greater distance, fast pace. Debris, children, traffic and significant hills. |
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