Our Trek Grading

TREK GRADING

Your experience in the beautiful European Alps is paramount to us, therefore your choice of trek is very important. Each trek has its own level of demand, it is essential that you choose a trek that suits your level of experience and fitness.

We grade our treks using a four-point scale (1-4, low to high) to help you choose the correct experience. Bespoke day treks with flexible itineraries and a return to a base and are generally graded one (easy) and two (moderate). Our multi day journeys are graded three (difficult) or four (toughest) depending on their intensity, duration of each daily challenge and the trek’s level of remoteness. It’s important to remember that the level of challenge of each trek is quite personal, reflecting our physical and mental state, appropriate body composition, preparation, and prior experience in mountain environments.

The level considers:

• Endurance: needed to complete our average daily itineraries for each trek. This took into account walking duration, intensity and length of ascents and descents;
• Strength, Agility, Balance: both lower and upper body; for example, in a person of reasonable body composition to move with economy of effort, or carry a pack;
• Robustness: Health and wellbeing needed for a person to meet the challenges associated with mountain days, bearing in mind perhaps the daily remoteness level of each trek;
• Mental toughness: resilience needed to complete the day’s journey, sometimes in challenging or changing conditions for example weather or terrain;
• Previous experience: for example, confidence in managing exposed or steeper sections, more remote accommodations, local foods.

Once you have decided on which trek is best for you, you will have time to get in good shape before you arrive in the Alps. For more tips & advice of how best to do this, take a look at our Fitness & Preparation page and if you have any questions about whether you are fit enough for a trek in the mountains we are here to help.

Need any further advice on trek fitness and preparation? It is in our interest to support your preparation for the best trekking experience possible. Mindset, fitness, nutrition, hydration and maybe more... It may be just confirming what you already know makes sense for trekking in high places but we will be available to try and answer your questions and offer ideas to get you ready to go.

Get in touch with us for any advice and help with trek suitability, health & fitness preparation: info@montblanctreks.com

Take a look at the grading below, it will give you further information on each grade.