Last updated: 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Jordan Morley, FA Level 2 Football Coach
The V-scale is the dominant bouldering grading system in the US and increasingly globally. Created by climber John Sherman (‘Vermin’) at Hueco Tanks, Texas, grades run from V0 (accessible to beginners after a few sessions) through V17 (elite world-class problems). V0-V2 is beginner; V3-V5 intermediate; V6-V8 advanced; V9+ expert/elite. The V-scale roughly corresponds to the Fontainebleau (Font) scale used in Europe: V5 ≈ Font 6C.
- V0 = beginner, V17 = world-class
- Created by John Sherman at Hueco Tanks
- Corresponds roughly to Font scale
- V5 ≈ Font 6C; V10 ≈ Font 7B+
In practice
The V-scale (short for Vermin grade, or V-grade) is the standard American bouldering difficulty rating system, running roughly from V0 (easiest) upward with no fixed ceiling as climbers continue pushing the sport's limits — unlike roped climbing grades, V-grades specifically rate bouldering problems (short, unroped climbing sequences), and the open-ended top end reflects how the sport's difficulty frontier has continually advanced since the scale's introduction.
FAQ
What does a V-grade measure in climbing?
The difficulty of a bouldering problem — a short, unroped climbing sequence — using the American V-scale, which starts at V0 for easier problems and has no fixed numerical ceiling at the top end.
How does the V-scale relate to the Fontainebleau (font) scale?
Both rate bouldering difficulty but originated in different climbing traditions (American V-scale versus the European Fontainebleau scale); approximate conversion charts exist between the two, though they aren't perfectly equivalent at every grade.