What's a 5.7 Climbing Trail?

Taking risks is all well and good, but so is knowing your limitations. No matter what climbing level you're at, it's good to know the varying difficulties and whether or not you can handle them.

The United States has created a rating system for natural and man-made trails, which applies to all forms of forward movement. Class one is normal walking, while class five covers everything that is rock climbing. Within class five, there are five ranges of difficulty, and it's important to know in which range your skill level falls.

The first range is 5.0 through 5.4. These are the easiest climbs that everyone should start off at. The holds are numerous and easy to maneuver around, and the course is fairly obvious. The second is 5.5 through 5.7. On these courses, you can still wear your regular sneakers, but the course itself is slightly less intuitive.

5.8 through 5.10 is when you really start needed a good pair of climbing shoes. It is not recommended to make your first climb in this range, as considerable skill is required.

The last two levels are the most taxing, 5.11 through 5.12 and 5.13 through 5.14. Both should only be tackled by the most experienced of climbers, as it is thought that only ten percent of climbers in the world can handle even the fourth level.

Everyone begins at a 5.0, but with enough dedication and skill, you too can reach the upper level of experience and difficulty.