| Rating | Description | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1 |
An easy hike on wide and maintained trail. 2-3 hours of average hiking time and less than 100m of elevation gain. Suitable for families |
Rice Lake | Wapta Falls |
| D2 |
Easy to moderate half-day hike on established trail. No more than 5 hours of average hiking time. Gentle gradient, rolling terrain and less than 500m of elevation gain |
Lighthouse Park | Boom Lake |
| D3 |
Moderate day-hike on established trail. 5-7 hours of average hiking time. Moderate gradient, occasional steep and/or rough sections. Less than 1000m of elevation gain |
Baden Powell | Healy Pass |
| D4 |
Difficult day-hike or backpack into less traveled areas. More than 7 hours of average hiking time. Extended steep and/or rough sections, possible bushwhack and off-trail travel. Cumulative elevation gain might exceed 1000m |
Mt. Seymour | Devil's Thumb |
| D5 |
Easy Scramble, technical crux not harder than class 2 YDS |
Sigurd Peak | Caldron Lake |
| D6 |
Moderate Scramble, technical crux not harder than class 3 YDS |
Golden Ears | Noseeum Peak |
| D7 |
Difficult Scramble, technical crux not harder than class 4 YDS |
West Lion | Pilot Mtn |
| Rating | Description | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Front country or low elevation trail without snow accumulation. Snowshoes not required | Buntzen Lake | Lake Louise |
| S2 | Easy snowshoe on mainly flat and maintained trail. No avalanche danger. | Consolation Lakes | |
| S3 | Moderate snowshoe. Trail is marked most of the way. Steep sections might be present bellow treeline. Ice-axe generally not required. | East End of Rundle | |
| S4 | Difficult trip with plenty of steep sections. Portions might be above treeline on steep slopes where ice-axe and knowledge of self-arrest might be required. | Mt. Harvey | Mt. Jimmy Simpson |
| S5 | Advanced trip, reserved only for fit individuals experienced in winter travel. Extended steep sections. Open slopes above treeline with considerable avalanche danger. Markings might be poor or entirely absent. Ice-axe and knowledge of self-arrest technique is mandatory | Castle Towers | Big Bend Peak |
Descriptions are used for reference purpose of this site and are by no means absolute set of values. No difficulty rating found on Internet will equally apply to everyone as skill level and experience vastly differ. Please use them at your own digression; author bears no responsibility for problems resulting from misrepresentation. You and only you are responsible for your own safety.