6b to V Scale: How It Converts to a V4 or 5.12a

If you’re trying to figure out how a 6b bouldering grade converts to the V scale or sport climbing grades, here’s a quick answer:

A 6b in the Fontainebleau bouldering system is about a V4 in the Hueco (V) scale and roughly a 5.12a in the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS).

In this post, you’ll see how these grading systems compare, why the conversion isn’t always exact, and what it means for your climbing.

Key Takeaways

• The Font 6b grade, aka French 6b, in the French grading scale. This degree of challenge is the norm worldwide in bouldering.
• The V scale is by far the most commonly used grading system for bouldering in the US. It begins at V0 for novices and employs increasing numbers to indicate tougher issues.
• When you do convert a Font 6b to the V scale, it usually ends up being around V4. Remember that grade conversion varies by region, style and local grading practices.
• So for the traveling climber, it’s important to be familiar with both grading scales. Beyond the classroom, access to this knowledge allows them to compare their progress across climbing gyms and outdoor areas.
• Additionally, grade conversions aren’t perfect, especially for grades higher than 6. We know that grading is subjective and based on climbing style, and sometime conversions are better used as suggestions than as hard and fast rules.
• For climbers wanting to advance past 6b or V4, training will be essential. They need to learn new methods and establish realistic expectations to incrementally improve their craft.

Converting 6b to the V Scale

When you start moving between bouldering gyms or outdoor spots in different countries, you might see both the Font scale and the V scale on the same wall. Converting a 6b grade to the V scale is going to take a different approach. A few simple steps and helpful information can go a long way toward demystifying the process.

First, 6b on the Font scale is commonly considered equivalent to V3 on the V scale. This is a somewhat difficult grade, hard enough to be intimidating to most but within reach with regular effort. The Font scale has additional grade steps in excess of the V scale. Due to this, the arithmetic can frequently start to get murky.

Yes, some people claim that 6b is closer to a V3. Some think it is more like V2 or V4, depending on the style of the route, the kind of holds and your height/reach.

Here’s a quick look at a common conversion table:

Font Grade	V Scale
6a	V2
6a+	V2–V3
6b	V3
6b+	V3–V4
6c	V4

A 6b slab at Fontainebleau would really focus on technical skills and balance. A 6b roof at Hueco Tanks requires less pure power. Both these climbs are graded at about V3. It’s the little things like these that make the perfect translation impossible.

This is why tons of climbers have a hard time converting between the two scales, particularly around the 6b/V3 mark. Understanding the process of grade conversion is essential for that all-important US climber traveling abroad, and vice versa.

This allows you to create more concrete goals and reduces the chances of surprises when you visit a new gym or crag.

What is the Font 6b Grade?

Font 6b grade is in the French Fontainebleau grading scale. This scale has recently become the accepted scale for bouldering difficulty across Europe and the world. This scale allows climbers to know what a problem will be like before they start trying it.

It makes it much easier for them to determine which routes fit their strengths and long-term goals. The Font 6b Grade Font 6b is in the medium – hard range. Many climbers consider this grade to be a great rite of passage.

It is a huge jump from novice-level approachable problems and requires a combination of technicality and physicality.

Conversion

In the United States, climbers will find that Font 6b grade corresponds to a V4 on the V Scale. That way anyone used to either grading system can quickly use them as close makeshift equivalents.

Climbing at the 6b Level

Climbing at the 6b level means mixing pure power, finesse, and mental concentration. These challenges frequently require explosive bursts, precise footwork, and savvy body control.

In this 6b example at a well-known gym, the crux 6b problem usually has a tough overhanging start. You may have to pull off a swift beta change or learn a difficult heel hook to send it.

Outdoors, and particularly in the old school Fontainebleau circuits, climbers are put to some thrilling tests. They enhance their craft daily by practicing the faintest grip and balancing act across contour banks.

Step 6b takes a bit more muscle and accuracy than step 6a. In terms of pushing the technical limits, it doesn’t go as far as step 6c.

What counts as 6b can sometimes shift from one region to another, or even between gyms, but the core idea stays the same: it’s a solid test for climbers looking to check where they stand.

What is the V Scale System?

The V scale system is prominent as the dominant method that bouldering problems are graded within the United States. Climbers quickly develop a tactile sense for how difficult a route is going to be. They’re based on an easy-to-understand system of one number plus the letter “V.

For instance, V0 corresponds with the lowest difficulty climbs. Conversely, V16 or above indicates at least a few of the hardest moves in the world. The new system helps climbers orient themselves to boulder sizes in a gym quickly and reliably. It’s invaluable for nature tourism destinations, from California to New York.

By contrast with other grading approaches, such as the French scale used in Europe, the V scale seems more straightforward. The French system uses numbers and letters together, such as 6A or 7B+. This is deeply confusing even to many Americans. The V scale makes it easy—only a linearly increasing number as difficulty increases.

The V scale systemically categorizes boulder climbs based on the strength, technical skill, and mental grit required. An example V2 could require excellent body tension as well as a degree of balance. By V8, you’re in the realm of steeper walls, smaller holds, and big moves that would shake the strongest climbers to their cores.

This system allows climbers to choose climbs appropriate for their ability level, minimize the risk of injury, and measure improvement over time. The V scale also originated as a local system, developed in Hueco Tanks, Texas.

Now, it’s the V Scale system, and it’s in use across almost the entire US. It spread because it works well for both indoor and outdoor bouldering, letting the climbing community speak a shared language.

Why Do Different Scales Exist?

The sport of climbing has an incredible history, with its grading systems reflecting how far the sport has come and how much it has evolved. Due to these practical reasons, different areas came up with different ways to grade climbs. These approaches took cues from regional aesthetics, available stone types, and the community’s goals.

History of the Font Scale

The Font Scale was introduced in France, in the forest of Fontainebleau. Climbers began to congregate to the sandstone boulders there, looking for a scale on which to grade the nuances of climbing difficulty.

U.S.

In the U.S., the V Scale was created by American climber John Sherman at Hueco Tanks, Texas. He needed a way to track the many hard first ascents he did—often without crash pads—so he made a system that worked for him and the local scene.

It’s not just where you climb that matters, it’s how you climb. Steep, politicized issues in America demanded a more political approach than the technocratic slabs across the pond. As each local scene developed, they created systems that matched their unique styles and toolsets.

The V Scale also employs a ‘+’ or ‘-’ to further hone grades. By way of example, V6+ is considered one grade harder than V6. Other regions, such as Japan, employ the Kyū/Dan system, illustrating how grading is influenced by culture and tradition.

Evolution of Grading Systems

History has something to do with it, as well. As bouldering evolved, older systems such as the Font Scale remained unbounded to accommodate climbs that continued to increase in difficulty. These systems prevent confusion with other climbing grades—spelling out sport climbing in numbers and letters, bouldering needed another.

The world’s multiple scales serve as a potent reminder that grading is arbitrary. Views vary, and novel systems emerge to address voids or shortcomings in previous systems. This patchwork of scales is perhaps fitting given the broad, deep, colorful, complex, chaotic beauty of climbing that it seeks to govern.

Challenges in Grade Conversion

Grade conversion in climbing is a major pain point, even for people who have spent years on the climbing wall. A common issue that many face when converting between systems such as the V Scale, Font Scale, or New Zealand grading. The demanding environment of jagged stone and tempestuous storms frequently make grades unpredictable, shifting with the seasons.

Each area comes with its own foibles. In New Zealand, a rainy forecast can make the difference between an ascent or an attempt. The rock could shelve or be greasy, making an otherwise V4 problem on a dry day a serious test-piece after a shower. This makes straight grade swaps extremely challenging.

Another major hurdle is the fact that grading is deeply personal. What one climber would grade a climb as a V3, another may grade the same climb a V5. That’s all due to body shape, style, and even rock type. Other grading systems, like the Scottish technical ratings, are more forgiving.

They are notoriously prone to exaggeration. They almost always rate climbs one full number higher than Water Ice or M-grades. Canadian commitment grade, which combines Roman and Arabic numerals, can stop even the most experienced climbers in their tracks. If you speak V Scale bouldering, converting to the National Climbing Classification System used in the US is confusing.

This system requires equal parts dedication and technical expertise, which can quickly make it seem like you’re learning a foreign language. Climbing styles come into it as well. Perhaps a steep, gym-style problem is awarded the same grade as a huge slab out front, only they’re not the same experience.

Other systems, like the WI Scale for waterfall ice, are seldom encountered outside of their home turf. This creates challenges in including cross-border comparisons. Tips for climbers: always check local guides, ask others at the crag, and be ready for grades to feel off, especially in places with wild weather or rare rock.

Moving Beyond 6b on the V Scale

For climbers looking to progress beyond 6b on the V scale, there is a tangible barrier. This change represents something deeper than just pure wattage. It concludes that there needs to be some serious work, some smart training, and some sensible goal-setting in order to get there.

On boulders rated V4 and up, the holds shrink, the moves become more complex, and figuring out the solution becomes increasingly critical. If you’re familiar with private fitness studios in Los Angeles or other cities, these are immediately apparent. They seem to show up as soon as you move beyond 6b.

To grow, focus on these key skills and techniques:

• Footwork: Place feet with care, not just speed.
• Body tension: Keep your middle strong, even on overhangs.
• Route reading: Spot cruxes and plan moves before you start.
• Dynamic moves: Learn to hop or pop for holds when slow moves won’t work.
• Grip variety: Train open hand, pinch, and sloper grips.

Strength training should focus beyond arm muscles. Pay particular attention to your fingers, forearms, core, and back. Hangboard sessions are a good way to build finger strength.

Stunts that develop body tension such as core drills, planks or leg lifts are primary. Pull-ups and lock-offs increase pulling strength. Every muscle group contributes to those hard V scale problems, both inside and on Southern California granite.

Establish incremental, measurable objectives. Head to your nearest climbing gym and attempt to show off a V4! Begin connecting difficult maneuvers on one project or submit that outside challenge that used to send you exploring, submit an improved person.

Each victory adds to your confidence and builds momentum for the next.

How Experts View Grade Conversion

As many experts will tell you, grade conversion from one system to another, such as 6b to V scale, can be challenging. The truth is that the whole point of the problem is that climbing grades are subjective. After all, no two climbers experience the same move the same way.

For this reason, experts caution that there is no magic chart to convert one grade to another. Common misconception #2 — The V Scale, the most popular scale in North America, gets harder as the number goes up. Likewise, Europe and Asia’s Font Scale, which is another inversion in the order of increasing challenge.

The transition from one to the other isn’t so straightforward. Just as a V4 can seem “harder” or “softer” than a Font 6b. It really just comes down to the climbing area and the individual who created the challenge.

It is largely up to experienced climbers to set the tone and standards. Typically, a release is scored by a small team, not a big convened panel. Grades are often the sole judgment of a handful of people.

So, you can expect to notice inconsistencies even between routes with the same grade. As experts point out, you can have one V7 that’s considered “hard” and another V7 that’s considered “soft.” While they may have the same name, they provide two completely distinct experiences.

Comments from the climbing community are used to further refine the grades. First, climbers tend to provide feedback, and through discussion and debate over months or years, the climbing community will eventually raise or lower the grade.

Experts warn that this ping-ponging back and forth is critically important. They further note that it can be difficult to match lower grades like V0–V2 between various systems. Even a minor adjustment in the number of holds or moves can have a drastic effect on the grade.

Overall, experts are unanimous in their belief that clarity and consistency assist climbers in trusting the grades. To maintain the fairness of the system, they propose using objective criteria and transparent processes with public input.

Future of Climbing Grade Scales

As climbing continues to rapidly expand, grades are in a constant state of flux both in how they are implemented and the manner climbers utilize them. Fast forward, the future of how we communicate grades such as 6b or V-scale could be very different.

A second trend is the increasing demand for consistency in grading standards between gyms and crags. Currently, a 6b route in Los Angeles could seem completely inaccurate compared to a 6b in a different city. Climbers love trading tales of their hardest “6b” being a piece of cake/rock elsewhere. This back and forth makes many want a unified system that works everywhere, so you get a fair read on what to expect.

Tech is beginning to have a larger influence. Today, climbers use apps to log sends, compare grades, and share feedback almost instantly. With loads of data from all kinds of climbers, these tools can spot trends or outliers in how problems get graded.

In some of these apps, you can vote on how hard a route is. This fantastic feature goes a long way to ameliorate the jarring contrasts in difficulty between gyms and crags. Over the long term, this data can help inform how grades are assigned. Instead of just one setter’s opinion, it will bring in the crowd’s input to make the process smarter.

Everyone is wondering how to combine the two grading systems. That way climbers such as bouldering, sport, or trad climber can easily compare their abilities. Maybe in a few years, moving from 6b to V4 will be simple and clear, with charts or digital tools that break it all down.

Our future depends on climbers providing their feedback and collaborating. Transparent discussions build consensus among all stakeholders and put everyone on the same page with the changes so that grading feels equitable and practical.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “6b” mean in climbing grades?

What does “6b” mean in climbing grades. It means a solidly in the moderate to advanced range, with the need for very good technique and strength.

What is the “V scale” in climbing?

The V scale, or “Vermin scale,” is a grading system used primarily in the United States for bouldering problems. It begins at V0 and climbs as the climb becomes more difficult.

How do you convert 6b to the V scale?

A Font 6b boulder problem is about comparable to a V4 on the V scale. This is, of course, a rough estimate, as the routes and grading differ from area to area and gym to gym.

Why are there different climbing grade scales?

Various areas and technical climbing subcultures created their own grading systems. These reflect local climbing history and culture, so directly converting them can be difficult at best.

Is grade conversion always accurate?

Is grade conversion always accurate? Climbing provides an experience that is different depending on style, location, and setter. As such, grades can be difficult to match precisely between different systems.

What comes after 6b on the V scale?

What comes after 6b on the V scale? The difference is that on the V scale, numbers just keep getting bigger—V5, V6, etc.

Why should climbers understand both grading systems?

Understanding both grading systems is key for any aspiring climber that wants to travel and climb around the world. This helps all climbers more easily compare routes and set goals, regardless of where you climb.