Difficulty Rating System: How Hard Will Your Glacier Adventure Be?
Not every climb feels the same—and difficulty isn't determined by mileage or elevation gain alone.
The Climb Glacier National Park Difficulty Rating System describes the physical exertion you can expect during an adventure. These ratings are based on the firsthand experiences and opinions of the authors and our climbing partners.
Your experience may be very different.
Fitness, training, previous climbing experience, weather, nutrition, hydration and even your mental attitude can dramatically affect how difficult a particular climb feels.
Some Days You've Got It. Some Days You Don't.
Every climber knows the feeling.
There are days when everything comes together. Your legs feel strong, you've eaten well, you're hydrated, the weather cooperates and the miles seem to pass easily.
Life is good!
Then there are the other days.
You're dragging your body up the trail. Your legs feel heavy. Your energy isn't there. Something simply doesn't feel right.
Pay attention to those signals.
A successful day in the mountains doesn't always end on the summit. Sometimes the best decision you can make is to recognize that today isn't your day, listen to your body—and your climbing partners—and turn around.
The mountain will still be there.
Painless — Well, Almost
These adventures are a great place for beginning climbers to start.
Typical one-way distance: Less than 3 miles (4.8 km)
Typical total elevation gain: Less than 1,500 feet (457 m)
If you're new to scrambling or off-trail travel in Glacier National Park, this is an excellent difficulty level for discovering whether you enjoy leaving the maintained trail behind.
These adventures still require some effort, but they're generally manageable with a little time, patience and basic physical conditioning.
Of course, there are always exceptions. Apgar Lookout is a good example.
Tolerable — Sort Of
Many of the adventures featured in the Climb Glacier guidebook series fall into this category.
Typical one-way distance: Less than 5 miles (8.0 km)
Typical total elevation gain: Less than 2,500 feet (762 m)
This is where physical conditioning becomes increasingly important.
A well-conditioned climber may find these routes enjoyable, while someone who hasn't prepared physically may find the exact same trip exhausting.
The best advice?
Get in shape before you arrive in Glacier.
You'll enjoy the climb—and the rest of your vacation—a lot more.
Challenging — Pretty Much
Welcome to Weekend Warrior territory.
Typical one-way distance: Less than 8 miles (12.9 km)
Typical total elevation gain: Less than 4,000 feet (1,219 m)
Many Glacier National Park summits require this level of physical exertion.
A Weekend Warrior may successfully complete one of these routes, but there's a good chance they'll know exactly what they did when they get out of bed the next morning!
Our recommendation: Don't train like a Weekend Warrior.
Start an exercise program before your trip and stick with it. Build your endurance, strengthen your legs and prepare your body for sustained uphill travel.
Your body will thank you.
Arduous — Absolutely
These are the big days.
Typical one-way distance: More than 8 miles (12.9 km)
Typical total elevation gain: Often well over 4,000 feet (1,219 m)
These routes are for the He-men and She-gals who somehow never seem to find quite enough challenge.
Long distances, major elevation gain and hours of sustained physical effort require excellent conditioning. You should be in top physical shape before attempting adventures at this level.
One option for making an arduous route more manageable is turning it into an overnight trip when regulations, route logistics and camping options allow.
Know Yourself Before You Go
Remember that our Difficulty Rating System measures physical exertion. It is different from a climbing classification that describes the technical difficulty of the terrain.
A route can be technically straightforward but physically exhausting—or short and physically manageable while containing more difficult scrambling.
Use both pieces of information when choosing your adventure.
Most importantly, be honest about your conditioning and experience. Eat, hydrate, prepare properly and pay attention to what your body is telling you.
The goal isn't simply to reach the summit.
The goal is to have a great adventure—and get back safely.
GO EXPLORE GLACIER.