Look at a sign, decode it
What this solves
The SAC scale is unique to Switzerland. T1–T2 are "anyone with normal fitness". T4 starts requiring scrambling. T6 is full alpine — rope, harness, helmet, glacier skills. Many non-Swiss tour guides confuse T1 (easy) for T6 (alpine), and tourists die in the alps because of this confusion. This tool tells you, plain, what each grade means and whether you should attempt it.
How to read
- T1 yellow: marked path, flat or gentle slope, no exposure. Anyone.
- T2 yellow-white: marked, sometimes steep, basic sure-footedness needed.
- T3 white-red-white: partly exposed, hands sometimes needed. Sure-footed hikers only.
- T4 white-blue-white: alpine terrain, hands often needed, exposed sections, some via ferrata. Alpine experience.
- T5 white: alpine climbing (single rope up to grade II), high exposure, route-finding required.
- T6 black: full alpine: rope, harness, glacier traverse, sometimes bivouac.
Limitations
- Sign colour coding was standardised in 2020; some old signs are still in the old "yellow / red / black" 3-grade system.
- T6 weather closures and route-finding conditions can downgrade (or upgrade) difficulty by 2 grades in a single day.
- Rescue is paid in Switzerland — even SAC members. REGA helicopter: CHF 3,000+ on a typical mission.
FAQ
Are SAC grades the same as US/UK grades?
No. T1 = well-marked path. Yosemite Decimal System Class 3 = SAC T3 roughly. UK "scramble grade 1" ≈ SAC T4. Don't try to convert; trust the Swiss sign.
Sources
- sac-cas.ch - offizielles Schwierigkeitsanbieter
- SAC hiking guidebook series
About
Built after reading "T4 hike" in three English-language Swiss hiking guides and realising none explained what that actually means.
Privacy
No tracking. See homepage privacy.
Disclaimer
Mountain activity carries risk. The SAC scale is a reference, not a guarantee.