SAC ski touring scale

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The SAC ski tour scale is a difficulty scale specially developed for ski tours by the SAC (Swiss Alpine Club) .

Structure of the scale

  1. The overall rating (grade) of the ski tours corresponds to the top value of the main criteria.
  2. If auxiliary criteria were included, the level of difficulty was raised by a third level (e.g. from WS + to ZS-).
  3. A minus (-) indicates less difficulty than the stated difficulty level. A plus (+) to higher.
  4. The difficulty information is a guideline for good snow , weather and visibility .
  5. The evaluation refers exclusively to the skiing part of the tours. Alpine technical difficulties are described separately in the description header (evaluation: UIAA scale for climbing areas, plus word description for the foot ascent).

Main criteria

Degree Steepness Exposure Terrain shape
ascent and descent 		Bottlenecks
in the descent 		Examples
from the Bernese Alps West,
from the Bernese Alps East
L
easy
(+) 		up to 30 ° no risk of slipping soft, hilly, smooth ground no bottlenecks Niderhorn from Boltigen
Steghorn from Lämmerenhütte
Faulhorn from south
Grünhornlücke
WS
not very difficult
(- / +) 		from 30 ° shorter slide paths, gently tapering off mostly open slopes with short steep steps. Obstacles with evasive options (switchbacks necessary) Short and not very steep bottlenecks Bunderspitz
Arpelistock from Geltenhütte
Sattelhorn (Kandertal)
Sattelhorn (Driest)
ZS
quite difficult
(- / +) 		from 35 ° longer slides with braking options (risk of injury) short steep steps with no evasive options, obstacles in moderately steep terrain require a good reaction (safe switchbacks necessary) Short but steep bottlenecks Männliflue from the south
Rinderhorn normal route
Bundstock from Kandersteg
Grosshorn from the south
S
difficult
(- / +) 		from 40 ° long slide paths, partly breaking off in steep steps (danger to life) Steep slopes with no alternative. Many obstacles require sophisticated and safe driving technique Long and steep bottlenecks. Short turns still possible for advanced skiers Winterhore N flank
Vorder Lohner SW flank
Altels NW flank
Dreispitz
Wyssi Frau NW back
SS
very difficult
(- / +) 		from 45 ° Slipping paths breaking off in steep steps (danger to life) generally very persistent steep terrain. Often interspersed with rock steps. Many obstacles in quick succession Long and very steep bottlenecks. Slipping and jumps necessary Märe N-Couloir
Balmhorn N-Wall directly
Dündenhorn S-Side
Lauteraarhorn
Mönch S-Wall
AS
extremely difficult
(- / +) 		from 50 ° extremely exposed extremely steep flanks or couloirs . No opportunity to relax on the descent Long and very steep bottlenecks, interspersed with steps, only cross jumps and slides possible Monk NE wall
EX
extremely difficult
 from 55 ° extremely exposed extreme steep walls and couloirs possibly abseiling over rock steps necessary Eiger NE wall

Auxiliary criteria

  • Difficult orientation in ascent and descent
  • Route cannot be viewed
  • Route errors can hardly or no longer be corrected.

See also

Web links