Every hike on this blog is graded against the Australian Walking Track Grading System, a voluntary national standard endorsed by Bushwalking Australia as the peak national bushwalking body.
The grading system operates at two levels:
1. A technical grading based on distance, gradient of the track, quality of the path, quality of the track markings and the required level of experience.
2. A “plain English language” description to describe the walk to the public.
The technical grading is described in the following table. Click on the image to enlarge the rating matrix in a new browser window/tab.
The public descriptions can broadly be summarised as:
Grade 1 – This hike is suitable for the disabled with assistance
Grade 2 – This hike is suitable for families with young children
Grade 3 – This hike is recommended for people with some bushwalking experience
Grade 4 – This hike is recommended for experienced bushwalkers
Grade 5 – This hike is recommended for very experienced bushwalkers