Requires two tools. Vertical sections of ice interrupted by ramps or ledges. Sustained, strenuous sections of vertical ice. Ice quality is usually good. The ice may be delicate or of poorer quality.
Protection is difficult.
Sustained vertical ice which may be thin, detached, or rotten. Protection is difficult or nonexistent. Often found in conjunction with technical ratings, the alpine grade considers all the technical and objective difficulties of a mountain route, and distills them into an estimate of how long a competent party will take to complete the route. Two or more days, several bivouacs required. Alaska Grading System.