Climbing gym chain · United States
The Front Climbing Club grades, explained
The Front Climbing Club runs three climbing gyms in northern Utah: Salt Lake City (established 1999), Ogden (2010) and South Main in Millcreek (2020). It traces its roots to the Wasatch Front gym that Dave Bell opened in the 1990s. All three gyms have bouldering and roped climbing, yoga, fitness and gear shops, and one dot-colour system marks difficulty at all of them. The company also runs a ceramics studio, Studio 1396, two doors from the Salt Lake City gym.
Bouldering grades
A coloured dot at the start of each climb marks its difficulty band. From easiest to hardest they are yellow, blue, green, pink, red and black, which The Front calls 'hard… Yoda hard'. Posters in the gym give the numeric ranges, but the website doesn't. The V ranges below are our estimate, spreading the six dots over a typical VB–V10 range in the published order.
| Level | V-scale | ≈ Font |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | VB–V1 | 3–5B |
| Blue | V1–V3 | 5A–6A+ |
| Green | V3–V5 | 5C+–6C+ |
| Pink | V5–V7 | 6C–7B |
| Red | V7–V9 | 7A+–7C |
| Black | ≥ V9 | ≥ 7C |
Rope climbing grades
Roped routes use the same dot colours. The YDS ranges below are our estimate, spread over a typical 5.5–5.13 gym range in the same order.
| Level | YDS | ≈ French |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 5.5–5.8 | 3b+–5a+ |
| Blue | 5.9–5.10b | 5b–6a+ |
| Green | 5.10b–5.11a | 6a+–6c |
| Pink | 5.11a–5.11d | 6b+–7a+ |
| Red | 5.12a–5.12d | 7a+–7c |
| Black | ≥ 5.13a | ≥ 7c+ |
The Front Climbing Club uses this grading at all its gyms. Estimated by Gear Loop. The gym publishes only the order of its colours, so these ranges are our best guess from its chart and climbers' descriptions. Gyms reset and regrade often, and grades vary between setters, so treat this as a guide and check the boards when you visit.
3 The Front Climbing Club gyms
Each gym's page has its address, how to book, and links to prices and opening hours.
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Questions
- What V-scale grade is Yellow at The Front Climbing Club?
- Yellow at The Front Climbing Club is roughly VB–V1, about 3–5B in Font (our estimate).
- What V-scale grade is Blue at The Front Climbing Club?
- Blue at The Front Climbing Club is roughly V1–V3, about 5A–6A+ in Font (our estimate).
- What V-scale grade is Green at The Front Climbing Club?
- Green at The Front Climbing Club is roughly V3–V5, about 5C+–6C+ in Font (our estimate).
- What V-scale grade is Pink at The Front Climbing Club?
- Pink at The Front Climbing Club is roughly V5–V7, about 6C–7B in Font (our estimate).
- What V-scale grade is Red at The Front Climbing Club?
- Red at The Front Climbing Club is roughly V7–V9, about 7A+–7C in Font (our estimate).
- What V-scale grade is Black at The Front Climbing Club?
- Black at The Front Climbing Club is roughly ≥ V9, about ≥ 7C in Font (our estimate).
Sources
- The Front Climbing Club: home (three locations, established years)
- The Front: About (timeline)
- The Front: Contact Us (addresses, phone, hours by location)
- The Front SLC: Visit (dot grading FAQ)
- The Front South Main: Visit (dot grading FAQ)
- The Front Climbing Club: grading
- The Front: home (locations)
Checked 3 October 2026. Gear Loop isn't affiliated with The Front Climbing Club.