Free climbing tool

Climbing grade pyramid calculator

Choose the grade you want to redpoint. Get a practical 1:2:4:8 pyramid of projects and supporting volume below it.

Target-first planning

Build toward your target grade

Project

8a

0 completedAim for 1

1 below

7c+

1 completedAim for 2

2 below

7c

0 completedAim for 4

3 below

7b+

0 completedAim for 8

Project distance

8a is 1 grade step above your 7c+ redpoint.

Onsight context

8a is 5 grade steps above your 7a+ onsight.

This does not block your project. Redpointing rewards rehearsal, beta, pacing, and repeated attempts.

Pyramid completion

7%

Next volume goal: 8 more 7b+ redpoints. Keep working the 8a project alongside supporting volume.

This target-first 1:2:4:8 pyramid is a planning heuristic, not a prerequisite ladder. You do not need to onsight every lower grade before trying your target. Grades and redpoint–onsight gaps vary by style, area, route, and climber.

Climbing progression

How to build a climbing pyramid

Start with your target—not your current maximum. For an 8a redpoint goal, the calculator creates an apex at 8a with supporting goals of two 7c+, four 7c, and eight 7b+ redpoints. Log current sends to find the next useful volume goal.

Onsight ability provides context but does not unlock or block a project. Research comparing onsight and redpoint ascents found redpoint climbing became faster, smoother, and less demanding after climbers learned the route. Analysis of logged ascent data suggests the typical redpoint–onsight gap can approach four French grade steps around 8a, but individual gaps vary.

Use the pyramid as flexible planning. Keep projecting the target while building movement variety and route volume below it; there is no requirement to onsight 7b before attempting 8a.

What is a target climbing grade pyramid?

Choose a target grade for the apex. The calculator suggests one ascent at that target, two at the grade below, four two grades below, and eight three grades below.

Does the 1:2:4:8 climbing pyramid work for bouldering?

Yes. The same planning model can be used with Fontainebleau bouldering grades. It is a useful guide, not a universal training rule.

Why build a climbing pyramid?

A broader base can expose missing volume, encourage varied movement practice, and provide realistic next climbs instead of focusing only on a single project.

Must I onsight the grades below my redpoint target?

No. Onsight grade is useful context, not a prerequisite. Redpoint performance benefits from route rehearsal, refined beta, pacing, and repeated attempts, so climbers can redpoint above their onsight level.

Can I target 8a after redpointing 7c+ with a 7a+ onsight?

Yes. An 8a is one French grade step above 7c+, making it a logical project. A lower onsight grade does not make the redpoint impossible; use focused projecting plus volume on routes below the target.

Should indoor and outdoor sends share one pyramid?

Usually it is clearer to track them separately because gym and outdoor grading, styles, and conditions differ.

Build the pyramid with partners

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