Norway uses an international standard for grading trails. There are four levels of difficulty: green is easy, blue is medium, red is challenging and black is expert.
The level of difficulty will tell a walker or hiker at a glance what to expect of the trail that they are going to follow. The level indicates what type of path to expect, the length of the walk and degree of experience required.
Green level – Easy
A walk that is at a green level:
- is suitable for beginners
- requires no special skills
- is relatively short, that is, less than 5 km
- is at an elevation of less than 300 meters
- is easy to walk on, such as asphalt, gravel or improved paths
- has no streams to cross
- is firm, even and obstruction-free
- has only moderate ascents, and no steep or difficult sections.
Blue level – Medium
A walk that is at a blue level:
- is also suitable for beginners but requires average fitness
- requires basic hiking skills
- can be at a higher elevation, up to 600 m
- can be up to 10 km in length
- can have more challenging sections than a walk at a green level
- can be rocky, but has no demanding scree
- has no streams to be crossed
- has moderate ascents but can include some steep slopes
- can have sections that are considered precipitous for some.
I regularly use trails marked with the blue level and find them about the level that I prefer. I rarely do trails that are more difficult, though I also enjoy doing walks at the green level.
Red level – Challenging
A walk that is at a red level:
- is for more experienced walkers or hikers
- requires good stamina and good equipment, including hiking boots
- can be up to 20 km in length and up to 1000 meters in elevation
- will have a path that can be in open terrain, on rocky ground, on scree or rugged mountains
- will include crossing streams, traversing steep slopes and have long stretches of both loose rock and marshland
- may have up to two streams to be crossed
- will have several types of ascents and challenges
- will have precipitous and exposed sections
- can include technical challenges and parts that require some climbing
Black level – Expert
I have never done a walk at the black or expert level. It is well beyond my capabilities. A walk at a black level:
- is for experienced hikers
- requires good stamina, good equipment and the use of hiking boots
- requires a knowledge of maps and the use of a compass
- has no restrictions as to altitude or length
- has longer or more technically difficult trails than the red level
- can include a number of streams to be crossed
- is often a long summit trip with steep ascents on an uneven path
- can have precipitous and exposed sections where scrambling is necessary
- can have narrow ridges, smooth rock or scree.
My source of information for this blog is here.