Every VORA adventure carries a level, from Relaxed to Challenging. It tells you roughly what the trip will ask of you.
A level is set by factors such as intensity, pace and length. It's the quickest way to see whether a trip suits you.
It describes the trip overall, not every hour of it. A trip graded Intense will still have easy afternoons — Intense is what to prepare for, so that's how we grade it.
It's a guide, not a guarantee. The same trip can feel different depending on the season, the weather, or how you turn up on the day.
We also use the level when we put a group together. People who picked the same level are usually after a similar kind of day, so the group tends to move at one pace.
It isn't the only thing we look at, but if it's wrong, the rest doesn't help much.
Select a level to see the details.
Gentle days, an easy pace.
A few hours of light activity on easy ground, with time to enjoy it. Nothing technical, nothing sustained. A good place to start.
Nothing to prepare. Come as you are.
Active days, well within reach.
Solid but manageable days — a few hours of steady effort, the odd longer climb, some rougher ground, but nothing technical. You'll be tired by the evening, not wrecked.
A base of regular activity will make the days more enjoyable. Some experience of the activity helps, but it isn't essential.
Longer days, a real effort.
Bigger, more demanding days — longer hours and sustained effort that ask for decent fitness. You'll want to arrive prepared and happy to be out all day. No technical skills needed.
Arrive with a base of regular activity behind you, and be comfortable spending a full day outdoors.
Big days, for those who like them hard.
Our most demanding adventures — long, sustained days in wild or high country, sometimes with steep, exposed or technical ground. They reward good fitness and some experience, and that is not built in a couple of weeks.
Come with good fitness, some experience of long days, and a liking for being tired at the end of one. These are worth training for.
Tell us what you have been doing lately and what you are hoping for, and we will tell you honestly which level suits you. If none of them do, we will say that too.