最合理的分级系统是加拿大和法国的。这系统使用在加拿大和阿尔卑斯山，这两区的冰攀活动大概占全世界的四分之三，美国的攀登者像JeffLowe也使用这种分级系统，它包含两个数字，像是II-5。
第一个数字（罗马数字）表示"严重性"，它代表偏远度、攀登长度、下降难度、危险程度、路线持续性。"I"是在路旁只有一个绳距，然而"VI"须要丰富高山攀登经验，除非攀登速度快速的顶尖攀登者，否则难免要露宿。
第二个数字（阿拉伯数字）表示"技术等级"，代表路线中最难部份的技术难度，垂直状态、确保难易、冰的种类、绳距的持续度也计算在内。"2"代表只须用一支冰斧；据我所知，目前全世界只有一些垂直或几近垂直的路线而且是没有确保的，抑或巨大的悬壁是"7"级的路线。因为这很像WI美国系统，这个技术分级也表示成"WI"，所以WI系统基本上像是技术等级。
这种系统包含相当多的讯息，因为用两种不同形态的难度分级，然而这两者又并非全然无关，换句话说，技术上较容易的路线一般也不需花太多心力。（因为你可以往下攀登）
难度级别：
一级：在路旁短距离的攀登，有安全的确保且容易下降。
二级：一到两个绳距，在交通容易到达的地方，有点小危险，下攀或垂降容易。
三级：低海拔的地方，数个绳距，可能要花数个小时；或是需走路或滑雪一段距离，要有好的寒地旅游技术；或是偶而会有寒害；通常要用垂降下来。
四级：高海拔多绳距或是在人烟罕至的地方，需要登山及寒地旅游技术，可能遭受雪崩或落石，下降比较困难可能要利用人工固定点垂降。
五级：高山山壁、距离长的攀登，需要高超的能力和代价，会遭受雪崩或恶劣的天气，可能要很长距离且难的下降。
六级：高山山壁、多绳距，只有顶尖的攀登者可以一天完成，可能有寒冷高山攀登的运补问题。
七级：最大且最难的喜马拉雅山脉高山式攀登(JeffLowe的定义)。
苏格兰冰攀分级系统也是与技术等级有关（1到7），对最难的绳距评估，包含遭受到的攀登种类，冰的厚度，冰的外貌像是吊灯、洋菇或凸出的悬壁。
级别难度：
一级：只用冰爪就可以走上去。
二级：单绳距60至70度的冰，包含少量短的陡阶，确保安全。
三级：持续70至80度的冰，通常厚且硬，可能含有短距离的峭壁，但有好的休息点，确保安全。
四级：持续75至85度的冰，好的确保区零星分布，有少许显着的垂直区，通常冰质很好，提供良好的保?。
五级：有很多85至90度冰壁艰苦的绳距，差不多是攀岩5.9所需要的技巧及能力。
六级：非常陡峭，没什么休息处的艰难绳距，常要悬吊着确保，冰质不是顶好，安全性可疑，需要高技巧，差不多是攀岩5.10。
七级：差不多是垂直的冰壁，非常薄，冰质也不好，不晓得有没有附在岩石上，保护不易或不能，大约是攀岩5.12的专业技术。
转载自深圳登山探险杂志
攀冰级别简介
攀冰的难度是由有经验的攀登者首次攀登后确定的，其参照物为不随季节和时间变化的永久性的阿尔卑斯攀登路线。传统的难度划分采用苏格兰难度系统，分为7个等级：
1级难度：攀登路线较短，中等难度冰雪坡，坡度低于50度。
2级难度：攀登路线较长，冰雪坡度大于50度，部分地方有冰、雪或岩石坎。
3级难度：攀登路线较长，部分地方坡度接近90度。
4级难度：90度垂直冰壁攀登路线较长，攀登困难，部分地段也可有混合攀登。
5级难度：攀登路线很长，几乎全是90度垂直冰壁，困难地方非常多，其中有很多混合攀登地形。
6级难度：攀登路线很长并且大部分是阿尔卑斯永久冰壁和混合攀登，特别困难。
7级难度：喜马拉雅等高海拔山区及无人涉足的偏远地区。攀登路线长，攀登难度和危险非常大。
美国登山家杰夫・洛根据这7个等级又划分出永久性冰壁和季节性冰壁。AI为永久性冰壁，WI为季节性冰壁。当攀登者看到这两种符号之一，就明白自己将要攀的是季节性冰壁还是永久性冰壁。
虽然攀冰有难度等级，但季节不同、气候不同其攀登难度也会有变化。
冰壁上的情况经常会发生一些变化，每个攀登者在攀登时，要把攀冰难度再加一级，这样就能确保完成攀登。
最后奉告攀冰爱好者在准备攀冰之前，要仔细收集自己将要去的冰壁资料。攀冰一定要做到胆大心细、戒骄戒躁。
冰雪岩混合部分 (M1 - M8)张忠恕、邱子寰编译
They are a generalization of the established system for rating ice described above. There is no consensus. However in the method which seems somewhat dominant in Colorado (home of the most desperate mixed climbs, probably due to lack of ice :-)) and championed by Jeff Lowe, the letter "M" is added to the technical grade. A "M5" is supposed to be as hard as a "5" in pure ice (the equivalence is obviously hard to establish) but involves dry-tooling and similar maneuvers. Sometimes, the grade is detailed into the pure ice part and the mixed part, ie Octopussy is "M8 WI5" since there are extreme dry-tooling moves to reach the free hanging stalactite, but once established on it the ice is not that hard. However, usually the latter part will be omitted since it is not the crux, leaving only "M8". The global rating could read something like an algebraic formula: "II M8 WI5 X" (X in my opinion: I think all the free-hanging stuff can easily collapse, as some climbers have experienced in the early 90s. I would be cautious with the current fad for this sort of climbing).
这是归纳上面描述的系统，并不是一致的，然而这种方法似乎主要只在科罗拉多洲（混合攀登对多的地方，可能是冰太少了）且受到Jeff Lowe的支持。字母"M"加在技术等级的前面，"M5"表示和纯冰"5"相等（指难度），但包含干式攀登和类似的技巧。有时候分级会详细的分出纯冰部份及混合部分，Octopussy 是"M8 WI5"，因为用干式攀登爬上悬空钟乳石相当难，但如果有冰就比较简单。然而，通常后面部份都省略，因为那不是最难的部份，所以只剩"M8"，完整的分级读起来像是代数公式"II M8 WI5 X"（X 可能是容易崩落，一些攀登者在九零年代初就曾经历过，对时下流行的这类攀登我会非常的小心。
Another way to rate the mixed climbs is to give a rock-climbing rating for the rock moves. This method is preferred by the Canadians, who seem to be somewhat doubtful about all the M9 climbs :-). The problem here is that you have ice climbing gear, so usually the rating is not "absolute" but relative to how it feels with crampons, and therefore easier than a normal rock rating, but again there is no real consensus on this. (from Quang-Tau Luong)
另一种检定混合攀登等级的方法是评估攀岩部份，这种方式加拿大人较常使用，他们基本上对所有M9等级的路线都是存疑的:-)，问题是你有冰攀工具，所以这分级不是"绝对的"，与冰爪比较相关，所以比一般攀岩简单，总而言之不能画上等号。
冰雪岩混合其实主要是冰、岩混合，或是使用冰斧、冰爪攀岩的dry-tooling(干式攀登)。难度是以相对于纯冰壁或是攀岩方式而定，可想而知这两者之间是很难画上等号的，所以只可相对比较。
附录
Comments on the ice rating system (from Quang-Tau Luong)
对冰攀路线的批注
Although Albi Sole refers as grade 5 as the "5.9 of ice climbing", dont kid yourself. A grade 5 lead is a quite serious undertaking, more comparable in my opinion to a 5.10 trad lead. I am once of the only person that I know (:-)) who has been able to lead grade 6 ice while being only a 5.10- climber. You will see that grade 5 ice is actually rather difficult to find. For instance a guidebook like the one for Western Ontario or Western British Columbia has 140 pages, but lists only a handful of grade 5 climbs. There are no grade 6 at all in well established areas such as New England, Ontario, British Columbia (well, I must say was, until 1996, when The Theft was climbed in BC). This is because a grade 5 climb has to have about a half-pitch vertical, and a grade 6 a full pitch vertical, which brings me to the second point. Vertical is 90 degrees, not 85 degrees. This seemingly insignificant difference is actually quite important. When you are on 85 degrees ice you might have the feeling that it is overhanging, because of your position, but in fact there is not that many formations which are strictly vertical, except free-standing columns.
虽然 Albi Sole 的第五级相当于"冰攀的5.9级"，但是不要弄错了；第五级的先锋是相当艰难的任务，以我的看法不下于传统的5.10。我曾有一次是唯一一人攀岩能力只有5.10可以先锋第六级冰攀。你可以发现第五级冰攀路线很难找到；倒如像Western Ontario or Western British Columbia的guidebook有140页，但只有一些五级的路线；在开发完全的地方如新英格兰、安大略或不列颠哥伦比亚师妹有六级的路线。这是因为第五级大概有一半的绳距是垂直的，第六级是整个绳距垂直，会让我到第二个点。垂直是九十度而非八十五度，这似乎没什么的差别实际上是非常重要的，因为你的姿势的关系，当你在八十五度的冰壁上，你可能会觉得是在悬岩上，的除非是独立的圆柱。
There are only a handful of grade 7 pure ice climbs in the world, to the best of my knowledge:
就我所知，全世界只有少数第七级纯冰攀的路线，如下：
Riptide, and Gimme Shelter (Canadian Rockies) were the first established (mid 80s). Gimme Shelter is still unrepeated, because it has never reformed completly.
La Massue, and La Lyre, both at Fer de Cheval, (Northern Alps), both established the same day in Dec 1991.
Sea of Vapors (Canadian Rockies), winter 1993 (7+)
A part from those, there are a handful of one-pitch climbs which are mixed, and which have received a grade 7. T. Renault in France (Laventure, cest laventure next to Glacenost in Northern Alps, France) and J. Lowe in the US (Terriebel traverse, Seventh Tentacle, Octopussy 8??, in Vail CO) are the authors. While Thierry climbed "Laventure, cest laventure", the chunk of ice when he was standing collapsed, and he had to do a one-arm pull-up that he though he was not capable of. Jeffs climb are free-hanging stalactites which are reached through a dry traverse. Protected on the rock and with a preplaced screw from what I have heard. The second ascent party said that one climb was over-rated. The first grade 6 climbed in the world might have been Bridaveil Falls, Telluride, in the mid 70s. In the Alps, it was Les Viollins, although the first ascent, solo, by Chantriaux in 1982 is somewhat controversy.
