Class 1
Easy hiking - usually on a good trail.
Class 2
More difficult hiking that may be off-trail. You may also have to put your hands down occasionally to keep your balance. May include easy snow climbs or hiking on talus/scree.
Class 3
Scrambling or un-roped climbing. You must use your hands most of the time to hold the terrain or find your route. This may be caused by a combination of steepness and extreme terrain (large rocks or steep snow). Some Class 3 routes are better done with rope.
Bierstadt is pretty much trail all the way to the top. The Sawtooth is much more rugged with scrambles up rock faces and slopes. Hence it being class 3.
Thanks for the further information.
I hope you don’t mind if I ask one more question. (I googled around and now know what talus/scree is..watch out Jeopardy!)
My question...I keep seeing references to “14ers”. I see that it a group of climbers but also refers to the group of mountains that are 14,000 feet.
Is my assumption correct that 14ers doesn’t refer to the difficulty of the climb? That there are different levels on the same mountain?
I only ask because the OP at some point (on this thread or the other one) stated that the original owner had said Missy had completed 6 14er climbs. So she could have been on an easier climb?
Like I said, I’m not a climber and appreciate your knowledge. I have been to Wolf Creek. My car was not appreciative at all of the drive.:)