1 Easiest: Non-camping journeys, optional hikes, little elevation gain or loss.
2 Easy to Moderate: Hotel nights and/or deluxe, safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities sometimes included, such as sea kayaking or camel riding (optional on some trips).
3 Moderate: Full day hikes (4 to 6 hours) to most days, rolling countryside, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based country walking tours are in this category.
4 Moderate to Strenuous: Full-day hikes (4 to 6 hours), mountainous terrain. Significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down 2,000-3,000 feet) on most hikes. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
5 Strenuous: Full-day hikes, mountainous terrain, steep ups and downs (as in 4). Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category as well as certain sea kayaking expeditions with rugged conditions.
6 Very Strenuous: Full-day hikes, mountainous terrain, steep ups and downs (as in 4). Most hikes takes [sic] place at altitudes well above 12,000 feet, sometimes as high as 17,500 feet.
7 Most Strenuous: Full-day hikes in mountainous terrain, camping and hiking at extreme altitudes.