classification of difficulty levels

In order to provide off-road tour operators and off-road vehicle drivers with a uniform and transparent classification of levels of difficulty for off-road trips, the Association of Off-Road Tour Operators in Germany has created the following classification.

Of course, an off-road trip does not always have the same level of difficulty over the entire route. The level of difficulty always refers to the most difficult sections of the trip.

Difficulty level 1: "very easy"

Suitable vehicle type: SUV and off-road vehicle*
Tires: Standard tires**
Required equipment: none
Driver's off-road experience: no special experience required
Route characteristics: small roads and simple gravel roads
Body contacts: none expected




Difficulty level 2: "easy"

Suitable vehicle type: SUV and off-road vehicle
Tires: Standard tires
Required equipment: none
Driver's off-road experience: no special experience required
Route characteristics: rough, eroded slopes, narrow mountain sections, stream crossings up to 30 cm
Body contacts: none expected



Difficulty level 3: "medium"

Suitable vehicle type: off-road vehicle
Tires: Standard tires, better AT tires (all-terrain tires)
Required equipment: none
Driver's off-road experience: no special experience required
Route characteristics: rough, eroded slopes, narrow mountain sections, stream crossings up to 30 cm, slightly muddy passages, sunken paths, light scree fields
Body contacts: possible contact with bushes



Difficulty level 4: "difficult"

Suitable vehicle type: off-road vehicle
Tires: AT tires, better MT tires (mud-terrain tires)
Required equipment: Underrun protection in the front area, towing eye at the front and rear with matching shackle, recovery strap (snorkel only on certain trips***)
Driver's off-road experience: The driver is familiar with all-wheel drive and reduction gears and has already gained initial experience off-road during off-road trips or off-road training.
Route characteristics: very rough, heavily eroded slopes, narrow mountain routes,
easy river crossings up to 50 cm, muddy passages, water holes up to 50 cm, hollow ways with erosion channels, rock steps, scree fields, steep ascents and descents, interlocking passages
Body contacts: contact with bushes, ground contact




Difficulty level 5: "very difficult"

Suitable vehicle type off-road vehicle
Tires MT tires
Required equipment Underrun protection in the front area, towing eye at the front and rear with matching shackle, recovery strap, cable winch, pulley with matching shackle, tree anchor strap (snorkel only on certain trips***)
Off-road experience of the driver: the driver is proficient in handling all-wheel drive, reduction gear and cable winch, he has already gained experience in difficult terrain during off-road trips or multi-day off-road training
Route characteristics: very rough, heavily eroded slopes, very narrow mountain sections, river crossings, deep, muddy passages, deep water holes, sunken paths with deep erosion gullies, passages that can only be mastered with the help of a cable winch, large rock steps, rough scree fields, very steep ascents and descents, difficult interlocking passages, passages with side slopes
Body contacts****: intensive contact with bushes, ground contact, possibly side contact




Explanations:

* SUVs and off-road vehicles
According to the definition of the Association of Offroad Tour Operators in Germany:

SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) Vehicles of the “passenger car class” with all-wheel drive, without reduction gear, and a ground clearance of less than 20cm and a fording depth of less than 50cm.

Off-road vehicles are vehicles in the “passenger car class” with four-wheel drive and reduction gear, a ground clearance of at least 20 cm and a fording depth of at least 50 cm.

For off-road vehicles with trailers or with attached/attached camper vans, the off-road driving characteristics change considerably.
These vehicles therefore do not fall under the term “off-road vehicle” within the meaning of this definition.

With the large number of four-wheel drive vehicles now available, there are vehicles where these details overlap and vehicles that cannot be clearly assigned to a specific category. However, this definition is sufficient to provide a rough orientation. If in doubt, simply consult your off-road tour operator.

** STANDARD TIRES are the tires that come with the vehicles as standard. They can be summer, winter or all-season tires. So-called "low-profile tires" that are purely road-oriented are unsuitable for off-road travel.

*** SNORKEL: River crossings on off-road trips that can only be done with a snorkel are rare. If the trip takes place in a region with really difficult and deep river crossings (eg Iceland), the organizer will expressly point out that a snorkel is required. If the organizer does not expressly require a snorkel when specifying the level of difficulty, then a snorkel is not required for the trip in question.

**** BODY CONTACTS: This information is based on average experience on the respective tour. Other situations can arise due to special weather conditions and natural events (e.g. heavy rain with very slippery ground), the personal driving ability of the tour participant, or simply due to a mishap. This applies to all 5 levels of difficulty.

These instructions have been carefully considered and checked, but no guarantee can be given.

Off-road tour operators may use this classification in their brochures and on their websites, provided that a reference to this source is included in brochures and a link to this source is included on websites.

Source: https://vdord.de/klasse-von-schwierigkeits-graden-bei-offroad-reisen/

© Copyright 2018 – Association of Offroad Tour Operators in Germany