Miles Without Stiles grading

One Mile Walks uses the Miles Without Stiles grading system: for ‘all’, ‘many’, ‘some’ and ‘challenging’, which is based on gradients and surface conditions. The grades are a guide only, aim is to give you information about the route and the terrain, so you can decide if it is suitable for you.  One Mile Walks provides detailed information about surface conditions, obstacles and path gradient so that you can identify which routes are suitable for you.

Miles Without Stiles recommends that you are aware of your own, and your equipment’s capabilities and ensure your batteries are charged sufficiently if you need them. If you are unsure, maybe try a ‘for all’ route first, then a ‘for many’ route, before attempting a ‘for some’ route and finally, a ‘challenging’ route.

Miles Without Stiles grades

‘For all’
  • Suitable for everyone, including pushchairs and wheelchairs and mobility scooters
  • Gradient: No more than 1:10
  • Surface: Tarmac or smooth, compacted stone with a diameter of 10mm or less. Path width a minimum of 1m with passing places
‘For many’
  • Suitable for many walkers, pushchairs, wheelchair and mobility scooter users with more robust all terrain equipment.
  • Gradient: Existing gradients no more than 1:10, newly built gradients can be up to 1:8
  • Surface: The path surface will be rougher stone of 4 cm diameter or less
‘For some’
  • Suitable for some walkers, and confident pushchair, wheelchair and mobility scooter users, who may find routes ‘for some’ within their abilities, if they have suitable more extreme all terrain equipment.
  • Gradients: not limited, but slopes over 1:8 have improved surfacing or handrails
  • Surface: There may be some low steps or breaks in the surface up to 10cm in height. Stone surface material may be up to 10 cm in diameter
‘Challenging’
  • Only suitable for confident users and those with more extreme all-terrain equipment.
  • Gradients: slopes up to 1:4 for short lengths (<10m) and up to 1:6 for longer lengths. There may not be any handrails.
  • Surface: may have longer sections of rough ground for some or most of route. May be soft, muddy with tree roots and rutting occasionally exceeding 100mm but not exceeding 200mm.


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