To Grade for Difficulty or Not !`

There has been much discussion internally in Treasure Trails this week about whether we should grade the Trails for difficulty or not.

The arguments for include the fact that some areas get a few people responding on their feedback that they found Trails easier/harder than other Trails they’ve done and it’s definitely put them off. It confuses our customers as they don’t have that sense of consistency. But it only surfaces for people that try Trails in different counties. Putting a difficulty rating not only gives the customer some level of comfort that they’re choosing the right Trail (and if you think about it, a defence from criticism ala “well you did choose the difficult one!”) but actually also forces us to develop some consistency between us. This becomes the impetus to get there. We’ve had some Dorset customers who thought the Hampshire Trails were too easy and some of Hampshire's repeat customers love the Trails but want something harder now. A difficulty rating backed up with some simple defined standards solves this very easily. It wouldn't be too difficult to develop some guidelines between us that define what makes Trails difficult/medium or easy. For example, cryptic clues or clues that require prior cultural/educational knowledge should be only set on difficult/extreme/expert trails. We can agree that all between us and then that immediately improves our consistency. It will provide fresh new challenges to our regular customers, who may have done lots of Trails and may start to get a bit jaded.

And the arguments against are that part of our marketing spiel and the TT ethos is that the trails really are suitable for all ages – Devon TT met recently FOUR generations (included Great Grandma!) of one family who had all been out trailing at the same time. We've also had a comment through the Trail rating process recently which said -> "Great entertainment - a granny, a mum, an aunt and two teenage lads all enjoyed it. Brilliant entertainment."

We try to mix the level of difficulty of clues within each Trail, including a few easier clues for kids and to get a novice Trailer started, and some harder ones to provide more of a challenge as well. From the numerous returning customers we have, and from the feedback we receive via the answer submission and directly at shows, we think we’ve got the mix of difficulty about right. People like the fact that they are able to get the right answer - eventually!

So, in conclusion, the feedback rating already proves that everybody’s Trailing experience is different, which makes the rating somewhat meaningless. If the majority give a Trail a rating of between 8 and 10, and then one person gives it a 5, do we rush out and change the Trail? Likewise, we could run into the same problems with levels of difficulty.

There is of course nothing to stop a couple of lines being added in the About The Trail bit in the booklet itself or on the Trail home page, indicating the level of difficulty.

What do you think?