Elevation Gain Calculator
Grade / Slope
Calculate grade percentage from elevation and distance
Calories & Difficulty
Estimate calories burned with elevation gain
Metric Units
Calculate grade using meters and kilometers
Formula
Grade (%) = (Elevation Gain / Horizontal Distance) × 100 | Trail Distance = √(horizontal² + vertical²)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a steep grade for hiking?
Hiking grades: 1-3% is gentle/flat, 5-8% is moderate (comfortable uphill), 10-15% is steep (you will feel it), 20%+ is very steep (may require scrambling). Most maintained trails average 5-15% grade.
How does elevation gain affect difficulty?
Elevation gain is the primary factor in hiking difficulty. Under 100 ft/mile is flat, 100-250 ft/mile is moderate, 250-500 ft/mile is strenuous, and over 500 ft/mile is very strenuous. For reference, 2,000 ft of climbing adds roughly 1 hour to a hike.
How many extra calories does climbing burn?
Climbing burns roughly 300-500 additional calories per 1,000 feet of elevation gain for a 150 lb person. This is on top of the approximately 100 calories per mile burned from flat hiking.
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