elevation gain
Total uphill distance
Elevation gain is the total vertical distance climbed during a hike, run, or bike ride, counting only upward movement.
A trail might cover ten miles with 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
The metric indicates difficulty better than distance alone—a flat five-mile walk differs vastly from one with significant elevation gain.
That route has brutal elevation gain in the first two miles.
- ascentUpward movement
- vertUpright orientation, abbreviated
- vertical feetCumulative altitude climbed
- gradientRate of change across space
- cumulativeIncreasing by successive additions
ultramarathons · altitude · mountaineering · hiking · hill · inclinometer · ridge · escarpment · slope · topographic map · peak · rock climbing · mountain pass · rugged terrain · switchbacks · cycling · steep · vertical
- hikingtrail, hike, hiker, trails, day hikes
- altitudehigh altitude, low altitude, cruising altitude, flight level, sea level
- fitness metricssteps, calories burned, distance, heart rate, step count
- hiking termshiking trails, trailhead, switchback, summit, switchbacks
- mountain hikingmountain trails, summit trail, ridgeline, trailhead, trail map
- Backpackingbackpack, trail, backpacking, pack, sleeping pad
vertical direction
elevation gaindescent
Downward slope or lineage
downhill · vertical drop · dropping · falling
measurement type
elevation gaintotal distance