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Elevation gain calculator

Cumulative gain from a list of points

Elevation gain is the sum of every uphill step, not the difference between the high point and the low point, and not the difference between the start and the finish. A trail that climbs 400 feet, drops 200, and climbs another 300 has 700 feet of gain even though the net change is 500. Paste the elevations in walking order. The page adds the rises, adds the drops, and reports the high and low.

Inputs

Example: 100, 250, 180, 400

Result

Paste at least two elevations in the order you will walk them.

Disclaimer: The sum of the differences you typed. GPS and barometer tracks have their own error, and this page does not smooth a track.

Once you have the gain, a time budget is Naismith’s rule on this site. Feels-like temperature while you climb is on the ClearQuip wind chill and heat index calculator.

How to use

  1. List elevations in the order you will pass them. A high point that you visit in the middle has to appear in the middle of the list.
  2. Separate numbers with spaces, commas, or new lines. The unit menu only labels the result; it does not convert.
  3. Include the start and the end. Two numbers are enough for a single climb. More numbers catch the dips.
  4. Press Calculate. Gain and loss are separate. Net change is the last point minus the first.

How it's calculated

For each step, if the next point is higher, add the difference to gain.
If it is lower, add the difference to loss.
Net = last point − first point

Skipping a dip understates the gain. The points 100, 400, and 200 have 300 feet of gain and 200 feet of loss. The points 100 and 200, if you forgot the 400, have only 100 feet of gain. The high and low are the maximum and minimum of the list, which may not be the start or the end.

One rise and one horizontal distance, when you want a percent, is the trail grade calculator. Feeding the gain into a time estimate is the Naismith calculator.

Worked example

The points 100, 250, 180, and 400: from 100 to 250 is +150, from 250 to 180 is −70, from 180 to 400 is +220. Gain is 370. Loss is 70. Net change is 400 − 100 = 300. The high point is 400 and the low point is 100. Notice that gain is not the high minus the low, which would have been 300 and would have missed the climb after the dip.

Assumptions and sources

The method is a cumulative sum of positive and negative differences, in list order. It does not filter GPS noise. A track with a reading every few seconds can add phantom gain from small errors; smoothing is a judgment this form leaves to you, by letting you paste the points you trust. Units are not converted. Contour intervals on a map are a reasonable source of points if you record each contour crossing in order.

FAQ

Why isn’t gain equal to the high point minus the start?

Because you can climb, drop, and climb again. Each climb counts. The net change ignores the extra up and down.

What if my points are out of order?

The sum follows the list, not the map. Sort them into walking order before you paste.

Do I need a point for every contour?

More real changes mean a better total. A start and an end only describe a single slope.

Can I mix feet and meters?

No. Convert the list to one unit first. The menu does not convert.

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