1. What is Elevation Gain?

Elevation gain is the total amount of vertical increase in altitude during a route. It's a key metric for hikers, cyclists, and runners to understand the difficulty of a course.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the elevation gain formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Distance} \) — The horizontal distance traveled (miles or kilometers)
• \( \text{Grade} \) — The slope percentage (rise divided by run, multiplied by 100)

Explanation: The formula calculates total elevation gain by multiplying the distance by the grade percentage. For miles, the result is converted to feet. For kilometers, the result is converted to meters.

3. Importance of Elevation Gain Calculation

Details: Knowing elevation gain helps athletes prepare for routes, estimate energy expenditure, and compare difficulty between different courses.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter distance in miles or kilometers and grade as a percentage (e.g., 5 for 5%). All values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's considered a steep grade?
A: For hiking, 10-15% is moderate, 15-20% is strenuous, and above 20% is very difficult. Cycling grades above 7% are challenging for most riders.

Q2: How does elevation gain affect hiking time?
A: A common rule is to add 1 hour for every 2,000 feet (600m) of elevation gain to your base hiking time.

Q3: What's the difference between elevation gain and elevation change?
A: Elevation gain only counts upward movement, while elevation change includes both ascents and descents.

Q4: How accurate is this calculation?
A: This provides an estimate. Actual gain may vary with terrain undulations not captured by average grade.

Q5: Can I use this for treadmill workouts?
A: Yes, this works well for treadmill incline calculations where the grade is precisely known.