Elevation & Route Profile
Estimate cumulative climb from distance and average grade — or back-calculate grade from known climb. Includes Naismith time and a visual route profile.
Estimate your route profile
Mode A estimates climb from average gradient; Mode B works backwards from measured climb and descent.
Results
How is this calculated?
Mode A: cumulative climb is estimated from distance and average gradient, with a 0.85 switchback correction (trails zig-zag, so not every metre of trail climbs the full gradient):
cumulative climb = distance(km) × 1000 × grade% × 0.85
For rolling terrain we assume descent ≈ 50% of climb, so net change ≈ climb × 0.5. Equivalent flat distance = distance + climb ÷ 100 (every 100 m of climb costs roughly 1 km of flat effort). Naismith time = distance ÷ 5 km/h + climb ÷ 300 m × 30 min + descent ÷ 300 m × 10 min.
Sources: Naismith (1892), standard trail-gradient rules of thumb, and switchback correction used in lightweight hiking estimates. Mode B grade = climb ÷ (distance × 1000). Estimates only — use GPS tracks for final planning.