Going Vertical

[naturejunkie]

Does anyone know the total feet climbed on the AT? In other words, you climb roughly four thousand on Katahdin, if you added that to every other climb what is the total in either direction?

[buff_jeff]

It's like 471,000 feet, I think. I'm sure somebody can find a link with exact details for you.

[Rain Man]

Does anyone know the total feet climbed on the AT? In other words, you climb roughly four thousand on Katahdin, if you added that to every other climb what is the total in either direction?

I preach going straight to the horse's mouth. The ATC can help you with this statistic/guesstimate, I'm sure.

I just read in a thru-hiker book (not sure if I can find where right now) that it's something like 7 or 9 times up and down Mt. Everest.

RainMan

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[buff_jeff]

• "Total elevation gain of the entire AT is 471,151 feet or 3,000 feet per day. It is like climbing Mount Everest 16 times!"

http://www.olgoat.com/hiker/faber.htm


It's not the most reliable source, but it confirms what I've read somewhere else. I believe it was National Geographic.

[4eyedbuzzard]

• "Total elevation gain of the entire AT is 471,151 feet or 3,000 feet per day. It is like climbing Mount Everest 16 times!"

http://www.olgoat.com/hiker/faber.htm


It's not the most reliable source, but it confirms what I've read somewhere else. I believe it was National Geographic.

The 471,000 ft sounds about right from several sources I've read. And if you calculate it out the average grade is about a very mild 4%.

[Marta]

The 471,000 ft sounds about right from several sources I've read. And if you calculate it out the average grade is about a very mild 4%.

And if you hike southbound, it's all downhill!

[4eyedbuzzard]

And if you hike southbound, it's all downhill!

Well, DUH!

[Lilred]

And if you hike southbound, it's all downhill!

Oh, I don't think so Marta. Since Clingman's dome is the highest point on the AT, then you will be hiking uphill for most of a southbound hike. Going northbound, it's all downhill after clingman's dome. Really, don't you guys no nothin bout geography?????

[Jim Adams]

I added it all up once from the data book several years ago and if I remember correctly it was some bizarre figure that when converted from feet to miles was something like 68 vertical miles......but then again, my math and memory skills may be full of s**t!

geek

[4eyedbuzzard]

I added it all up once from the data book several years ago and if I remember correctly it was some bizarre figure that when converted from feet to miles was something like 68 vertical miles......but then again, my math and memory skills may be full of s**t!

geek

That would be 359,000 ft or so. In the correct order of magnitude anyway. Doesn't really matter as all those ups and downs are pointless and mindless.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

I preach going straight to the horse's mouth. The ATC can help you with this statistic/guesstimate, I'm sure.

I just read in a thru-hiker book (not sure if I can find where right now) that it's something like 7 or 9 times up and down Mt. Everest.

RainMan

.

Not by any means is it anything like up and down Everest.

[grizzlyadam]

i asked this same question once and this is what someone told me:

"The estimated change from Georgia to Maine is 88.79 miles, which is the equivalent of going from sea level to the summit of Mt. Everest more than 16 times.....It's an estimate, no one knows for sure how much elevation change there is...The Trail has never been precisely measured, especially the elevation changes."

[4eyedbuzzard]

Not by any means is it anything like up and down Everest.

It's only used as a cumulative elevation change comparison.

[map man]

The number ATC gives, as others have mentioned, is 471,000 feet, or about 89 miles (about 217 feet of elevation gain per mile hiked). I spent several weeks this winter researching this by looking at the USGS topographic maps for the trail, in order to write a WB article about it. The numbers I came up with are about 515,000 feet, or about 97.5 miles (about 236 feet per mile), and I explain in the article why I think my numbers are likely to be more accurate than the ATC's. You can find the article by clicking on "Forums" on the home page, then clicking "Articles," then clicking on "AT Elevation Gain and Loss, by Section."

[4eyedbuzzard]

I'll buy that. And I think everybody just knew it was way hillier than a mere 471K