Hiking time calculator

Add distance, climbing and descent, and who you are walking with, and get a realistic time including stops.

Your details

Distance in
Distance
Total ascent
Total descent
Descent mostly steeper than 12°
Group
Stop minutes per hour

Walking 7.5 miles (12.0 km) with 600 m up

4 hr 18 min

including stops

  • Naismith time3 hr 24 min
  • Descent adjustment (Langmuir)-20 min
  • Pace factor for your group× 1.2
  • Stops37 min

Plan to be off the hill with daylight to spare, and set a turn back time before you start. Weather in the UK hills changes fast.

In the hills, call 999 or 112 and ask for police, then mountain rescue. Register for emergency SMS by texting "register" to 999 before you go.

The working

12 km with 600 m up and down

Naismith: 12 km at 5 km/h is 144 minutes, plus 60 for 600 m of ascent. Langmuir takes 20 minutes off a gentle descent. A mixed group goes about 1.2 times slower, then 10 minutes an hour for stops: 4 hr 18 min.

The rules

Where they come from

RuleWhat it says
Naismith (1892)5 km an hour, plus 1 hour per 600 m of ascent
Langmuir, gentle descentminus 10 minutes per 300 m down
Langmuir, steep descentplus 10 minutes per 300 m down

Before you go

Hill sense

  • Check the Met Office mountain forecast
  • Map, compass and a charged phone
  • Set a turn back time
  • Tell someone your route

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • TerrainBog, scree and snow make every rule optimistic.
  • NavigationGetting lost costs more time than any hill.
  • WeatherWind and rain slow everyone.

Questions

Common questions

What is Naismith's rule?

5 km an hour plus an hour for every 600 m of climbing.

How long does a 10 mile hike take?

About 3 hr 15 min of moving on the flat, more with hills and stops.

Do descents slow you down?

Steep ones do; gentle ones are slightly quicker than the flat.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.

Related

Related calculators