Stairs to Everest

Climb the height of Everest one stair session at a time. See how many sessions it takes and the energy each one uses.

Your details

Mount Everest (8,849 m) on the stairs

53 sessions

170.0 m of climbing a session

Steps to the summit from sea level52,053
Height each session170.0 m
Pace67 steps a minute: stair climbing, slow pace
Energy each session70 kcal on top of resting

Stair climbing is one of the most vigorous everyday activities: about 9 METs at a fast pace. Real climbers also face thin air, cold and many miles of walking, so the mountain is a lot harder than the stairs.

Stop and get help if you have chest pain, feel faint or are unusually breathless, and call 999 if chest pain does not go away. If you have a heart, lung or joint condition, check with your GP before stepping up.

The working

1,000 steps of 17 cm in 15 minutes

1,000 steps at 17 cm climb 170 m a session. Everest is 8,849 m, so it takes 53 sessions and 52,053 steps. At 67 steps a minute that counts as slow stair climbing (4.5 METs), about 70 kcal on top of resting for someone of 73 kg.

The mountains

Heights above sea level

Mountain	Height
Mount Everest	8,849 m
Kilimanjaro	5,895 m
Mont Blanc	4,806 m
Ben Nevis	1,345 m
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon)	1,085 m
Scafell Pike	978 m

Stair sessions

Making it safe and steady

Hold the rail and look where you are going
Walk down rather than run
Build up from a few flights; legs adapt quickly
Stair machines at the gym count too

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Train you for altitudeThin air is the hard part of big mountains.
Know your stairsMeasure one step for a better answer.
Count going downOnly the climb up is counted.

Questions

Common questions

How many steps to climb Everest?

About 52,000 steps of 17 cm from sea level to 8,849 m.

How tall is Everest?

8,848.86 m, measured in a joint Nepal and China survey in 2020.

Is stair climbing good exercise?

Yes. A fast pace is around 9 METs, as hard as running, and it builds leg strength too.

How many calories does climbing stairs use?

It depends on your weight and pace; this page works it out for you with corrected METs.

Sources

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

Stop and get help

Stop and get help if you have chest pain, feel faint or are unusually breathless, and call 999 if chest pain does not go away. Check with your GP before stepping up if you have a heart, lung or joint condition.