How much climbing is really on the menu? To calculate the elevation gain of a hike, a trail run or a bike ride, just draw the route in MapPlanner: an elevation profile opens under the map with total ascent and descent, the lowest and highest points and color-coded gradients, so you spot every steep pitch before your legs do.
Elevation gain that updates as you draw
Pick your activity above the map, then click to set your start and waypoints: the line follows trails and roads. For hiking and cycling, the elevation gain appears live beside the distance and time and changes with every point you add.
The elevation button just under the map opens the full profile. Move your mouse along the curve and a marker tracks the same spot on the map, while a tooltip shows the altitude, the distance from the start and the gradient right there. On a phone, slide your finger along the curve instead.
Plan your own route
MapPlanner helps you calculate distances, elevation, duration and plan your hikes, runs and bike rides on an interactive map.
- Automatic distance & elevation calculation
- Topographic, satellite maps
- GPX/KML export for your GPS
- Real-time GPS tracking
Reading an elevation profile
Think of the profile as a cross-section of the ground you will cover. It gives you four things:
- elevation gain and loss: every climb and every descent added up, the figure that says most about the effort;
- minimum and maximum altitude along the route;
- gradient, shown by the color of the curve: 0–5%, 5–10%, 10–15%, 15–20% and over 20%;
- average gradient, in the route details under the map, which divides the total climbing and descending by the distance.
Want the gradient on the map itself? In the map properties, color the route by slope: the legend matches the profile.
From elevation to time and difficulty
The terrain does more than draw a nice curve. It feeds the estimated duration, which slows down on steep climbs, as well as the difficulty rating, which weighs each section by its gradient. On a bike, the climbs list shows every ascent with its category, from a short bump up to hors catégorie, plus its length, elevation gain, average gradient and maximum gradient.
Once the route is saved, its page keeps the interactive profile. Click the minimum or maximum altitude to see exactly where it sits on the map. Badges also flag a hike or run that climbs above 2,500 m (high altitude) or 3,500 m (very high altitude), as well as a hike or bike ride with a high average gradient.
Tips for sizing up the terrain
- Check where the climbing happens. 800 m spread over a whole day is not the same outing as 800 m in one go straight from the trailhead; plan your break before the steepest section.
- Walking with kids or a stroller? Look for orange and red, even on a stroll that looks flat on the map: a ramp above 10% sometimes hides in the middle.
- Trail runners can hunt for 10–15% sections to build a hill session; for a long easy run, keep the profile mostly green.
- Compare two variants: the profile recalculates each time you edit the route and a short detour can save you a wall.
- Allow some margin on very short steps: altitudes are smoothed, so a brief pitch can be steeper than the gradient shown.
See the terrain of your next outing
The elevation profile, the gain and loss figures and the slope colors are free and work without an account, on desktop or phone. A free account lets you save routes and come back to their profile later. Draw your route in the planner, open the profile under the map and you will know what lies ahead.
Elevation gain and profiles: common questions
How do I calculate the elevation gain of a hike before I go?
Draw the route in the MapPlanner planner. For hiking and cycling the elevation gain shows live; the elevation button under the map opens the full profile with both gain and loss.
What is the difference between elevation gain and elevation loss?
Elevation gain adds up every climb on the route, elevation loss every descent. On a loop the two are close; on a one-way route the gap matches the height difference between start and finish.
How accurate is the elevation gain?
Altitudes come from a terrain model with a 30 m grid, smoothed so that noise in the data does not inflate the total. It is a reliable basis for comparing and preparing routes, best read as an estimate.
Is the elevation profile free?
Yes, for every activity and without an account. A free account also lets you save your routes.
