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Walking Distances

part of the Walking on the Web guide to walking in Europe
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Naismith's Rule

The rule was devised in 1892 by W.W.Naismith a Scottish mountaineer as an aid to estimating the length of time it would take to walk a predefined walking route including ascents and descents

5km per hour plus 1/2 hour for every 300 metres of ascent

Corrections for short distances

going gently downhill - 10mins / 300m of descent

very steeply downhill + 10mins / 300m of descent

Please remember that if you are in a party the time should be calculated for the slowest person

If the total distance for a walk is 15km, the height climbed over the route is 250 m, and the decent over the route is 150 m
Time for distance travelled = 12 × 5 = 180 mins
Time for the accent = 250 ÷ 10 = 25 mins
Time for the decent = 150 ÷ 20 = 7.5 mins


Total time = 60 + 25 + 7.5 = 92.5mins = 3h 32.5 mins

Tranter's Corrections

Time taken to climb 300m in 800m
Individual fitness in minutes
Times taken in hours estimated using Naismith's Rule
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
15 very fit
1
1.5
2
2.25
3.5
4.5
5.5
6.75
7.75
10
12.5
14.5
17
19.5
22
24
20
1.25
2.25
3.25
4.5
5.5
6.5
7.75
8.75
10
12.5
15
17.5
20
23
25
1.5
3
4.25
5.5
7
8.5
10
11.5
13.25
15
17.5
30
2
3.5
5
6.75
8.5
10.5
12.5
14.5
Too much to be attempted
40
2.75
4.25
5.75
7.5
9.5
11.5
50 unfit
3.25
4.75
6.5
8.5
Limit Line

The fitness level in the first column is the time it takes you to climb 300m in 800m and should be determined through a series of trials.

The following corrections to Tranter's Corrections should also be made for the following conditions

20kg load being carried - drop one fitness level
Conditions underfoot - drop one or more fitness levels according to conditions
Conditions overhead - drop one level for journey at night or if wind is against you

Further Information

 

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