What does a 10% slope mean?
A 10% slope gains 10 metres of elevation for every 100 horizontal metres. A 10% grade is not a 10° angle: it is approximately 5.7°.
Calculate slope percentage and angle from distance and elevation change. You also get the true slope length, elevation per kilometre, and a simple indication of how steep the segment is.
A 10% slope gains 10 metres of elevation for every 100 horizontal metres. A 10% grade is not a 10° angle: it is approximately 5.7°.
Grade (%) = elevation change ÷ horizontal distance × 100. GPS distance usually follows the ground, so it remains a useful approximation on ordinary slopes, but the difference grows on very steep terrain.
As the grade increases, power hiking becomes more efficient and pace per kilometre becomes less meaningful. Technical difficulty, grip, and climb length remain just as important as average grade.
Average grade
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Angle
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Distance along the slope
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Elevation per kilometre
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Interpretation
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Example: 150 m of elevation gain over 1.5 horizontal kilometres is an average grade of 10%, or approximately 5.7°.
The result describes an average slope. An uneven climb can alternate between flat sections and ramps that are much steeper than this value. Always check the detailed elevation profile before a race.
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