What is VAM?
VAM shows how many meters of elevation gain you climb in one hour. If you climb 800 m in 1 hour, your VAM is 800 m/h. It does not replace pace, but it describes uphill effort much better when the gradient gets steep.
VAM Calculator
Calculate your VAM, or vertical ascent speed, in meters climbed per hour. It is a simple benchmark for comparing climbs, pacing uphill effort, and tracking progress on elevation-heavy routes.
Why is it useful?
On a long climb, pace per kilometer can be misleading: 9 min/km at 5% and 9 min/km at 18% are not the same effort. VAM helps you manage climbs with a more stable uphill benchmark.
Coach advice
Use VAM mainly on sustained climbs. On rolling trails with accelerations, descents, rocks, or altitude, combine it with perceived effort, heart rate, and terrain difficulty.
Result
VAM
640 m/h
Average grade
13.3 %
Climb pace
12:30 / km
Average speed
4.8 km/h
Time per 100 m gain
9:23 / 100 m D+
Example: 800 m of elevation gain in 1 h 15 gives a VAM of 640 m/h. Over a 6 km climb, that is about a 13.3% average grade.
This calculator gives a field benchmark. The same VAM can feel easy on a smooth fire road and very hard on a steep, technical, muddy, or high-altitude climb.
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