Due to the current pandemic, it may be a while until it’s responsible to travel to the world’s highest peaks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do a fitness challenge yourself at home.
Traditionally, January is the time for setting new goals and resolutions, many relating to fitness and exercise. In fact, ‘More exercise/Improve fitness’ was the top resolution Brits had made in the past, according to YouGov.
For many of us, finding a new and innovative way to keep active is important for helping us to stick to a healthy routine in the New Year. So why not challenge yourself and tackle climbing some of the world’s most famous, and challenging, peaks from the comfort of your own home?
Stair Rods Direct have put together a new fitness challenge by calculating how many times you will have to ascend your staircase at home to reach the same height as some of the most famous mountains in the world.
The challenge is completely free and can be done with just the stairs in your own home, great news for those watching the pennies. And with plenty of options from Snowdon in the UK coming in at 5,425 steps, to Everest in Asia racking up a whopping 44,250 steps, you can take on any challenge to suit you.
How many steps would it take to climb 20 famous mountains at home?
| Mountain | Country | Region | Height (metres)[i] | Number of steps[ii] | Total calories burned[iii] |
| Kilimanjaro | Tanzania | Africa | 5,895 | 29,475 | 5,011 |
| Mount Kenya | Kenya | Africa | 5,199 | 25,995 | 4,419 |
| Mount Stanley | DR of Congo/Uganda | Africa | 5,109 | 25,545 | 4,343 |
| Mount Speke | Uganda | Africa | 4,890 | 24,450 | 4,157 |
| Mount Meru | Tanzania | Africa | 4,565 | 22,825 | 3,880 |
| Everest | Nepal | Asia | 8,850 | 44,250 | 7,523 |
| K2 | Pakistan/China | Asia | 8,611 | 43,055 | 7,319 |
| Kanchenjunga | India/Nepal | Asia | 8,586 | 42,930 | 7,298 |
| Lhotse | Nepal/Tibet | Asia | 8,516 | 42,580 | 7,239 |
| Cho Oyu | Nepal/China | Asia | 8,201 | 41,005 | 6,971 |
| Elbrus | Russia | Europe | 5,642 | 28,210 | 4,796 |
| Shkhara | Georgia | Europe | 5,068 | 25,340 | 4,308 |
| Mont Blanc | France/Italy | Europe | 4,807 | 24,035 | 4,086 |
| Matterhorn | Switzerland/Italy | Europe | 4,478 | 22,390 | 3,806 |
| Aneto Peak | Spain | Europe | 3,404 | 17,020 | 2,893 |
| Ben Nevis | Scotland | UK | 1,343 | 6,715 | 1,142 |
| Ben Macdui | Scotland | UK | 1,309 | 6,545 | 1,113 |
| Snowden | Wales | UK | 1,085 | 5,425 | 922 |
| Scafell Peak | England | UK | 978 | 4,890 | 831 |
| Slieve Donard | Northern Ireland | UK | 852 | 4,260 | 724 |
To learn more about the challenge including top tips for climbing at home, please visit Stair Rods Direct’s blog post here.