From March 3–9, we challenged you to rack up as many vertical meters as possible. Once again, we set out to determine which nation and which activity type climbed the most. The data from the Suunto app is in – here are the results!
This year, you also had the chance to participate on Strava and support Protect Our Winters through the Vertical Week Strava Challenge. Our goal was to reach 1 million vertical meters, but you crushed that target – 121 times over!
We pledged to donate €1 for every 100 meters climbed to Protect Our Winters Europe, up to a limit of 1 million meters, to support their vital work in fighting climate change. Your passion exceeded all expectations – amazing!
Familiar names dominated the country rankings
In the country rankings for the average ascent per session, the usual suspects – nations in Europe’s mountainous regions – once again came out on top. Austria reclaimed the number one spot from Italy, while Switzerland held onto third place.
Average ascent per session by country
- Austria – 399m
- Italy – 392m
- Switzerland – 373m
- Slovenia – 346m
- Slovakia – 305m
- Spain – 273m
- France – 271m
- Germany – 230m
- Czech Republic – 221m
- Croatia – 214m
When looking at total ascent from all participants, France secured the top spot, followed by Spain and Italy.
Total ascent by country
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Germany
- Austria
- Switzerland
- Poland
- USA
- Slovenia
- United Kingdom
On an individual level, ten participants climbed over 14,000 meters in a week – averaging more than 2,000 meters per day. Well done!
To make the top 10%, you needed to climb 2,200 meters – 75 meters less than last year but still 300 meters more than in 2023.
For the top 3%, the benchmark was 3,958 meters – 104 meters less than last year but 368 meters more than two years ago.
Ski tourers lead the way
As in previous years, ski tourers dominated. Ski touring was the only activity type where the top three countries averaged over 1,000 meters per session. The overall ski touring average was an impressive 947 meters.
However, when looking at the total number of big '1000-meter days,' trail runners recorded the most this time.
The countries with big success in the activity type rankings were Italy and South Africa. Both nations took two top spots: The Italians were number one in mountaineering and trekking, while the South Africans dominated mountain biking and cycling.
Ski touring
- Austria – 1,044m
- Switzerland – 1,036m
- France – 1,005m
(All ski touring activities average per session: 947m)
Austria claimed the top spot, dethroning Slovakia, while France moved up to third. The 1000-meter mark remains a clear goal for skiers, with the entire top three surpassing it once again. Germany and Italy followed closely at 987 and 971 meters, respectively.
Mountaineering
- Italy – 445m
- Slovenia – 387m
- Austria – 359m
(All mountaineering activities average per session: 633m)
Italy held onto its lead for another year, with the average ascent for all mountaineering activities remaining exactly the same as last year!
Trail running
- Japan – 805m
- Italy – 652m
- Portugal – 592m
(All trail running activities average per session: 444m)
Japan continued to lead, though their average was lower than last year – perhaps due to deep powpow this winter?
Mountain biking
- South Africa – 490m
- Spain – 346m
- Slovenia – 297m
(All moutain biking activities average per session: 368m)
South Africa maintained its top position despite a drop in its average from 645m to 490m. Is the country getting ready for the upcoming Cape Epic or what do these strong performances in the MTB rankings tell?
Gravel cycling
- Czech Republic – 524m
- Switzerland – 505m
- Spain – 422m
(All gravel cycling activities average per session: 289m)
A full reshuffling – last year’s top three didn’t return to the podium this year! Is this a sign of gravel cycling still evolving and growing as a sport?
Cycling
- South Africa – 490m
- Spain – 346m
- Slovenia – 297m
(All cycling activities average per session: 172m)
Spain and Slovenia held their ranks, but South Africa stole the show. Lekker, bru!
Trekking
- Spain – 628m
- Slovenia – 379m
- Italy – 340m
(All trekking activities average per session: 334m)
Trekking had a fresh top 3 with Spain clearly taking the win.
Hiking
- Slovenia – 555m
- Portugal – 529m
- Spain – 496m
(All hiking activities average per session: 235m)
Slovenia delivered strong performances across multiple categories this year: number one in hiking but also top three in mountaineering, mountain biking, cycling, and trekking. Kapo dol!
Cross-country skiing
- Italy – 340m
- Czech Republic – 325m
- France – 322m
(All XC skiing activities average per session: 227m)
Unlike other activities, cross-country skiing was the only one where the average ascent increased from last year.
Running
- Norway – 123m
- Switzerland – 122m
- Belgium – 119m
(All running activities average per session: 82m)
This was the closest battle of all, with Norway edging out Switzerland by just half a meter! The average ascents in Suunto’s most popular activity type, running, are not huge but that makes the battles even more exciting!
See you next year!
Vertical Week 2025 proved once again that the Suunto community is unstoppable. Whether you were ski touring in the Alps, trail running in Japan, or cycling in South Africa, your dedication made this event one for the record books.
See you next year – until then, keep climbing!