Five relentless days on the go. One foot steps wearily in front of the other. Heart racing, lungs screaming for more air. After spending the past five days climbing to a height of 5,364 metres, you slowly peer over the summit as your final step becomes in reach. As you peer over, you’re greeted with the panorama every climber one day dreams of viewing – your stinking laundry pile sitting in front of the washing machine.

“You’re greeted with the panorama every climber one day dreams of viewing”

This was the story for thirty hikers who grouped together to scale the 5,364 metre height up to Everest base camp, on their stairs at home. Led by Rory Southworth, the group were (quite rightly) looking to do something positive within the outdoor community after the lockdown restrictions, a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, kicked in and began to limit people’s movements around the world. Anyway, after five days of marching up and down their stairs the group finally completed their challenge.

Inspired by this epic indoor fitness feat, we thought that we’d go ahead and bring you the ‘Big Mpora Guide To Climbing Things Indoors’ (we may need to work on that title). Whatever your appetite is for spending day after day walking up and down your stairs, we’ve got you covered for all sorts of challenges; the highest mountain in the world (Everest), the tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa), and even the highest mountain in the UK (Ben Nevis). Here goes.

Big Ben (96 m) – 632 steps / 42 flights
Great Pyramid of Giza (146 m) – 1,002 steps / 67 flights
Blackpool Tower (158 m) – 1,036 steps / 69 flights
Eiffel Tower (324 m) – 1,665 steps / 108 flights
Burj Khalifa (828 m) – 2,909 steps / 160+ flights
Snowdon (1,085 m) – 7,120 steps / 475 flights
Ben Nevis (1,345 m) – 8,810 steps / 587 flights
Mont Blanc (4,810 m) – 30,520 steps / 2,028 flights
Everest (8,842 m) – 58,070 steps / 3,871 flights

For more on stair climbing challenges, have a look at this NHSGGC document here

These numbers might not be 100% accurate, but they’re in the right sort of ball park. Have a go at one, then have a go at the rest. What else you going to do with all your time indoors? Full mountaineering gear optional.

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