A Scot is climbing the UK’s highest mountains on the staircase in his house to beat the lockdown blues.
Madcap mountaineer, David Sharp, from Glasgow, used some rudimentary maths to calculate the height of our major peaks in steps.
And he’s posted the results on his Facebook page to give other hillwalkers the chance to complete the impressive feat.
To make it authentic and to get full value out of the enterprise, Dave has suggested wearing full outdoor gear while striding up and down the stairs.
He also said climbers should throw water in their faces from time to time to simulate Scottish weather.
But he advised not wearing spiked crampons “as carpets and flooring are allergic to them.”
Dave wrote on Facebook: “I recently seen an article about a couple of mountaineers who’s trip to Everest was cancelled due to Covid-19.
“So their alternative plan is climbing the equivalent height on their stairs at home. As a fellow outdoor enthusiasts who is spending their time in a personal shawshank quarantine, I too need to find a similar solution in my home.
“Utilizing my failed intermediate 2 maths, combined with my cabin fever boredom, I have created some calculations. I have calculated that (using my own stairs) it takes 6 stair/steps to achieve a height of 1 meter.
“Using this lazy excuse for math, I have added a random selection of mountains and hills in the UK, along with the steps/stairs to complete your quarantined summit.”
According to Dave’s ropey maths, the height in steps of Scotland’s most popular peaks are:
Ben Nevis- 8736 steps, Ben Lawers - 7891 steps and Ben Lomond- 6331 steps.
While in England and Wales they are: Scaffell Pike- 6357 steps, Helvellyn- 6168 steps and Snowdon- 7052 steps.
Dave said it was important to stay away from the mountains while the lockdown is on to prevent infection spreading to rural areas where the infrastructure is basic.
He added: “The mountains will still be there when this all blows over.
“I’m also working on how to put a kayak in a bath and work out how many paddle strokes it takes to simulate a river journey, but that might be taking things too far.
“Stay safe.”
