Bethesda Tried to Make Skyrim’s 7,000 Steps Literal
Associate art director Dan Lee's best attempt would have stretched past Ivarstead, around the mountain, and ended near Whiterun.
Skyrim’s climb to High Hrothgar could have been far longer. Associate art director Dan Lee tried to fit all 7,000 steps into the route, with his best attempt running past Ivarstead, circling the mountain, and ending near Whiterun’s frozen tundra, as described in Bethesda’s 40th-anniversary retrospective.
The path has roughly 700 physical steps, some obscured by snow. A player’s 2011 calculation counted 748, while UESP estimates the ascent takes approximately 2,400 footsteps. The figures count different things: steps on the path and footsteps taken on the climb.
There are only 748 steps to High Hrothgar. Yeah, I counted.
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Lee was not responsible for Skyrim’s rough terrain layout. His work included refining High Hrothgar’s contours from different viewpoints and adding visual effects, plants, and objects to the mountain. Enemy encounters were outside his role. As Lee put it in the retrospective, “I take no responsibility for the Frost Troll.”
Bethesda’s anniversary celebration also included the reveal of The Elder Scrolls VI’s Sentinel subtitle, alongside its look back at Skyrim’s development.
How would 7,000 literal steps have changed the trip to High Hrothgar for you? Bethesda’s anniversary retrospective is turning up details about how Skyrim was built. Follow along on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam or Telegram.
