Niesen-Treppenlauf
& IronHikeComparison11,674 stairs up the world’s longest staircase.
Or 13,288 up and 13,288 back down.
The longest staircase and the longest dayWe have deep respect for the Niesen-Treppenlauf in Switzerland, run on the service stairway beside the Niesenbahn funicular, billed as the longest staircase in the world. The rest of the year the stairway is closed to the public. Double Kuwohi asks a different question: how much of a mountain staircase can you take in a full day and night, every stair up and every stair back down?
Niesen-TreppenlaufFirst run in 1990 and held most Junes since 2004, the Niesen-Treppenlauf climbs 11,674 steps and 1,669 meters (about 5,476 feet) from Mülenen at 693 meters to the summit of the Niesen at 2,362 meters, above Lake Thun. The lower section has a 70-minute cutoff, finishers ride the funicular down, and the 2026 stair record is 55:26 by Jonathan Schmid.
IronHike Double Kuwohi24 hours on the AT Approach Trail staircase at Amicalola Falls: 22 laps, 33 miles, 13,288 feet up and back down and 26,576 stairs, 604 up and 604 down every lap, by daylight and by headlamp. Solo or as a team. Double Kuwohi from $360 Solo, $180 each as a Trail Family. Want more than 11,674 steps? The Olympus Mons Ultra is waiting at the top of the same staircase: 144,960 stairs in 84 hours. Veteran-owned and operated.
The honest assessmentIronHike is better on 11, the Niesen on 5, and 5 are a tie. The Niesen wins on steepness, scenery, price, getting there and the legend of the world’s longest staircase. IronHike wins on volume: more stairs up, every stair back down on foot, 24 hours, three Series a year, bigger teams and a training plan in every registration.
Niesen-Treppenlauf & Double Kuwohi💪 More badassery for the buckLegend: ✓ Better = Tie ✓ Good – Not offeredNiesen
Treppenlauf
Mülenen - SwitzerlandIronHike
Double Kuwohi
Amicalola Falls State Park, GA - USAStairs ✓ 11,674 stairs, up only ✓ 26,576 stairs: 13,288 up and 13,288 back down Vertical Elevation ✓ 1,669 meters (about 5,476 feet) up ✓ 13,288 feet up and the same back down Steepness ✓ About 2,600 feet of climb per mile (two sections of 2.1 and 1.3 km) ✓ About 400 feet up per mile, then the same back down Way Down ✓ Funicular ride down, included in the entry ✓ Every stair back down on foot, part of the Event Duration ✓ 70-minute cutoff for the lower section; the record is 55:26 ✓ 24 hours, noon to noon Location = Mülenen to the Niesen summit, above Lake Thun, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland = The staircase at Amicalola Falls State Park, Dawsonville, Georgia; Double Kuwohi also runs at Mohawk Mountain, Cornwall, Connecticut Scenery ✓ The Swiss pyramid above Lake Thun, with Alpine views from the summit ✓ Georgia’s highest waterfall and the North Georgia mountains, every lap Dates ✓ Once a year in June (June 11 and 12, 2027) ✓ 3 Series a year: December at Amicalola, June and October at Mohawk Registration = Opens each January, about 150 days before the event = Open registration Price Range ✓ About $105, or about $140 with a meal after the climb ✓ Double Kuwohi $360 Solo, $270 each as a Trail Buddy, $180 each as a Trail Family Cost per 1,000 Stairs = About $9 = About $14 Solo, $7 each as a Trail Family Teams ✓ Relay of 2, one runner per section, about $190 per team ✓ Trail Buddy (you both save 25%) or Trail Family of 4 (you all save 50%) Night Laps – None. A daytime climb. ✓ Yes, by headlamp through the night Training Plan Included – None listed ✓ Custom training plans from IronCoach Tasha and the Cadre Loyalty Discount ✓ Oberland Cup: 15% off when you enter 3 of 5 Oberland events ✓ Alumni discount: Generous Military & First Responder Discount – None listed ✓ $70 off with code brave70 Free Tent Space – None listed ✓ Yes, steps from the course Weather = Held only in safe weather; if cancelled, 80% of the fee is refunded = All weather: December at Amicalola runs from the 30s to the 60s°F; June and October at Mohawk from the 30s to the 70s°F Finisher Awards = Finisher shirt = Finisher medal, hat and a cookie, plus the Iron Award for the Mountain Athlete who shows the most iron, mettle and gumption Getting There ✓ Mülenen station is 37 minutes from Bern and about 1 hour 45 minutes from Zürich by train ✓ Amicalola is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Atlanta; Mohawk is about 1 hour from Hartford World Stage ✓ Billed as the world’s longest staircase; stair record 55:26 (Jonathan Schmid, 2026) ✓ None. Not a race. You vs the staircase. Scorecard= Tied on 5 of 21 comparisonsNiesen-Treppenlauf✓ Better = 5✓ Good = 7– Not offered = 4Double Kuwohi✓ Better = 11✓ Good = 5– Not offered = 0We built this comparison from each organizer’s public information, with real respect for every event on it. Scenery and the Better / Tie / Good marks are our own honest judgment, and “Not offered” means not offered to the best of our knowledge. Details change, so check with the organizer before you register, and if you spot something we should update, tell us. We’ll gladly fix it. IronHike is not affiliated with or endorsed by any event on this page. Last checked October 2026.
See Double Kuwohi ⛰️💬 “I live in Nashville. New England is a flight and a half. I kept watching IronHike videos thinking some day. Then they announced Georgia and I reached out to IronHike before I even finished reading the page.”
— Darnell · Nashville, TN · Registering for Double Kuwohi
▲ ▲ ▲We want to see you on our Mountain too!The Niesen asks how fast you can climb the world’s longest staircase once. Double Kuwohi asks how many times you can climb a mountain staircase, and walk back down it, from noon to noon.
Climbed the Niesen, or waiting for June? Add Double Kuwohi. Open registration, three Series a year.
It’s you versus the whole mountain (up and down) and you against who you were yesterday.
Current EventsPick your Series 🎯12 Hours⛰️ Mohawk: 12 laps · 15 miles · 7,140’🌊 Amicalola Falls: 11 laps · 16.5 miles · 6,644’ · 13,288 stairsSee Kuwohi24 Hours⛰️ Mohawk: 23 laps · 28.75 miles · 13,685’🌊 Amicalola Falls: 22 laps · 33 miles · 13,288’ · 26,576 stairsSee Double Kuwohi24 Hours⛰️ Mohawk: 24 laps · 30 miles · 14,280’🌊 Amicalola Falls: 24 laps · 36 miles · 14,496’ · 28,992 stairsSee Answer the Bell - Basic48 Hours⛰️ Mohawk: 35 laps · 43.75 miles · 20,825’🌊 Amicalola Falls: 34 laps · 51 miles · 20,536’ · 41,072 stairsSee Denali72 Hours⛰️ Mohawk: 49 laps · 61.25 miles · 29,155’🌊 Amicalola Falls: 49 laps · 73.5 miles · 29,596’ · 59,192 stairsSee Everest84 Hours⛰️ Mohawk: 84 laps · 105 miles · 49,980’🌊 Amicalola Falls: 84 laps · 126 miles · 50,736’ · 101,472 stairsSee Answer the Bell - Full84 Hours · Top 4 Hardest Ultra Events in the World⛰️ Mohawk: 122 laps · 152.5 miles · 72,590’🌊 Amicalola Falls: 120 laps · 180 miles · 72,480’ · 144,960 stairsSee Olympus Mons Ultra💬 “Many a journey from Georgia to Maine starts right here. So does the next version of you.”
— Cliff “Bushwacker” · IronHike Co-Founder
❓ Get your questions answered here.
Training, gear, tenting, night laps, what to expect at Mohawk and Amicalola, and plenty more. Or ask your own.
▲ ▲ ▲▶More about Double Kuwohi vs the Niesen-Treppenlauf
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok
LinkedIn