Skyrim’s Biggest Lie Is The Actual Number Of Steps Up To High Hrothgar

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a game full of surprises. Everywhere you look, you’ll find something new – whether it’s a useful item, a fascinating bit of history, or an engaging conversation with one of the locals who call the land home.

Everyone who’s played Skyrim has probably heard the guard complain about being shot in the knee – it’s become a hugely popular internet meme. Another well-known fact about the game is the incredibly long path, often called the “7000 Steps,” that winds around the Throat of the World mountain up to High Hrothgar.

So, I was checking the official game stats, and it turns out the climb from Ivarstead to the top of High Hrothgar – you know, that super famous staircase everyone talks about in Skyrim? – isn’t what we all thought. It’s actually a different number of steps than most people claim! Seriously, that iconic staircase has been misleading us this whole time. It’s pretty shocking!

Skyrim Lied To Us All

Bethesda Entertainment

If you actually walk around the mountain in Skyrim and count the steps, you’ll find the game isn’t accurate – there are far fewer than the claimed 7000.

Surprisingly, if you start at High Hrothgar and walk straight down from the bottom of the stairs for that many steps, you’ll actually find yourself in the middle of Whiterun. This is a major inconsistency that really undermines the established story and world of Skyrim.

Honestly, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tried to convince us that The Elder Scrolls and Fallout aren’t connected at all.

How Many Steps Are There To High Hrothgar Really?

Bethesda Entertainment

A player recently counted the steps leading up to High Hrothgar in Skyrim and found there are only 748 – much less than the thousands often mentioned in the game’s backstory and by Bethesda’s Todd Howard.

The game is so large that accurately showing the journey’s length isn’t feasible in Skyrim, so we have to accept what we see as a simplification. However, making the trip to see the Greybeards ten times longer just seems needlessly tedious.

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2026-02-28 15:10