The Seven Thousand Steps

The Seven Thousand Steps
Map
Hold	Whiterun Hold
Location	West of Ivarstead
Type	Unmarked Location
Quests	Main Quest
Characters	Karita Barknar
Location ID	ThroatofTheWorldPath01

The Seven Thousand Steps is an unmarked location found in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Location

The Seven Thousand Steps wraps around the Throat of the World, the largest mountain in all of Tamriel, and leads to the residence of The Greybeards, at the monastery of High Hrothgar. The Steps are accessed by the bridge nearest Fellstar Farm, where Klimmek and Gwilin are first encountered speaking of climbing the steps.

Wayshrine blessing

During the Main Quest, the Dragonborn will be summoned to High Hrothgar to meet the Greybeards, but climbing the Seven Thousand Steps is the first challenge. Along the way are ten wayshrines to read and contemplate. If all ten are read, the Dragonborn will receive the blessing Voice of the Sky, which lasts one day.

Trivia

• In an interview, Todd Howard jokingly mentioned that he would count all the steps leading up to High Hrothgar to make sure it's 7,000.
• Counting each visible step will only get one to around 700–800, though the path itself is quite worn and snow seems to cover much of it.
• When walking, it takes approximately 2,403 footsteps from High Hrothgar to reach the base pathway. Walking the entire 7,000 footsteps from High Hrothgar, however, will actually bring the Dragonborn to the town center of Whiterun.
• It is recorded that circa 1E 500 after a dragon had damaged the 418th step, King Wulfharth repaired them.
• M'aiq the Liar has this to say about the steps: "M'aiq once walked to High Hrothgar. So many steps, he lost count."
• Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun has this to say about the steps: "I envy you, you know. To climb the 7,000 Steps again... I made the pilgrimage once, did you know that?"

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim