What Your Garmin Data Field Should Show When Hiking: Grade, VAM and Time to Sunset
When you glance at your Garmin on the trail, it's reassuring to see at once how much climbing is left, how fast you're climbing right now, and how much daylight you have before sunset. But the standard data fields are built mostly around running metrics such as distance and pace, and climbing-specific information is surprisingly hard to find. This article covers the data worth watching while hiking and how to put it all on a single screen.
In short: putting elevation, grade, VAM (ascent speed) and time to sunset together on one screen makes it much easier to judge your pacing and how much time you have left.
Why should you watch the grade when hiking?
Distance and pace alone don't tell you how steep the slope you're on actually is. Seeing the grade (%) in real time helps you decide whether you can keep the same pace ahead or whether it's time for a break. The same goes for descents: it tells you when to slow down before a steep downhill section.
What is VAM (ascent speed)?
VAM stands for "Velocità Ascensionale Media" (average ascent speed) and shows how many meters you climb per hour. Because you can see in real time whether you're climbing faster or slower than the standard course time, it helps you avoid an unsustainable pace.
Can you know the time to sunset without a phone?
Time to sunset is a key part of any descent plan. You don't need to pull out your phone and open a weather app every time: sunset can be calculated from the latitude and longitude of your GPS position and the current date and time. As long as you have a GPS fix, it works even deep in the mountains with no signal.
What are the standard data fields missing?
Garmin's own data fields and many third-party apps are designed mainly for running or cycling, and few of them can show elevation, grade, VAM and time to sunset together on one screen. As a result, you often end up flipping between several data screens during a hike.
How can you fit it all on one screen?
To solve this, I developed "Cairn," a data field built specifically for climbing. The free edition shows 6 metrics — elevation, total ascent, grade, time, distance and heart rate — and the Pro edition adds VAM, a sunset countdown and more for 12 metrics, all in a grid with no screen switching. There's almost nothing to set up: just add it as a data field.
When does it help most?
- Preparing for the next steep climb on a ridge walk: watch the grade change and ease off your pace early
- Knowing how you compare with the course time: VAM shows right away whether your current ascent pace is fast or slow
- Deciding whether you can get down before sunset: check the remaining time calculated from where you are, on the spot
Summary
On a hike, climbing-specific information such as grade, VAM and time to sunset — not just distance and pace — helps you plan safely. Putting it all on one screen means no switching between screens, and you can check exactly what you need in a glance. When choosing a data field, make sure it has the metrics that fit the way you hike.
Cairn / Cairn Pro
A Garmin data field built for climbing. The free edition shows 6 metrics including elevation, grade and time; the Pro edition covers 12 metrics including VAM and a sunset countdown. One-time purchase, no subscription.
FAQ
Q. How is VAM (ascent speed) calculated?
A. It divides the elevation gained over a period of time by the time elapsed. The higher the number, the faster you are climbing.
Q. How does the watch know the time until sunset?
A. It calculates the sunset time astronomically from the latitude and longitude of your GPS position and the current date and time. No data connection is needed, unlike a weather app.
Q. Is Cairn free to use?
A. There is a free edition that shows 6 metrics, including elevation, total ascent, time and heart rate. The Pro edition, with 12 metrics including VAM and a sunset countdown, is a one-time purchase with no subscription.
Q. Which Garmin watches does it work on?
A. It works on the main Connect IQ-compatible models, including the fēnix series, epix series, Venu series and higher-end Forerunner models.
Q. Does it work deep in the mountains with no signal?
A. Yes. It relies only on GPS and the barometric altimeter, so it works fine in the mountains even without a data connection.