# Ascend: Stair Stepper Racing — Race real towers from any gym > Virtual stair stepper races up real-world towers with leaderboards and personal bests. (iPhone/iPad app by Tyler Pavay.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-stair-stepper-racing/id6757202987 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Tyler Pavay](https://appshunter.io/developer/1865255425) - Category: Health & Fitness, Sports - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 4 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 26.0 · 94 MB - Languages: American English, French (France) - Released: 2026-08-25 - Data updated: 2026-09-19 - Monetization: subscription - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-stair-stepper-racing/id6757202987/reviews.md ## What is Ascend? The stair stepper never had a way to compete. No race, no rankings, and no record that survives the session - just a number on a console that clears when you step off. Counting those steps has been its own problem, which is why most of them were never really counted at all. Ascend gives every climb a result. Pick a building, climb its real step count, and take your rank against everyone else who has climbed it. Motion sensors in compatible AirPods or Beats do the counting, on the machine, while you climb. Pick the Empire State Building and race its actual 1,576 steps. RACE REAL TOWERS Choose a landmark and attack its actual step count: the Empire State Building, Taipei 101, the Eiffel Tower, Burj Khalifa, and more. Motion sensors in compatible AirPods or Beats count your steps in real time. Every climber who has raced that tower lines up beside you, each running their best attempt. Watch your position move while you climb. CLIMB THE LEADERBOARDS Every tower keeps its own rankings. Compare finish times, cadence, and steps against real climbers. Reach the podium, then defend it. CLAIM FIRST ASCENTS Every new tower opens with one permanent prize: the First Ascent. The first finisher claims it forever, even after someone posts a faster time. Be ready when the next tower drops. BREAK YOUR OWN RECORDS Best Efforts turns the climbs you finish into a record book only you can break. Most steps, longest climb, strongest pace, and more, each tied back to the session that set it. See the work stack up instead of disappearing when the session ends. TRAIN BETWEEN RACES Guided routines build structured intervals and changing intensity into a stair session. Pair a Bluetooth chest strap for live heart rate and effort zones. Or start a Just Climb when you only want the work, with a step goal if you want one. Every finished session lands in the same history as your races. SHARE THE CLIMB Build a share card from the climb you just did and the result you posted. Ascend is built for people who take the stair stepper seriously. It is not a generic activity tracker and it is not a social feed. Every climb and every record in Ascend comes from a session you performed in Ascend. There is no manual entry and no importing from other apps. An auto-renewing subscription is required after onboarding. Available plans, billing terms, and any eligible trial are shown before purchase. Subscriptions can be managed through your Apple Account, and eligible purchases can be restored in Ascend. Every session in Ascend - a tower race, a Just Climb, or a guided routine - is counted by motion sensors in compatible AirPods or Beats, and needs a stair stepper to climb. Apple Health is optional and is used only to attach heart rate and active-energy calories recorded while you were climbing in Ascend. A Bluetooth heart-rate monitor is optional. Ascend is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice. Terms of Use: https://ascendstepper.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://ascendstepper.com/privacy ## Key features - Race real-world towers - Climb leaderboards - Claim 'First Ascents' - Track personal bests - Guided training routines - Heart rate monitoring integration ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Ascend Yearly | $49.99 | per year | | Ascend Monthly | $9.99 | per month | ## Recent user reviews (4 of 4) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-stair-stepper-racing/id6757202987/reviews.md ### 5/5 — The Best App for Stairmaster or Stair Stepper Lovers *2026-09-17* I highly recommend this app to anybody who uses the stairmaster regularly. It tracks every stairmaster session with insightful statistics and outputs fun cards with data to post to socials. I get to use my regular stairmaster sessions [30-60 minutes] to complete climbs around the world, which makes using the stairmaster even more enjoyable! I race against others during my climbs and feel the presence of a larger stairmaster community (just like the riding community on Peleton). ### 5/5 — My new fav way to track the stair stepper *2026-08-27* i’ve used a lot of fitness apps, but most of them treat the stair stepper like an afterthought, which is sad cause it’s my fav machine. this is the first one that focuses on it and I’m loving it. The tower racing idea is such a cool way to motivate you beat your previous workout and gives my training a completely different feeling. instead of staring at the same number on the machine, you actually have something to chase. I also really like that it uses my airpods to count steps (no other app has done this as accurate as this one). very well engineered. But my fav part is the live leaderboard. Idk… it makes me competitive seeing someone ahead of you to catch. I’m so in love with this app. Would give 6 starts if I could. many tks to whoever created this. ### 5/5 — Cool concept *2026-08-26* Being able to say you climbed the Eiffel Tower without actually visiting the Eiffel Tower cool concept cool idea will be using more often to track my progress when it comes to working out and my steps journey and when my friends get on it will a great way to get more competitive with it ### 5/5 — MUST DOWNLOAD *2026-08-25* I’ve been using the stair stepper for years and my wearable never tracks my steps accurately. I like the step counting functionality and the ability to compete against others and climb the leaderboards to help push myself during my workout. Great UI, would recommend! ## Frequently asked questions about Ascend ### How does Ascend track my steps? Ascend uses motion sensors in compatible AirPods or Beats to count your steps in real-time while you are on the stair stepper machine. ### What kind of towers can I race in Ascend? You can race against the actual step counts of famous landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Taipei 101, the Eiffel Tower, and the Burj Khalifa. ### Can I see how I compare to other users? Yes, Ascend features leaderboards for each tower, allowing you to compare your finish times, cadence, and steps against other climbers. ### What is a 'First Ascent' in Ascend? A 'First Ascent' is a permanent prize awarded to the very first person to successfully complete a climb up a new tower. This record is held forever. ### Does Ascend offer any training programs? Yes, Ascend includes guided routines designed to build structured intervals and varying intensity into your stair sessions, helping you train between races. ### What is the subscription cost for Ascend? Ascend offers two subscription plans: Ascend Monthly at $9.99 per month and Ascend Yearly at $49.99 per year, which includes a 7-day free trial. ### Can I connect a heart rate monitor to Ascend? Yes, you can pair a Bluetooth chest strap to Ascend for live heart rate monitoring and to track your effort zones during workouts. ### Is Ascend suitable for all ages? Ascend has an age rating of 12+, indicating it is intended for users aged 12 and older. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice. ## Version history (last 2 releases) ### 1.0.1 — 2026-09-07 NEW CLIMB Petronas Towers is live - 2,170 steps, Kuala Lumpur. Go race it. ALSO IN THIS UPDATE • Race your own ghost - your personal best now runs live on the board • Compare achievements with any climber, side by side • Faster photo picking when sharing a climb • General polish and stability improvements ### 1.0 — 2026-08-25 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Ascend | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Lunari: Period & Cycle](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lunari-period-and-cycle/id6801510756) | — | Free | Health & Fitness | | [TwoStepper: Walk & unlock apps](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/twostepper-walk-and-unlock-apps/id6760576744) | 5.0 (4) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Hunter Williams Health](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hunter-williams-health/id6804870787) | — | Free | Health & Fitness | | [KeepEatClean](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keepeatclean/id6760924217) | 5.0 (11) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Peptide & GLP-1 Tracker: Peppy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/peptide-and-glp-1-tracker-peppy/id6788395819) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [SlipFix: Quit Bad Habits](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slipfix-quit-bad-habits/id6774359956) | 5.0 (8) | Free | Health & Fitness | --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-19.*