Can you settle a mild disagreement

[longtompot]

Hopefully I have explained this clearly.

One of the circular walks we take our dog on is more difficult if you go in one direction than the other. It's exactly the same route, just in the opposite direction.

I said to my dh it's because there are more uphills that way so it's harder and the other way is more downhills.
He says this isn't the case, (even though he agrees it's harder to walk this other way,) as you'd have to have the same amount of uphill and downhills both ways to arrive at the same elevation at the final destination.
Who is right?

OH I think

I think you are right, op. I think!!!

I think your OH is right

OH is correct that you have to have the same amount of uphill and downhill in order to come back to the same point. But the hills may be steeper one way than the other - so for eg one circular loop I do has a git of an uphill halfway round walking one way, with a gentler downhill. Reverse the route and you’ve a gentle uphill which is quite pleasant, and then a steep downhill near the end.

2 all.
Even Stevens

Well it might have the same metres of elevation either way, but probably depends what the slope gradient is. I prefer short steep hills, DH prefers long steady hills. That would make a difference to how you feel about a walk.

You could plot the route with onthegomaps website and view the cross section gradient. It might show it a little clearer.

Oh is technically correct but one way may have steeper shorter hills making the overall walk more difficult

The overall ups and downs must end up being the same. But you could have a short steep up on one way and a slow long up the other, which might feel easier.

You are right in a way, but it is probably more to do with how steep the inclines are than how many.

On a 4 mile walk, you could walk a mile up a steep-ish hill and 3 miles down the other side. If you went the other way round, you'd be walking uphill for 3 miles and down for only one. I'd find that more tiring.