diff --git a/src/lib/activity-rules.ts b/src/lib/activity-rules.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5d4288
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/activity-rules.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+// Lift-assisted downhill types: their recorded elevation gain comes from
+// lifts, so it doesn't count toward ascent totals. Touring variants
+// ("ski touring", "backcountry ski") earn their metres and do count.
+export const LIFT_ASSISTED_TYPES = ['ski', 'alpine ski', 'downhill ski', 'snowboard'];
+
+export function countsTowardAscent(type: string): boolean {
+	return !LIFT_ASSISTED_TYPES.includes(type.toLowerCase().trim());
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/server/db.ts b/src/lib/server/db.ts
index 9559e9e..cf2becb 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/db.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/db.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { PEAKS } from './peaks-seed';
 import { assignMinzoom, scorePeak } from './peak-score';
+import { LIFT_ASSISTED_TYPES } from '$lib/activity-rules';
+
+// SQL fragment: elevation gain that counts toward ascent totals
+// (lift-assisted downhill types contribute 0)
+const LIFT_LIST = LIFT_ASSISTED_TYPES.map((t) => `'${t}'`).join(', ');
+export const COUNTED_GAIN = `CASE WHEN lower(trim(type)) IN (${LIFT_LIST}) THEN 0 ELSE elev_gain_m END`;
 
 const DATA_DIR = process.env.STREBA_DATA_DIR ?? 'data';
 fs.mkdirSync(DATA_DIR, { recursive: true });
@@ -234,7 +240,7 @@ export function userStats(userId: number): {
 		.prepare(
 			`SELECT count(*) activities,
 			        coalesce(sum(distance_m), 0) distance_m,
-			        coalesce(sum(elev_gain_m), 0) elev_gain_m,
+			        coalesce(sum(${COUNTED_GAIN}), 0) elev_gain_m,
 			        coalesce(sum(coalesce(moving_s, duration_s, 0)), 0) moving_s
 			 FROM activities WHERE user_id = ?`
 		)
@@ -252,7 +258,7 @@ export function communityTotals(): {
 			`SELECT (SELECT count(*) FROM users) users,
 			        count(*) activities,
 			        coalesce(sum(distance_m), 0) distance_m,
-			        coalesce(sum(elev_gain_m), 0) elev_gain_m
+			        coalesce(sum(${COUNTED_GAIN}), 0) elev_gain_m
 			 FROM activities`
 		)
 		.get() as { users: number; activities: number; distance_m: number; elev_gain_m: number };
diff --git a/src/routes/activities/+page.server.ts b/src/routes/activities/+page.server.ts
index 9f0bffb..f4f471d 100644
--- a/src/routes/activities/+page.server.ts
+++ b/src/routes/activities/+page.server.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { db, listActivities } from '$lib/server/db';
+import { COUNTED_GAIN, db, listActivities } from '$lib/server/db';
+import { countsTowardAscent } from '$lib/activity-rules';
 import type { PageServerLoad } from './$types';
 
 export const load: PageServerLoad = ({ locals }) => {
@@ -9,7 +10,7 @@ export const load: PageServerLoad = ({ locals }) => {
 			`SELECT substr(coalesce(date, substr(created_at, 1, 10)), 1, 4) year,
 			        count(*) count,
 			        sum(distance_m) distance_m,
-			        sum(elev_gain_m) elev_gain_m,
+			        sum(${COUNTED_GAIN}) elev_gain_m,
 			        sum(coalesce(moving_s, duration_s, 0)) moving_s
 			 FROM activities WHERE user_id = ?
 			 GROUP BY year ORDER BY year DESC`
@@ -28,7 +29,10 @@ export const load: PageServerLoad = ({ locals }) => {
 		totals: {
 			count: activities.length,
 			distance_m: activities.reduce((sum, a) => sum + a.distance_m, 0),
-			elev_gain_m: activities.reduce((sum, a) => sum + a.elev_gain_m, 0),
+			elev_gain_m: activities.reduce(
+				(sum, a) => sum + (countsTowardAscent(a.type) ? a.elev_gain_m : 0),
+				0
+			),
 			moving_s: activities.reduce((sum, a) => sum + (a.moving_s ?? a.duration_s ?? 0), 0)
 		}
 	};
diff --git a/src/routes/activities/+page.svelte b/src/routes/activities/+page.svelte
index 5c05d1d..2d06be1 100644
--- a/src/routes/activities/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/activities/+page.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 	import ActivityItem from '$lib/components/ActivityItem.svelte';
 	import StatTile from '$lib/components/StatTile.svelte';
+	import { countsTowardAscent } from '$lib/activity-rules';
 	import { fmtDistance, fmtDuration, fmtElevation } from '$lib/format';
 
 	let { data } = $props();
@@ -19,7 +20,10 @@
 	const shown = $derived({
 		count: filtered.length,
 		distance_m: filtered.reduce((sum, a) => sum + a.distance_m, 0),
-		elev_gain_m: filtered.reduce((sum, a) => sum + a.elev_gain_m, 0),
+		elev_gain_m: filtered.reduce(
+			(sum, a) => sum + (countsTowardAscent(a.type) ? a.elev_gain_m : 0),
+			0
+		),
 		moving_s: filtered.reduce((sum, a) => sum + (a.moving_s ?? a.duration_s ?? 0), 0)
 	});
 	const suffix = $derived(selectedYear === null ? '' : ` (${selectedYear})`);