What is the fastest way to go up and down in Minecraft?

For many years Minecraft players have been searching for the fastest ways to travel up and down, and there are a number of ways to do so. There are quick and reckless methods like jumping from high places which put the player in serious danger. There are also slower and safer methods like staircases and ladders.

Minecraft players are always testing out and researching different ways to mine faster. So what is the best way to travel up and down in Minecraft? Here is the rundown.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's opinions.

What is the fastest way to go upwards in Minecraft?

Staircase

Staircases are a nice addition to any player's house and a very effective way to travel to higher ground in the Minecraft world. Players can use staircases to connect different floors of a structure or to bridge across openings in Minecraft's terrain.

Straight up

Digging straight up is a relatively dangerous method for traveling upwards in Minecraft, especially if the player is deep within Minecraft's underground. Many Minecraft players who get lost underground have no choice but to dig straight up to exit caves.

Digging straight up can be dangerous because there's a chance of being crushed by sand or gravel. There's an even worse possibility that the player will dig straight upwards into a pool of lava and burn to death. If the player is lucky they will be able to dig straight up to the surface without any problems, but it's quite common for players to be killed in the process of traveling directly upwards.

Ladders and Vines

A ladder on a tree mod (Image via worldofmods)

Ladders and vines are some of the best and safest ways for players to travel up in Minecraft. The two items were added to Minecraft specifically to travel up without a staircase. These two items are great for compact bases that can't fit staircases. They're also great for treehouse builds.

Ladders and vines are a relatively slow method for players to travel up though. These can take quite a few minutes if the ladder is very long. There's also a chance the player will fall off of the ladder in the middle of climbing which could cause the player to fall to their death.

Slime trampolines

Slime trampoline (Image via aminoapps)

One of the most fun and fastest ways to travel upwards in Minecraft is to use a slime trampoline. This method of traveling upwards is definitely not practical, as the player has to jump from a high place to bounce high enough to reach a high place again. However, slime trampolines are a way for players to have a lot of fun jumping up and down.

What is the fastest way to go down in Minecraft?

Staircase

Grand staircase (Image via Reddit)

Staircases are probably the most common way for players to travel up and down in Minecraft. When players create mines to search for ores, they often go downwards in a staircase shape for ease of access. Staircases allow the player to go down and up quickly without worrying about any blocks falling on their heads in the middle of travel.

Staircases come in two different forms. Players can either use staircase blocks to walk quickly up and down or just create a staircase type structure with full-sized blocks. The full-sized block style involves the player jumping up to the next block when the player travels upwards.

Straight down

Players who enjoy speed runs oftentimes don't have time to search for caves or create staircases into Minecraft's underground. These players usually just dig straight down and hope for the best.

Digging straight down can be a good method to find a cave, but it can also be a death sentence if the player falls into a pool of lava. One way to dig straight down without falling into a lava pool is to dig a 2x1 area to use. When a player digs one side they stand on the side they're not digging to ensure they don't fall to their deaths.

Jumping

Large jump (Image via planetminecraft)

The most dangerous, yet fastest way to travel downwards in Minecraft is to jump. Whether players are jumping down caves, into ravines, or out of man-made structures, jumping is definitely the fastest method to getting down.

Players risk dying each time they make massive jumps, but if there's a source of water they're jumping into the player will not die. Some players take this a step further and attempt to place a bucket of water underneath them as they touch the ground. This method can be effective, but also has a high chance of failure resulting in death.

Ladders and Vines

Ladder item block (Image via Reddit)

The last way to travel downwards in Minecraft is using ladders and vines. Similar to traveling up ladders and vines, traveling down is relatively slow and there's a high chance of the player falling off the ladder while climbing down unless the sides are blocked off.