The art team for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim did attempt to include 7,000 actual steps on the path to High Hrothgar during development, but this concept wasn't fully retained in the final game. This development anecdote was disclosed when Bethesda revisited their past works during their 40th anniversary celebration.
In the game, after accepting Greybeards' summons, players must climb the Throat of the World from Ivarstead, ascending the "7,000 Steps" to High Hrothgar. The courier Climber will warn players about the arduous journey, but long-term player statistics reveal that there aren't actually 7,000 visible steps in the scene.
Due to some steps being covered by snow, the exact number is difficult to determine, with estimates typically around 700 steps. Even if interpreting the name as the number of strides required for the climb, player measurements show only about 2,400 steps.
This discrepancy relates to scale compression in open-world design. If built to true-to-life proportions, city populations, regional distances, and travel times would exceed playable limits. Thus, one step in-game can represent greater unseen distances. The name "7,000 Steps" wasn't arbitrary; the team initially explored literal implementation before compressing it for world scale and gameplay pacing.