Last semester, I avoided going up Bascom Hill at all. I had a class in Morgridge, one in Geoscience and two in Vilas Hall, all miraculously at sea level. This year, I’m not as lucky. I have two classes in Van Hise and one in Sewell, which means that I hike up the hill five days a week (three of those being from Mosse to Van Hise during a 15-minute passing period).
If you’ve ever seen me fake a yawn to hide my shaky exhale on the trek up, no you haven’t.
Though the increasing temperature and my own endurance have made the hike easier throughout this semester, it’s still a tough one, and as course enrollment goes on, there is an obvious incentive to pick classes that are not on the hill. But if you, like me, are stuck making that trek, here are the easiest ways to get up the hill that won’t leave you wheezing.
First place: From the B School to Bascom
This one is my favorite, but also the most convoluted. For this route, the starting point is the Business school on University Avenue.
Follow the stairs through the Botany garden, then take a left and walk toward Sterling Hall, pass it and enter through the Astronomy department. Once you’re inside, walk down the hall, then turn left and cross the pedestrian bridge that lands you in Van Vleck. From there, walk straight down the hall, then take the stairs on your left and go up a flight.
Boom, now you’re on the stairs up to Bascom from Charter street!
From there, you can either go up a few more stairs to the top of Bascom, or go down a few more stairs to Ingraham or Van Hise, depending on where your class is.
Second place: Education Hall stairs
Surprisingly, stairs are easier than ramps. Studies show the continuous incline of a ramp puts more strain on your calves and ankles. Stairs can also be quicker with the option to take two at a time for ultimate efficiency.
Here, you’ll walk up a short incline next to College Library, then take two spaced out sets of stairs hugging the right-hand side of Bascom Hall by North Hall.
The benefit of this route is the short break between the sets of stairs as you walk across the Education Building’s outside patio (plus a nice view of the lake!).
Third place: Charter street if starting from University
This route is the only one where the starting point is not at the base of the hill at Mosse Humanities. Here, the starting point is University and Charter (AKA Morgridge Hall). It’s really just a straight shot up the road to Sewell and then a right turn up to Bascom.
This, like the traditional way up Bascom, is also an incline, though a significantly less steep one. Also expect for this to be easier simply because of the sheer amount of people going up Charter who you will be walking behind (but this factor also makes the route slightly slower).
This is ranked third mainly because I’m impatient and getting stuck behind slow walkers annoys me. But, it is also inarguably one of the easiest routes up the hill.
Fourth place: Chad ramp to law school stairs
This is the route I take most often, going from Mosse to Van Hise three times a week.
Like with the Education Hall stairs, this route is a bit of a hybrid, combining both an incline and a set of stairs. Starting in the Humanities parking lot, you’ll want to climb the incline between Chadbourne Hall and Music Hall. At the top, you’ll be by a set of stairs next to the Law School. Climb those and find yourself on the side of Birge Hall with Bascom in sight.
Despite walking this route often, it takes fourth place simply because I’m still winded. I know I choose to take it, but there has to be a better way (most likely one of the three other options).
Fifth place: Actually going up the hill
This is the classic, but also what I’m trying to help you avoid. The straight shot up the hill is around 850 feet with an 86-foot change in elevation, putting the path at a nearly six-degree incline.
On this path, the most important thing to do is pace yourself. You can’t be walking as fast as on flat land, you need to take smaller steps and walk slower even if it takes a bit longer. (Pro-tip: If you need a break, cross the hill for a sweet twenty-second walk on flat land)
Honorable mention: Taking the 80
I’d like to preface this by saying that I know the bus is the easiest and most accessible option, especially for disabled students. It could be pouring rain or billowing snow and the thought of trudging up Bascom and arriving at your class both cold and soaking is not how you want to spend your day.
But, many times when the weather is bad, the bus is packed, meaning you either need to wait outside that adverse weather or squeeze in with 100 of your classmates for a bus ride that will take about 45 seconds.
The timing of it all is the real reason why this option ranks so low; with very, very few exceptions, every time I take the bus up Bascom, it takes longer to get up than if I had walked. I find myself sitting or standing in the bus, waiting for it to leave the Union, and with every second that ticks by, I think about how I could have been halfway up the hill already.
So while the bus is easy, it’s not always fast, and I always step out feeling a little disappointed in myself for shirking the quick walk up.
Annika Bereny is the campus news editor for The Daily Cardinal. She previously served as the special pages editor. As a staff writer, she's written in-depth on campus news specializing in protest policy, free speech and historical analysis. She has also written for state and city news. She is a History and Journalism major. Follow her on Twitter at @annikabereny.
