I take walking up Bascom Hill very seriously. It’s a skill you’ve got to master if you’re a UW-Madison student. I never had to walk up the hill until this year, my junior year, and I’m still pretty salty about having to do this walk every day. If you have yet to figure out what works and what doesn’t, this is your time now! The best reward of walking up it is eventually having to put in zero effort to go down. You also burn probably the most calories on this hill. Keep these seven tips in mind when you take your long, sweaty walk up Bascom.
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Deep breaths—in through the nose, out through the mouth. Do not hold your breath and march your way on up!
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Wear appropriate clothing (i.e. don’t wear pants and a long sleeve on a sunny day unless you want to sweat heavily).
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Walk on the shadier side. God bless the trees on Bascom.
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Lean over. You’ll get momentum, and you’ll be cruisin’ up the hill.
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Listen to music. It’ll give you a good pump up that you’ll forget you just walked up a huge hill. Hopefully not too much that you get tired out!
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Don’t ride a bike—keep it simple with walking.
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Lighten your backpack as much as you can.
Bascom Hill is great for sledding down in the winter and reading a book or doing homework on the grass. However, anyone who goes to UW-Madison knows how much a pain in the ass walking up Bascom Hill is. Remember these tips on your next walk up, and you will probably appreciate the Hill a little bit more.