The ascent of man
At Uptown Climbing, the challenge of going vertical could also win you a sticker.
The summer sun will beat you down if you insist on running outdoors, and treadmills, even for the faithful, have a way of making exercise feel like punishment.
Uptown Climbing has a better idea: Go the mile, but make it vertical.
The details: Baton Rouge’s only climbing gym is turning the dead heat of July into a monthlong challenge that is part fitness test, part bragging right and part excuse to stay inside.
- In the month, climbers are challenged to climb 5,280 feet, up and down any of the walls at the gym.
- The challenge began as a fundraiser for Paradox Sports, which specializes in adaptive climbing for people with disabilities.
- In 2024, Uptown turned it into a personal challenge called the Midsummer Mile. Finishers get a one-of-a-kind sticker that is not for sale and cannot be earned any other way.
By the numbers:
- 70, the oldest climber to complete the mile last year. The youngest was 11.
- 20 miles, the farthest climb, while a 63-year-old made it 10 miles.
- 3.5 hours, the fastest to a mile.
- 52, the number registered this year, with the total climbing. Follow their progress here.
Bottom line: In July, a mile in Baton Rouge is usually something to endure. At Uptown, it’s something to scale, and in air-conditioning.