This spring the UC Merced Library, Office of Environmental Health and Safety and H.E.R.O.E.S. challenge you to climb the equivalent of Half Dome by taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Half Dome has an elevation of 8,844 feet and sits 4,737 feet above the valley floor. It takes an equivalent 473 flights of stairs to reach the top, which means 118 trips from the First Floor Lantern to the McFadden-Willis Reading Room.
Whether you're coming to the Library to study, go to a meeting, or simply catch up with friends, you're presented with a choice to take the stairs or taking an elevator. Choosing the stairs is a quick way to add physical activity to your day, lower stress, and help promote a green campus.
No one likes waiting for the elevator. Why not take the stairs?
Benefits to Taking the Stairs
- Physical activities, like stair climbing, are great ways to lower stress.
- It's free!
- Typically faster than the elevator (and you won't get stuck, either!)
- Saves energy.
- Studies have shown risk of cardiovascular disease is lower among those who regularly take the stairs.
Safety Tips
- Watch where you are heading and watch your step. Don't text or write e-mails when going up or down a stairway.
- Hold on to the handrail. The handrail is there for your protection and safety.
- Be aware of other people while ascending or descending.
- Don't carry boxes that will obstruct your field of vision.
- Keep to the right while ascending and descending.
- If you spill liquid on the stairway, clean it up or report it to custodial.
Why Half Dome?
The close proximity from UC Merced to this iconic rock formation made Half Dome the obvious choice for our virtual hike. In the late 1870's, Half Dome was described as "perfectly inaccessible" by Josiah Whitney of the California Geological Survey. However, the summit was first conquered by George G. Anderson in October of 1875. Today, the U.S. National Park Service estimates that about 50,000 hikers climb Half Dome each year.
Get Involved
Share why you take the stairs on Twitter and Instagram, using #StepitupUCM, to enter into a monthly prize raffle.
