For students living around College Hill, walking to class often feels less like a commute and more like a workout. With the rolling landscape of Pullman and the steep inclines leading up to campus, WSU students have unofficially crowned their “least favorite hills” — and it is a heated competition between Cougar Way, College Avenue and Maple Street.
“I swear Cougar Way was designed by someone who hates college students,” junior communication major Cooper Rendall said. “The walk toward Gesa or Greek Row feels endless — especially when you’re carrying a backpack full of textbooks and it’s 8 a.m.”
Cougar Way, which slopes up past GESA Field and leads into the heart of campus, is notorious for testing both endurance and patience. Many students say it is particularly brutal before football games.
“You think you’re in shape until you hit that hill,” junior PR major Sarah Vandenberg said. “It’s worse when it’s windy — it feels like the Palouse is personally attacking you.”
College Avenue is not much kinder. The route that connects Greek Row to campus is packed with students hustling to class, but its steep incline has made it one of the most dreaded walks on the Hill.
“It’s not even that long, but it’s steep enough to ruin your morning,” junior architecture major Armand Nunez said. “By the time I get to Todd Hall, I’m sweating through my hoodie.”
Then there is Maple Street — the quiet killer of the group. Running through a popular residential area, Maple might look manageable, but students who trek it daily know better.
“It’s deceptively steep,” junior kinesiology major Hope Zwart said. “I live at the bottom, and I’d have to plan extra time just to get up it without being late. It’s worse than the StairMaster at the gym.”
Despite all the complaining, these hills have become a shared experience — almost a Pullman rite of passage.
“Everyone bonds over how bad the walk is,” Vandenberg said. “When someone says they live at the top of Maple or near Greek Row, you instantly respect them more.”
Still, many students admit that while they hate the daily climb, it is part of what makes WSU unique. Whether it is Cougar Way after a football game, College Ave before class or Maple Street on a Monday morning, one thing is for sure — WSU students do not need leg day. They live it.
