Merry Vertmas Climbing Challenge! - Aravaipa Running

Intro: This is a quick summary of Merry Vertmas Climbing Challenge! from Aravaipa Running. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the challenge today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

• The challenge runs 25 days starting Dec 1, focusing on accumulating vertical feet (feet, not miles) via outdoor climbs or treadmill sessions.
• Two competition categories: Vert Real (out‑door only) and Vert Virtual (out‑door or treadmill). Treadmill climbs count faster because you only ascend.
• Track your climbs automatically through Out and Back (outandback.com) by linking Strava, Garmin, or uploading a TCX file from your treadmill.
• Badge system rewards vertical gain milestones: 10 000 ft (Steep Squad), 29 029 ft (Everest), 33 000 ft (Hard Rock), 70 000 ft (Barclay), 138 000 ft (Marathon of Climb), up to 300 000 ft.
• Daily “games” keep motivation high: Time to Climb (1 hr vertical gain), Twin Peaks (double‑day climbs), Summit Selfies ×3 (bag three peaks & share photos).

Workout Example:

• Day 1 – Time to Climb: Aim for 1 hour of vertical gain (e.g., 2 000 ft). Log the session via Strava or manual entry on Out and Back.
• Day 2‑3 – Twin Peaks: Complete two climbs per day, each targeting 1 500 ft. Total 3 000 ft over two days.
• Day 4‑5 – Summit Selfies ×3: Find three local elevations, summit each, and post a selfie. Record the vertical feet for each summit. Feel free to adjust the vertical targets to match your current fitness level and use the Pacing app to set custom “feet per minute” goals.

Closing Note: Ready to rack up those vertical feet and earn the holiday badges? Jump into the Merry Vertmas Challenge today, and remember you can always tailor the distances and paces in the Pacing app to fit your own goals. Have fun, and don’t forget to watch the full video for all the extra details and swag info!

References

• Merry Vertmas Climbing Challenge! - YouTube (YouTube Video)

Workout - Merry Vertmas Hill Starter

• 20min @ 6'30''/km
• 7 lots of:
  • 2min 30s @ 5'30''/km
  • 1min rest
• 10min @ 7'00''/km

Ready to start training?

If you already having the Pacing app, click try to import this workout:

Try in App Now

workout/merry-vertmas-hill-starter-f98ed0eb

Don’t have the app? Copy the reference above,
to import the workout after you install it.