Naval Academy freshmen climb vegetable grease-coated Herndon monument

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Hundreds of freshmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis are attempting to climb a 21-foot monument covered in vegetable shortening during the annual Herndon Climb challenge Monday.

According to The Washington Post, the freshmen men and women form a human pyramid to scale to the obelisk's peak and swap out an upper class member's "dixie cup" cap with a freshman or "plebe" cap.

The Herndon Monument is 21-feet tall and covered in 50 pounds of shortening. 

After successfully completing the Herndon climb, the freshmen are no longer called plebes but "fourth class midshipmen."

The annual tradition dates back to the 1800s, according to the Post.

Read more about the history behind the tradition of Naval Academy freshmen climbing the greased monument here.

Watch the climb underway here.