One of the U.S. Naval Academy's most celebrated, and certainly most unusual, traditions has survived a safety review and will be renewed next week as the Class of 2011 completes its plebe year.

Officials had considered changing the Herndon Climb, in which hundreds of first-year midshipmen struggle to scale a lard-coated, 21-foot-tall monument. A spokeswoman said Tuesday that about 30 midshipmen will be assigned to serve as "safety observers" at this year's event but the climb will be unchanged.

A brief ceremony has been added to the event to recognize the "Iron Company" of the plebe class, said Naval Academy spokeswoman Deborah Goode. The Iron Company designation is a new award given to the top performing plebe company in a 14-hour Sea Trials exercise conducted earlier in the week.

The Sea Trials, established a decade ago, features tests of physical endurance and problem-solving.

But to generations of plebes, the Herndon Climb has been the true highlight. Slipping on the monument and on one another, the plebes form a human pyramid to lift one of their class to the top of the granite obelisk and replace a white hat, the traditional sailor's "dixie cup," with a midshipman's cap.

The event draws a large crowd of upperclassmen, alumni and curious civilians.

While there is no record of any serious injury associated with the climb, there have been occasional complaints that female midshipmen who were close to the top found themselves pulled down by men. Women were admitted to the academy more than three decades ago, but no woman has won the honor of being the midshipman to replace the dixie cup.

Dale Eisman, (703) 913-9872, dale.eisman@pilotonline.com