“There’s a lady who’s sure, all that glitters is gold, and she’s buying a stairway to Heaven.”
Led Zeppelin
While buying a stairway to Heaven isn’t possible, you may feel like you’re at least half way there if you ascend the “Manitou Incline” located in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
A total of 2,768 stairs lead you from the base at 6,600 feet to the summit at 8,550 feet. The average grade is 45 degrees, with the most challenging sections requiring a 68 degree climb. Given that we observed a few thrill seekers actually RUNNING both up and down the incline we were left to wonder if oxygen debt was affecting the choices they were making. 🤯
We took a more cautious approach and rested whenever necessary, so our ascent to the summit took approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes.
You should know that there are 3 bail out points that provide you an opportunity to take a side trail back down if that becomes necessary.
Most participants who summit elect to take a winding trail back down the mountain which traverses an additional 3.5 miles back down to the base.
All told we spent approximately 3.5 hours covering a distance of approximately 4.5 miles.
While we can highly recommend this hike, there are a few things we need to mention:
*This hike is absolutely no joke. Make sure that you’re physically prepared for what it is going to require of you.
*We’d recommend that you bring at least 24 ounces of liquids per person.
*Every member of our Review Team wore hiking boots, hiking shoes, or trail running shoes.
*We’d highly recommend inviting a buddy to make the ascent with you. The trail environment is very safe, but having someone help monitor your progress is advisable (and vice versa).
Get properly prepared for this adventure and then go for it!
And that’s…Henry’s Take.
#manitouincline
