Thankfully, along the Incline there are many dirt spots that allow you to “pull off” from the main trail to take a small rest break. In fact, looking down or behind me, caused a sense of vertigo for me that required looking squarely at my feet. As it got steeper, I found that I needed to use my hand to keep my balance at certain points. It is in this section that the Incline reaches a grade of 68%! As I’ve said prior, I’ve got a nasty fear of heights. For me, the middle section of the climb was the most challenging. As you enter the second part of the Incline, the stairs become much steeper and the steps more narrow. Of the entire climb, this first 1/3 is the gentlest. And of course, make sure to carry your own water (We would recommend a Camelbak pack with a minimum of 16 oz of water). Visiting on a weekday has its perks as well, as you’ll find it much less crowded. While the Incline is open from 6am to sunset (hours change by season), we would recommend getting an early start as the ascent is fully in the sun on a cloudless day. We chose to do the Incline on a Monday morning, at approximately 8am. Until 2013, part of the Incline was private property, and therefore, illegal to climb. In 1990, a rockslide damaged the railway and the rails were removed. The Incline originated as a cable car railway, intended to carry materials to Pike’s Peak. This climb is definitely not for the faint of heart (or breath). The Incline is a series of railroad ties (2,744 steps to be exact) that create a staircase that gains 2,000 feet in elevation over approximately 0.88 mile. The Incline Club has more official times from when they used to “run” the Incline before the No Trespassing sign was put up in June of 2000 (scroll down page to see the times).Located just west of Colorado Springs in Manitou Springs, is a devilish climb called the Manitou Incline. Pikes Peak Sports has a Manitou Incline honor roll. There are a few places with Manitou Incline times listed. Going this way down takes about 45-50 minutes at a quick walking pace with no stops. The most popular way and recommended way to get back down is to go to the left (when facing uphill) and then down the connector trail to the Barr Trail. There’s no way to magically end up back at the bottom so you need to factor coming back down into your hiking plans.Īlthough the rules for using the Incline stop short of prohibiting coming back down the Incline, they recommend one way up for safety. These times and the times people talk about are just for going up the Incline. Stop timing at the last tie at the top.ĭon’t be fooled by these times. The accepted spot to time yourself is from the bottom tie right above the Pikes Peak Cog Railway parking lot. Many first timers and people from lower elevations are taking well over an hour. I’m much slower than that now.Ĭolorado Springs has many very fit athletes so there are plenty of people hiking the Manitou Incline in under 30 minutes but from what I’ve seen the average Incline hiker is making it to the top in 40 – 60 minutes. My best time over 10 years ago was 29 1/2 minutes. I have some friends that can hike the Manitou Incline in the low 20 minutes. Times of under 20 minutes for world class athletes pass around the local hiking community and in news articles. So how long does it take people to hike up it? The Manitou Incline is just under a mile but climbs 2,000 vertical feet.
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