The Manitou Incline is a popular hike that rises above the town of Manitou Springs in Colorado.  The hike follows the path of an old fernicular railway, straight up the side of Rocky Mountain, which itself sits on the flank of Pikes Peak.  The hike is considered a true fitness challenge.

I am always up for a challenge and my hike up the incline was certainly that.  Here are some statistics about the Incline.

• The incline has 2,744 steps.
• The incline gains 2,011 feet of elevation in 0.88 miles.
• The average grade is 45%, with parts being as steep as 68%.

The first half of the climb is not as steep as the second half. This makes the climb more challenging, the further up you go.  I pushed hard on that second half.  I blew by the optional bailout at step number 1,800 and then started to really sweat and breath hard.  I took several short breaks, before pushing up the final 200 steps without stopping.  By the time I got to the top, I was gassed.

The view was most definitely worth the climb however.  There were great views of Colorado Springs and I could see the Garden Of The Gods, where I ran yesterday.  Looking away from the incline, it was also possible to see Pikes Peak.

This was a fantastic hike and even though I did well, I saw several runners going up and down the incline, much faster than me.  I chose to run down the Barr Trail, rather than descend the steps.  This too was a good workout and also a beautiful trail. 

If you are ever in the area of Colorado Springs and you are up for a challenge, I highly recommend the Manitou Incline.