Having some muscular endurance in the glutes really helps on this hike. Along the way, I passed several hikers who were complaining of cramped, shaky legs.

The stairs of the incline, some of which are two feet high, also present a challenge. So I ended up climbing the entire thing above threshold and gasping the whole way. The only way to stay under threshold was to stop frequently, which got annoying. My heart rate quickly soared above my aerobic threshold, and I was gasping. This plan turned out to be totally impossible. I had already done my intervals for the week, so I tried to do it as an aerobic base workout, keeping my heart rate in the fat-burning zone. To give you an idea, I first climbed the incline when I was training for an ultramarathon. The Manitou Incline hike is steep, unrelenting, and a true challenge! It's generally best for experienced hikers and people with a strong foundation of fitness. If you enjoy your hike, consider making a donation toward its continued upkeep. Today the Manitou Incline is maintained volunteers associated with the nonprofit Incline Friends. While this renovation made the incline hike somewhat safer, it remains a serious challenge! Volunteers removed many of the decaying railroad ties and replaced them with a series of steps and platforms. The trail was closed for renovation in 2014. However, in 2013, the Forest Service, City of Colorado Springs, and Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway Company reached an agreement to redevelop the incline.

They lobbied to tear out the railroad ties and reforest the area. Some locals and conservationists considered the Manitou Incline an eye sore. (The Barr Trail, the most popular hiking route up Pikes Peak, also starts from Ruxton Road.) Traffic in Ruxton Canyon at the base of the incline also became a nuisance. The climb traversed private property, making this hike technically illegal. The incline's growing popularity created headaches for the city and land management agencies.

It removed the rails, but left the ties in place.Īfter 1990, runners, hikers, and mountaineers began climbing the rugged railroad bed with its decaying ties as a challenge hike. The cog railway decided to cease operations. In 1990, a rock slide destroyed part of the railway.

Once construction wrapped up, the incline was converted to a cog railway and tourist attraction. During its early years, it supported the construction of water towers, pipelines and a hydroelectric plant on the side of Pikes Peak. The Manitou Incline started its life in 1907 as a cable car.

Shooting at incline