You can even use the Barr Trail Bail Out as an easier way to meet your friends at the top. It’s much easier than climbing down all of those stairs. About two-thirds of the way to the top, you can head left to Barr Trail, which will take you back down. If you’re really hurting and all you want to do is quit, you can. Remember, for most people, this is a marathon a not sprint. If you’re breathing really hard, you’re likely going too fast. Especially for you transplants who haven’t grown up at this elevation, take your time and rest as much as you need. Cross your hands and put them on your head to open up your chest cavity and get more air to your lungs. Use that time for more stretches and to focus on your breathing. With that in mind, if you feel that you need to rest, do it. Your best bet is to maintain a slow pace and continue. Keep in mind that every time you stop to rest, the lactic acid builds in your legs and makes it more difficult to keep going. Old pipes and rebar stick out at odd angles along the trail so make sure you pay attention to where you step. The hundreds of unevenly spaced railroad ties and grades as steep as 60 degrees make for a challenging and sometimes dangerous combination. Think of an old-fashioned bride walking down the aisle - left step, right toe-touch, right step, left toe-touch. The best piece of advice I received in my preliminary research was to start slow and do a sort of wedding march.
The first quarter of the trail is pretty flat, so it would be easy to wear yourself out early on by hustling through this part. Set your own paceĭon’t worry about the speed of your friends or that one guy with the wife-beater and the mammoth calves. To give you an idea, I’m in OK physical shape, only stopped once to move a baby chipmunk off the trail and it took me exactly one hour to get to the top. Once you reach the trailhead, and are stretched and ready, plan for the whole loop to take anywhere from two to three hours of your time. Stretch your arms, shoulders and back, as well. The more you stretch the less you will hurt the next morning. This one kind of goes without saying, but make sure you stretch before and after the climb. I mention bug spray, because flies are attracted to your sweat and make for an irritating climb without it. Don’t bother bringing it with you, because two-thirds of the way up you will thoroughly regret any extra weight. This way, the trail isn’t super hot from the sun and you can avoid Colorado’s afternoon storms.Īpply sunscreen and bug spray at the car. The best time to go during the summer is in the morning. The trail is open year-round from dawn until dusk. ParkingĪll photography by Brittany Werges unless otherwise noted. Note: Dogs are not technically allowed on the incline, so maybe leave the pooch at home. This trail is not for the faint of heart. One or two granola bars or some sort of small easily carried snackĪthletic clothing, like shorts and a T-shirtĪ can-do attitude. Pack only the essentialsĪt least 1.5 liters of water - camel back if possible Tuesday, I took the plunge to climb the summit and this is what I learned. Frankly, my biggest excuse was a fear of failure.īefore the climbed I did a ton of research, talked to tons of people who have done it and amassed what seems like a small encyclopedia of information on what to expect. I felt like I was never in good enough physical shape and was worried my asthma would inhibit me from reaching the top. Olympians even use The Incline to train.Īs a Colorado native, I have lived near The Incline my whole life - but have always avoided trying it. 88 miles of stairs and gains more than 2,000 feet of elevation. Referred to most often as just “The Incline,” the trail consists of. One of the most difficult - and most popular - trails in Colorado is The Manitou Springs Incline.
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