On March 1, rescue teams responded to a medical emergency at the top of the iconic Manitou Incline.
The Manitou Incline is commonly referred to as one of the most extreme and strenuous hikes in the country, consisting of 2,768 relentless steps that scale about 2,000 vertical feet in less than a mile. Found at the base of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak and just outside of Colorado Springs, incidents of this nature aren’t exactly rare, often attributed to the strain the nature of the climb puts on the body.
According to El Paso County Search and Rescue, a 911 call was received from the 8,500-foot summit of the route on Sunday afternoon, prompting an emergency response from their team, along with Manitou Springs Fire. Per a statement on the matter, bystanders provided initial medical care for the subject while both teams reached the subject together. Keep in mind that accessing the top of the route means traveling up the many steps or a segment of Barr Trail – even athletic hikers can take 45 minutes or more to ascend either direction, and that’s without the rescue gear…