For a group of local women, climbing the Manitou Incline is about more than reaching the top. The grueling high-altitude climb has become away to conquer life’s hardships while celebrating its blessings.

Women Stepping Up is a nonprofit that helps women prepare for the challenge with training, support and companionship. For just $20, 40 novice hikers are paired with 40 veteran climbers in an eight-week program designed to prepare them physically and mentally for the incline’s 2,768 steps.

On Saturday, May 16, this year’s participants—including women from Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Denver—will make the climb. 

Like the incline itself, the program draws women from all walks of life, each with her own reason for taking on the challenge. Some want to lose weight or become more active. Others are managing vertigo, celebrating a victory after cancer treatment, 

navigating divorce or pushing themselves to do something that once felt impossible.

Participants meet twice a week to build endurance and strength before tackling the climb with a nearly 2,000-foot elevation gain. Veteran climbers guide them through every step of the process.

Monica Ousley, 58, is one of those veteran climbers. After cheating death twice, she saw the incline as part of her own healing journey and a way to help other women discover their strength.

Veteran climber Rhonda Shapiro, 68, credits the training, the support of her “incline sisters” and the program’s accountability with helping her overcome fear. Since her first summit as a novice in 2024, she has completed the climb 10 times.

“I was a klutz who had anxiety dreams about boulders falling on me,” Shapiro said.

That same desire to overcome fear led Maggie Maher, 52, to apply for this year’s ascent. Maher said the support and shared experiences of veteran climbers helped her feel less alone in facing her fear of heights.

“These women understand what I’m challenged with,” she said. “All the veterans step up with their own stories and perceptions that help build relationships and trust.”

CLIMBING TOGETHER

Carol Clark, 62, an ultrarunner and retired nurse, launched Women Stepping Up in 2021 after a friend mentored her through her first climb on the incline. 

“I’m so grateful that someone showed me this,” Clark said. “I wondered if there were other women who looked at it and thought, ‘I’d never be able to do that.’”

The program pairs novice climbers with experienced mentors based on geography, shared interests and life experiences.

“If I know a veteran climber has overcome cancer or lost a spouse, and a novice shares that experience in her application, that’s a match,” Clark said.

That mentoring relationship is a key part of the program, giving novices not only training support but someone who understands what they may be carrying into the climb. Many of those partnerships grow into lasting friendships.

That sense of connection is what drew Lisa McCormick to apply. After turning 60, she was looking for an outdoor experience that would result in making new friends.

Katie Dunne, 48, joined for similar reasons while balancing the demands of caring for aging parents and raising a young family.

“I was undergoing scary bodily changes while realizing it was increasingly harder to make friends,” Dunne said. “I was looking for a community connection that was not only social but would give me skills that I would use out in nature.”

Clark said many participants begin the program unsure of themselves, often fearing they won’t make it to the top or will have to turn back, but grow more confident as the climb approaches.

“Day one, they’re like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’” said Clark. “By our send-off meeting [a few days before the climb], you can see it in their faces—they can’t wait.”

Women Stepping Up participants Beth Carman, left, a veteran climber, and novice Laurie Turner make their way up the Manitou Incline.

THE VIEW FROM THE TOP

The program focuses on steady, progressive training, covering everything from pacing and nutrition to building strength and confidence. 

 

“We go over everything—even stuff as basic as making sure you eat before you come,” Clark said.

Women Stepping Up resonates especially with women over 50 who may be returning to fitness after years of focusing on family or career.

Although family members often gather to celebrate  afterward, the climb itself is meant to be shared among the women in the program.

“That’s what our veterans do for our novices,” Clark said. “They help them have a successful climb and descent.”

That support builds throughout the training and culminates at the summit. After six years, every participant in the program has reached the top.

“There are many, many happy tears,” Clark said.

For Debra Hunt, 63, who hopes to join the 150 women who have reached the top through Women Stepping Up, the climb has taken on a deeper meaning.

“It’s a metaphor for life,” she said. “Some days you can only look at five to 10 stairs at a time, while other days you see the whole staircase.”

Because the program is “an investment in time, pride and confidence,” Clark said, reaching the top is a major milestone. But the larger goal is to help women leave with the confidence to stay active and take on whatever challenge comes next.

Mary, 72, climbs toward the summit of the Manitou Incline with her veteran mentor, Carlee.

 READY TO STEP UP?

Women interested in participating can apply each year when applications open in late February. The program is open to women ages 20 to 100 who have never climbed the incline and are ready to commit to eight weeks of training. Applications remain open for about 10 days, and participants are selected based on their need for support and commitment to the process.

“We try to choose people we feel are most likely to succeed,” said Clark. “We get people that say they have a profound fear of heights or they’re getting ready to have both knees replaced—they’re probably not a good fit for this.”

Participants in Women Stepping Up train for the Manitou Incline, a climb that represents perseverance through life’s challenges.

To apply or volunteer as a veteran climber, visit WomenSteppingUp.org or call 303-346-7173. 

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