Colorado Springs inspires peak performance.

Navigation: Main page

Author: Unknown

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain.

Educator Katharine Lee Bates wrote these words a century ago after reflecting on her journey to Pikes Peak, the 14,110-ft. summit in Colorado Springs. Her poem, "America the Beautiful," was later set to music and has become our unofficial national anthem.

Bates was not the first--nor the last to be inspired by the awesome mountain. Hundreds of thousands of visitors have reached the summit since she did so by prairie wagon. While prairie wagons are no longer the transport of choice UP the mountain, incentive groups interested in embarking on a similarly stirring journey cab do so by foot, car or train. Perhaps the most exhilarating way for the more active and adventuresome participants to experience the summit is by bike.

Cisco Systems, American Express, Fidelity and Toyota are some of the companies who have participated in downhill bike tours of Pikes Peak arranged by the city's leading cycling outfitter Challenge Unlimited. "Corporate is about 40 percent of our business," says Tini Campbell, owner. "We've done groups as large as 90." Many of her groups are booked out of Colorado Springs hotels such as The Broadmoor, an historic, five-star property favored by incentive planners.

Although her company does organize many afternoon rides for groups that need the early hours for meetings and conferences, Campbell recommends morning rides because of Colorado's pretty consistent daily weather systems: clear in the morning and stormy in the afternoon. Challenge Unlimited provides the bike and the gear participants will need including jackets, wind and rain protection, headbands and gloves. "It gets quite a bit colder at the top of Pikes Peak," says Campbell. Twelve-passenger vans pick up groups who enjoy a light breakfast before riding in the vans about 7,000 feet to the summit, where they enjoy views that on a clear day are said to encompass seven states.

Campbell cautions that because of the high altitude "no one feels quite normal at the top of Pikes Peak," but the guides--one for every eight people-come equipped with oxygen and first aid training to handle the lightheaded. "We always say you will feel better as you head downhill, and they always do," says Campbell.

Once helmets are strapped on and water bottles are given out, participants get on their specialized Rockhopper Mountain Bikes for the ride of a lifetime. The fact that it's downhill is important for teambuilding. "It's the common denominator," explains Campbell. "A lot of times we find if there are hills people get too competitive. Downhill puts everybody on the same wavelength."

Before the ride is over, cyclists will pass over five different eco-zones including treelines, granite fields and alpine tundra. The ride into the clouds and back is capped off by lunch at a local restaurant, where groups can decompress and share their thoughts of the breathtaking morning.

Pikes Peak is by no means Colorado Springs' only attraction but certainly one of its best known. There are several other attractions and activities in the city and surrounding area that can well fit into an incentive travel program themed on "peak performance." Below are just a few worth considering:

Garden of the Gods: Located at the base of Pikes Peak, this 1,300-acre park stands out with its massive red sandstone formations and diverse flora and fauna. The Garden of the Gods Club, a small, private resort, sits atop a mesa overlooking the park. "When you are in their dining room, you can barely eat because you keep looking out at the views," says Pam Sherfesee, director of convention sales at the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Royal Gorge Bridge and Park: The 5,000-acre park surrounds the world's highest suspension bridge that spans the Arkansas River. Built in 1929, the engineering feat was accomplished within six months and without a fatality or a major accident.

Arkansas River: Local outfitters can arrange tailored rafting trips on the Arkansas, an hour away from Colorado Springs. The river can also be used for fly and bait fishing.

U.S. Air Force Academy: One of the two most popular man-made Colorado Springs attractions (the other being the Olympic Training Center). Groups can visit the Cadet Chapel, Field House, B52 Display, and attend special events like cadet parades and football games.

U.S. Olympic Training Center: One of three Olympic training centers in the country, the Colorado Springs complex houses the U.S. Olympic Committee as well. A tour of the facilities includes a Hall of Fame display and a pathway featuring the Olympic and Pan American Games sports.