August 12-15, 2027. Includes 3 nights hotel (double occupancy), 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners, transport from Denver to Colorado Springs to Salida and back to Denver. Hiking a 14'er (14,000 feet) on day 3.

This 3-night itinerary is designed to give you a taste of your upcoming experience in Kilimanjaro, or for those not attending Kilimanjaro, simply a taste of Colorado and higher elevation!

Our first night will be spent in Denver, a similar elevation to that in Arusha Tanzania (5280 feet). A hotel in downtown Denver will be provided for the evening. It's incredibly convenient as you can take the train from inside the airport directly to Union Station in the heart of the city.

We'll have dinner that night as everyone settles into the long weekend adventure ahead.

On Day 2, we'll make our way to the famous Manitou Incline for lots and lots of steps up, and tremendous views of Colorado Springs. The Manitou Incline in Colorado Springs is an extreme 0.9-mile hiking trail featuring 2,744 steps made of railroad ties, gaining over 2,000 vertical feet with grades up to 68%. It takes most hikers 1-3 hours to complete.

Then we'll head up to the mountains and sleep in Salida at 7,500 feet. This is one of the cutest little Colorado towns you've ever laid eyes on. We get to explore this area for 2 days and 2 nights, so it's time to settle in.

It's time! Time to wake up early and make our way up to one of Colorado's famous 14ers! We will not know exactly which 14er we will summit that day...yet. There are many to choose from. We'll make the call based on weather, trail maintenance, and anything else that comes our way. The likely suspects are one of the Collegiate Peaks (Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia).

That night it's time to celebrate our summit, riverside in Salida!

We have a 4 hour drive back to Denver this morning. Some may fly out that afternoon. Others may stick around the beautiful state of Colorado awhile longer. Regardless, rest well knowing you are that much more prepared for the summit of Kilimanjaro that coming February!