MANITOU SPRINGS — A Teller county woman who holds the record for climbing the Manitou Incline the most times in one calendar year, is accused of threatening and stalking another incline climber.
In early March, Noelia Sanchez filed a temporary restraining order against Chasidey Geissler. According to Sanchez, it stems from months of this behavior that began in October.
“From the beginning there was this rude, unwelcoming, erratic behavior toward me from her,” said Sanchez. “It began with a lot of questioning, ‘Why I was here? Why am I doing so many laps? If I was going for the record?”
But then things escalated according to Sanchez. In court filings, Sanchez said that Geissler, “yelled in my face in front of a crowd, saying that she wants me to break my f******g neck.” During the same hike in early March, she also claims Geissler ran out from the bushes, and bumped her from the back, causing her to lose her balance and nearly falling down the incline steps.
Court documents also show that in February, Sanchez had an interaction with Geissler and her husband. She claims Geissler’s husband pushed her and yelled at her.
She said Geissler would block her as she was hiking the trail, or hide in the bushes, and then run out and approach her. Sanchez added, “it became more dangerous when I started realizing she was aggressive and attacking.”
“Feeling the sensation of unsafe, I’m not safe here, and this is not okay,” said Sanchez.
News5 spoke to Geissler's attorney who provided a statement. She said, “Geissler is denying an interview, and all the allegations against her. Geissler wants the protection order dismissed." Geissler’s attorney also said she wanted to have a resolution in court, and was ready to go on Monday, but the judge ordered that the two come to a resolution in mediation.
Sanchez said there’s also a video that shows an anonymous person attempting to serve Geissler papers for the temporary restraining order, but Geissler ran away and down the Incline. Geissler’s attorney said she had already been served the papers when that video was taken.
In the video, you can hear the anonymous server saying, “Chasidey, you are being served with this El Paso County restraining order, protecting Noelia Sanchez for your actions of aggravated stalking.”
Sanchez also wants the restraining order to be permanent. She believes part of Geissler's behavior has to do with her hispanic ethnicity.
“I’m following through with it, because it's important for me, primarily for me in this very moment and for people that look like me,” said Sanchez. “I’m making it public so others can understand, what it’s like to be a person of color and people diminish your experiences.”
Geissler currently holds the record for the most climbs in one year for a female, which is 1,004 laps that she set on February 5, 2023. She also holds the record for the fastest female to do 1,000 laps, and the fastest to do 500 laps.
Meanwhile Sanchez was also challenging herself to complete a challenge that Geissler already finished last year, which is 500 climbs in a year.
“I wasn't here to compete, I was here to have a good time, to enjoy this. I saw it as a very hard challenge,’ said Sanchez.
Sanchez has now withdrawn from the 500 club, and said she's limiting her time on the trail.
“I just want this to be over. It's been a nightmare to me and my family,” said Sanchez, who added that this situation does not reflect the Incline climbing community as a whole. “It’s not jealousy or competitiveness, none of that is happening. Not from any of the members, it’s only from one person.”
In a statement from Incline Friends regarding the recent allegations: Incline Friends, the non-profit group dedicated to the preservation and sustainability of the Manitou Incline, decries the recent negativity that has cast a cloud over what is otherwise a very positive and healthy outdoor pursuit. Through the years, hundreds of thousands of people have accepted this unique and arduous physical challenge. Many have commented on the physical and mental health benefits they have derived from their hike up this staircase. A very small number of people have chosen to cast a pall over this healthy activity. It’s important to recall the stories people have told of the Incline’s supportive culture and the life-changing experiences that have occurred there. It is our hope that people focus on these beneficial aspects the Incline offers and that the majority who use it will continue to do so in the spirit of good sportsmanship.
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