originally posted on 7/22/2022
Photo: Courtesy of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. View full-sized image.
Defiance at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park (Glenwood Springs, Colorado) is a unique thrill that is sure to please coaster enthusiasts. Colorado is not best known for its coasters but more for its beauty. However, the growing collection at Glenwood Caverns is definitely worth a visit, especially with the addition of Defiance. Truly, there is no other experience quite like it. Combining the joy of roller coasters with breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains is a one-of-a-kind experience.
Accessing this Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter requires a gondola ride to the top of a mountain. Watching Defiance gradually roll into view heightens the anticipation as the gondola makes its way up and highlights the amazing views from the top of Iron Mountain.
Rising skyward, riders see open skies before briefly taking in stunning views before the dramatic plunge.
Photo: Jes Niemiec. View full-sized image.
Photo: Britny Kalule. View full-sized image.
Attendees at the 2021 ACE Summer Conference will remember the groundbreaking for the ride and its placement on the steep slope of the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park real estate.
The queue for the ride is simple, with a wide open station that allows guests to take in the scenery as they await their thrills.
Once aboard, the tension builds to a climax as riders quickly ascend the vertical lift while staring at the sky. The initial drop of Defiance (110 feet) is a beyond-vertical free fall taken at 102 degrees, which combines with the epic scenery to create the sensation that riders are falling off the mountain. Then riders are immediately thrown into a rapid whirl of twists, turns and inversions. The heartline roll onto the brake run is incredibly smooth and a perfect ending to this short — but intense — coaster. The management has taken advantage of the park’s setting with several of its attractions, and the newest coaster in Colorado is no exception.
Photo: Jes Niemiec. View full-sized image.
Defiance is named for the original name of the town of Glenwood Springs.
Building a coaster on top of a mountain comes with many challenges, but Glenwood Caverns has flawlessly executed the implementation of this coaster. As the highest looping roller coaster in the country (by elevation) this unique ride certainly leaves riders feeling as though they have defied gravity.
— Amber Lightbody, ACE Rocky Mountain Regional Representative
Photo: Courtesy of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. View full-sized image.
Photo: Courtesy of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. View full-sized image.
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