The Alpenbock Climbing Club Scrapbooks (Volume I and Volume II) are now available online in the J. Willard Marriott Digital Library. The two scrapbooks document the activities of the Alpenbock Climbing Club from 1961 to 1964. “The scrapbooks document early climbing in the Wasatch and surrounding states,” explained librarian Tallie Casucci. “The scrapbooks are the first guidebooks to climbing around Salt Lake City.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Photo Archives, Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah

The Alpenbock Scrapbook, Volume I, circa 1963, Alpenbock Climbing Club Scrapbook Collection.

The scrapbooks contain black-and-white photographs taken by Club members during their climbs, as well as clippings from local Salt Lake City newspapers and climbing magazines, typed reflections from club members about climbs, written descriptions and drawings of climbing routes, communications and agendas related to club activities, and other ephemera, including a cloth Alpenbock Club patch. The scrapbooks contain routes and reports from other climbing areas, including the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.

Documentation preservation efforts of outdoor adventures in Utah have been particularly successful because of the thriving local community. Alpenbock Club members, other outdoor organizations, and individual climbers have donated materials concerning climbing to the Marriott Library.

Club leader Rick Reese donated the Alpenbock Club scrapbooks in 2006, but access was limited. In 2023, Tallie Casucci worked with living members of the Club, the climbing community, and others at the University and Marriott Library to make the scrapbooks available online (Volume I and Volume II).

“Outdoor adventures are synonymous with Utah because of our excellent access to wilderness, outdoor recreation and sport, and nature experiences,” said Casucci. “I hope the climbing community and others continue to leverage these for conservation efforts. Plus, people can enjoy looking at the scrapbooks to learn more about climbing and the history of these places.”

The Little Cottonwood Canyon Climbing Area Historic District nomination for the National Register of Historic Places cited the Alpenbock scrapbooks and other Special Collections as evidence. This work, including images from the scrapbook, was featured on the front page of the Salt Lake Tribune.

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Photo Archives, Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah

The Alpenbock Scrapbook, Volume I, circa 1963, Alpenbock Climbing Club Scrapbook Collection.

Casucci and librarian Rachel Wittmann produce the Ascent Archive podcast that includes oral history interviews with AlpenbockClub members, local climbing organization leaders, and other climbers who have impacted the community. The Ascent Archive podcast increases access to oral history interviews related to climbing and mountaineering—listen wherever you get your podcasts!

Finally, the Rescue Little Cottonwood Canyon fundraiser on Nov. 30, 2023, featured the Alpenbock scrapbooks. The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance, Alpenbock Club first ascensionists, Students for the Wasatch, Black Diamond Equipment, J. Willard Marriott Library, and Mayor Jenny Wilson hosted the event at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. The evening honored the rich history of Little Cottonwood Canyon climbing with a special showing of “The Grand Rescue” film followed by a panel discussion on the impact of the gondola on Little Cottonwood Canyon’s historic climbing resource.

If you are interested in other Special Collections materials related to Rock Climbing, please visit this website to see the featured climbing collections and materials.

About the Alpenbock Climbing Club

The Alpenbock Climbing Club was formed between 1958 and 1959 in Salt Lake City, Utah and was dedicated to rock climbing. Alpenbock Club members Ted Wilson and Robert Stout made the first recorded ascent of Little Cottonwood Canyon in 1961, climbing the “Chickenhead Holiday” route. The club was also involved in the founding of the Salt Lake County Jeep Patrol Mountain Rescue Team, the first formal search and rescue group in the county.

Early Alpenbock Climbing Club members consisted primarily of recent graduates of Olympus High School and included Rick Reese, Ted Wilson, Ralph Tingey, Bob Irvine, Richard Wallin, Dave Wood, Rich and Dick Ream, Larry Evans, Court Richards, Milt Hokanson and Robert “Bob” Stout. Scrapbook contents were compiled primarily by club historians: Ralph Hurst Tingey, Robert “Bob” Bruschke, Ted Wilson and Richard “Rich” Ream.

Alpenbock Club members offered safety seminars out of their homes, covering safe climbing techniques, accident analysis, and first aid. In addition to incorporating national trends in climbing safety, equipment, and technique, the Alpenbock Club was a proponent of the Leave No Trace movement in climbing. It was also significant for its involvement in winter and ice climbing, a method led by member George Lowe. (Source)

More information

If you are interested in other Special Collections materials related to Rock Climbing, please visit our campus guide on the subject. For questions, please contact Tallie Casucci or Rachel Wittmann.